Tag: leadership

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Veranderingsbestuur: Robert Terry Action Wheel

Die afgelope week het ek saam met ‘n werkgroep gedink oor veranderingbestuur binne ‘n organisasie wat heelwat geskiedenis saam dra en hoe moeilik dit is om so ‘n organisasie in verandering in te begelei. Hierdie wiel van Terry help daarmee om die fokus op die regte plek te behou.

Terry Action Wheel
Authentic Leadership: Courage in Action Robert Terry

Geskryf deur Frederick Marais:
Robert Terry se teorie, Authentic Leadership: Courage in Action (Jossey-Bass 1993), help ons om insig te bekom in die gebruik en misbruik van mag in die hantering van konflik.  Eers ‘n paar algemene opmerkings oor Terry se teorie.
Terry se teorie bestaan basies daaruit om die aksie of dinamika in ‘n sisteem te ontleed.

Terry identifiseer 6 vorme van aksie in ‘n sisteem wat ter sprake kom wanneer die sisteem blootgestel word aan transformasie: (sien hieronder ‘n meer uitgebreide verduidelikking van elk van die aksies)
Terry se wiel:

1. Mag- Die is die energie van ‘n aksie
2. Missie- Die fokus of “waarheen” van ons aksies
3. Bestaansdoel of bedoeling- Die “hoekom” wat ons aksies motiveeer
4. Konkrete bestaan (existence)- Die konkrete realiteit van waaruit ons aksies voortspruit.
5. Bronne- Die konkrete bronne waarmee die aksie realiseer. Alles wat konkreet gemeet kan word val onder hierdie kategorie.
6. Strukture- Die die organisasie kanale- di planne, strukture ens. waardeur die aksie gekanaliseer word.

Volgens Terry is hierdie 6 aksies in ‘n spesifieke interaksie met mekaar. Hulle vorm saam ‘n wiel wat die momentum van die gekulmineerde energie van die 6 aksies voorstel. Die interaksie tussen die 6 aksies is belangrik en in ‘n baie spesifieke orde. Elke aksie is afhanklik van die volgende aksie om suksesvol te realiseer (sien weer sy skematiese voorstelling).

Terry se wiel verbind daarom elke komponent met die volgende komponent deur middel van ‘n pyl: Mag(energie) realiseer konstruktief wanneer missie- of fokus in plek is.   Wanneer daar in die sisteem ‘n magskonflik is, word dit nie reggestel deur op die konflik te fokus nie maar deur die fokus te verskuif na die missie. Missie(fokus) kan net realiseer indien bestaansdoel(hoekom) duidelik is en gesag het in die sisteem. Die logika is dat ‘n organisasie met fokus-missie, maar sonder ‘n duidelike bestaansdoel of “hoekom”, nie werklik oor die energie sal beskik om die missie te realiseer wanneer daar teespoed kom nie. Bestaansdoel(hoekom) kan net realiseer indien dit konnekteer met die konkrete bestaan van die organisasie. Die konkrete bestaan van ‘n organisasie is die realiteit van waaruit alle aksies ontstaan. As die bestaansdoel of bedoeling van die organisasie nie grond vat in die werklike konkrete bestaan daarvan nie, is daar geen aksie nie maar net idees. Konkrete bestaan is net moontlik indien daar (meetbare) bronne is om dit te laat bestaan. Mense, tyd, geld en infrastruktuur.  Dit dien geen doel om oor die bestaan van ‘n organisasie te praat indien daar nie bronne is nie. Bronne sonder stukture kan geen energie kanaliseer nie.  Strukture is dit waardeur bronne gekanaliseer word om in diens van die bestaansdoel en bedoeling te funksioneer. Strukture kan nie sonder energie aksie tot gevolg hê nie. Water kan nie in ‘n kanaal loop indien daar nie gravitasie is nie.

As ons Terry se wiel toepas op magsverskille of konflik beteken dit dat wanneer daar konflik is, die probleem nie in die konflik is nie, maar in die onduidelikheid van die missie of fokus van die organisasie. Konflik in sigself is nie sleg nie, dit dui op energie, maar is onproduktief- energie word vermors, omdat daar nie fokus is nie. Ons spandeer daarom in die vennootskap baie tyd om oor missie-Gemeenteroeping en Visie vir Beliggaming te praat omdat dit ons help om fokus te ontwikkel. Dit is kontras ons praktyk om strukture te gebruik om die konflik te hanteer.  Wanneer ons strukture gebruik benut ons die reëls, bestaande planne en prosedures. Dit egter, plaas druk op ons hulpbronne, wat druk plaas op die voorbestaan van die organisasie ens.

31 Augustus 2008.

Wat my laat dink dat wanneer jy die organisasie aan die volgende stap van die wiel wil blootstel moet jy dit motiveer met twee stappe vorentoe. Wanneer jy mag wil establish moet jy dit motiveer met doel. Wanneer jy doel wil establish moet jy dit motiveer met betekenis. Wanneer jy betekenis wil establish moet jy dit motiveer met huidige realiteit. Wanneer jy huidige realiteit wil establish moet jy dit motiveer met bronne. Wanneer jy bronne wil establish moet jy dit motiveer met strukture. En uiteindelik, wanneer jy strukture wil establish moet jy dit motiveer met mag.

Die argument moet altyd ‘n stap vooruit wees om die huidige kwessie sinvol te beredeneer.

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5 Reasons Millennials are Drawn to Mainline Churches

Don’t assume your church doesn’t have anything to offer the Millennial generation, says Andrew Ponder Williams. He outlines five ways that mainline churches are distinctively called and gifted to connect with younger generations and offers tips on how your church can maximize these advantages.

I consistently encounter the presumption in congregations of all sizes that Millennials don’t like mainline churches. I believe this assumption arises from a deep fear that our local churches don’t have anything to offer my generation. The truth is that Millennials desire and actively seek intergenerational, welcoming communities of faith. I know from firsthand experience with ministries across mainline traditions that our congregations have a lot to offer younger people.

Here are five reasons why mainline churches are distinctively called to minister with Millennials and tips for how your church can better connect with this generation.

1. We share our faith authentically.

Our consumer culture has hijacked the word authentic to describe guacamole, toilet bowel cleaners, and everything in between. The term has lost a lot of its impact and we have become immune to its true meaning.

True authenticity is something that forms within us when we are centered with God and with our neighbors. Authenticity requires vulnerability with God and with each other.

TIP: Millennials are a generation seeking authenticity. In other words, local churches should not pretend to be something that they aren’t. For example, if your church is small then don’t pretend to be big. Authentically embracing who you are as a community of faith will draw others to you.

2. We are rooted in traditions.

Please disregard everything you have been told about how your traditional church has nothing to offer young people. God has equipped you to minister to Millennials through the traditions you share and the relationships you offer. In a world that changes every five minutes, my generation understands that for something to last hundreds of years it must be pretty special.

Furthermore, traditional has gone from meaning “old” to meaning “mystical.” We Millennials grew up on stories of a young wizard named Harry Potter who escaped a locked closet under the stairs, came of age in a giant gothic castle, and was shaped by much older professors and mentors. The Harry Potter Effect, as I call it, has shaped our minds to see gothic spaces as places of great intrigue and even opportunity. It explains, in part, why Millennials are more open to traditional expressions of faith than you might think.

TIP: Embrace and showcase your traditions through creative and meaningful worship. Invoke a sense of the sacred in worship through candles, hymns, and don’t try to overly modernize your worship space.

3. We give generously.

The clearest conclusion about the Millennial generation is that we are generous in our giving to and support of impactful nonprofits. Mainline faith traditions are well positioned to engage Millennials because of our commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of all God’s children through missions and service. The most generous generation in history is the perfect match for the most generous churches in the world.

TIP: This is one area of ministry where it is okay to not be humble. Be bold in sharing your commitment to missions and the impact on the lives of others. Invite young people in your congregation to lead your church in its mission and service.

4. We live purposefully.

I learned from an experience with a former campus ministry student that the thoughtful theology of the mainline gives young people the opportunity to develop a distinct purpose for their lives. Our group had spent the day exploring Yosemite National Park only to discover it was too crowded to see much of anything. We took a back road away from the crowd and discovered an incredible mountain vista where we prayed.

This student shared that her day at Yosemite was like her experience with our mainline campus ministry. Her point was that most people travel just to the most famous spot within a park or destination, take a selfie, and miss the richness of what lies off the beaten path. She believed that most students at her school were joining campus ministries that narrowed their perspectives instead of helping them discover their distinct purposes.

TIP: Make mentorship a core function of your ministry whether your church has one young adult to guide or hundreds. Mentorship leads to meaningful relationships and spiritual growth for the mentor and the mentee.

5. We are based in grace.

Our theological emphasis on grace has always been especially inspiring and is more important than ever in this time of division. The grace God has for us and the grace we have for each other is something we are called to share widely. Mainline traditions emphasis grace in distinct and transformative ways. Our belief in God’s commitment to perpetual love and forgiveness for us all is something truly distinct and comforting.

TIP: Practice a life of grace inside and outside the walls of your church. Seize this opportunity to model grace for our divided society and for my generation. Embracing grace will distinguish your church as a nurturing intergenerational community of faith.

*this article first appeared on churchleadership.com