1186 words … about 4 minutes toward new and improved results
This week I am in Phoenix with a group of younger senior pastors who lead growing churches. Yes … there is such a thing as a growing church in Covid world. I am so encouraged to hear leader after leader report that they are either at or have exceeded their pre-Covid average weekend in-person attendance. In most cases, the growth in online attendance that spiked in the spring of 2020 has been maintained as well. And the most exciting piece of news is that the numbers are not just “re-collection of sheep” but engagement of as many as 20% new family members. One senior pastor from Oregon where they are just two weeks into the lift of mandatory masking noted that he has met multiple new families the last two Sundays that are “first-time in-person guests.” Very encouraging.
Part of the preparation for our time together this week was reading an article from Deloitte Consulting entitled, “Innovation Study 2021: Beyond the Buzzword.” I highly recommend the article that you can read here. But for the meeting I am leading, and this article, I want to highlight just a couple of sections of the report.
The first is a bit of a debunking of the traditional definition and understanding of innovation. Many people think innovation equals invention. It has to be a “brand-spanking, never been heard of before, created ex nihilo product or program or strategy or __________ (you fill in the blank). It is something that calls for an unveiling of something created in a laboratory full of test tubes, supercomputer calculations, and really smart people.
The findings of the Deloitte study point rather to a more simple definition that includes “new and improved.” They further define new as “new (but not necessarily new-to-the-world). They discovered that “new mixes of known winners” is the more common recipe for innovation success. “Today’s innovators see themselves less as researchers and inventors, and more as composers, orchestrators, and cross-pollinators.” And critical to success is that the innovation delivers “measurable improvement” over the current approach.
The second highlight is a section of the report that highlights three steps for successful innovation outcomes. I’m going to start calling it the “go+go+go” formula for ensuring new and improved results.
Get Going
Go Now: In my experience in working with churches, not to mention my tendency, this is the hardest step. You may find yourself waiting for just one more piece of confirming data or to spiritualize it a bit - one more sign from God. You get stuck in the paralysis of analysis.
Is your foot hovering over the gas pedal, but feels a little stuck? Commit right now “put it in drive” and get moving.
Go Big: One of my mentors was the founder of Leadership Network, Bob Buford. I learned early in my tenure Bob’s operating principle - “We hunt elephants, not squirrels.” In essence, he was all about going big. This meant that we were committed to be involved in work that would have a BIG Kingdom impact. That’s why when the next church history books are written, you’ll see the fingerprints of Leadership Network’s ministry with large churches, executive pastors, the multisite movement, use of big data, and other areas.
The Deloitte article references Isaac Newton’s Law of Mass and Acceleration which states that Force = Mass X Acceleration. He pioneered the idea that the force of an impact is a function of not just velocity, but of heft. High-performance innovations don’t just get going; they also go big. Tentative efforts around small impact innovation may start with a bang but usually don’t sustain and as a result, really doesn’t meet the criteria for true innovation that includes ongoing “measurable improvement.
Where is God calling you and your church to “go big?”
Go Together: There is no place in effective innovation for lone rangers. Innovation is a team sport. Secure alignment with the team early and redouble connections often.
Two more G-Keys after the ad:
LeadWell Cohorts
Through LeadWell Cohorts, leaders gain unique insights from peer learning environments. LeadWell Cohorts leverage the group setting for leaders in similar roles. The wisdom of well-seasoned mentors and expert resources from multiple disciplines empower participants to tackle some of our time's most pressing issues and opportunities. This collaborative community helps leaders bust through their leadership lids and create plans for accelerated results.
Why be involved in a peer cohort?
There is significant power in gathering true peers that result in organizational health and accelerated results. Participating in a LeadWell Cohort prevents you from leading in isolation and provides a diverse set of perspectives on some common leadership challenges and opportunities.
You have led through one of the most difficult seasons this world has ever faced amid a global pandemic, seeking to discern what's next and what's the new normal? And though some things are becoming clear, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. Community brings clarity.
Some of the best learning comes through interaction with leaders from other disciplines. You will have access to subject matter experts in areas as broad as business, science, and the arts who will share successes from their context that lead to application in yours.
Not only do you have the support and insight of your peers, but each group is also served by mentors. These leaders see their role and calling as helping you to avoid some of the dumb tax they have already paid.
The next groups are forming now including Senior Pastors (under 40), Senior Pastors (Finishing Well), and Executive Pastors. If you are interested in applying for a spot, email me at greg.ligon@generis.com or select a time to talk that works for you here.
Keep Going
Once you get going, you have to be intentional about keeping going. When the going gets tough, the tough keep going. One of the keys here is to continue to build a culture or posture of learning. Too many times, we allow a “failed attempt at going” to be a retreat moment instead of a learning moment. The reality and the principle highlighted in the Deloitte article is that “failure begets learning.” Organizations (and churches) that thrive adopt a rhythm of “build, measure, and learn.” For more on this principle check out Eric Ries’ book, Lean Startup about continuous innovation.
Where have you failed lately? What did you learn?
Let Go
According to the Deloitte study data, organizations with more than 20% revenue growth during the last 18 months were more likely to spread ownership of innovation throughout the organization. The number one key is to avoid micromanagement.
What roadblocks to growth do you need to clear? Ask the question, “Where are you stuck and how can I help?
Let’s talk soon about how a Leadwell Group can help you get going, keep going and let go! Schedule a time to talk here.