The Truth About Disruptive Change
My sense is that leadership these days is more often than not about change. Whether you’re a leader in business, at home, in a volunteer agency, school, or church, the world has changed significantly enough – and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon – that organizations inevitably need to change, often continually, to adapt to both the challenges and opportunities ahead.
And change is hard. Why? Because change is disruptive, and we tend greatly to prefer stability to change because, quite frankly, stability promotes growth. So the idea of changing direction, changing practices, and perhaps above all else changing personnel, is daunting because we want to avoid the disruption – and along with disruption the emotional fallout – that significant change brings.
But here’s the thing: not changing in the kind of world in which we live is also disruptive. It’s just that the disruption is slower, and therefore more palatable, until we’re able to retire or move on, hopefully before our institutions decay significantly or die.
I know the world of the church and seminary education best. And change in these environments is incredibly hard. Not only do we prefer stability, but we also love tradition and care deeply about people’s feelings (both of which I value!). And so we avoid significant change, tweaking past practices, retaining people who resist change, and trying desperately to do what we’ve always done just a little bit better.
But it’s not working. Look around. Denominations, congregations, seminaries are declining in membership and influence. And we suffer this long, slow, but also devastating disruption because we fear the immediate disruption of radical change.
And that’s the truth about change: it will be disruptive – always. The choice is whether it’s the significant disruption of major change in the short run for the sake of health or the long, slow but ultimately devastating disruption of irreparable decay over the long haul.
What ever happened to “Semper Reformanda.” My experience is that we seek change that is not disruptive, nor is it reformative. We seek change that is appealing and winsome, that is more technical than formative, and that does not required personal change. And “conflict avoidance at All Costs” seems to be the new motto in today’s church. I have talked to too many people, once “churched” but no longer so who hungered for a more authentic Christian community but did not find it or who sought to be instruments of change, but were rebuffed. I pray that my experience is not the norm but fear that it is.
If the ship is moving forward, it will inevitably run into uncharted regions, high winds, and heavy seas. Most folks get sick in high winds and heavy seas; some folks will choose to change ships (if promised easy waters) or they may go ashore permanently. But eventually you get used to the rocking and you like the fact that you are headed somewhere. Keep the ship moving, refuel when you can, feed the crew often and treat them fairly. Better to be at sea and moving than being battered about by the storms ashore and have nowhere to go.
I’m one of the people Ken Rutherford mentions above. Seventy-one years old with fifty-four years of church affiliation. All of the church characteristics he mentions existed in my latest church experience. Additionally, as a retired secular senior administrator, I’ve observed that imploding organizations with insufficient resources tend to cannibalize themselves in the process of collapse. It’s not a pretty sight, but if you can’t enlighten the unconscious I guess they have to learn the hard way. As my wife says a new way of relating God’s love will arise out of the ashes if this occurs.
In some ways I welcome this disruptive change. In other ways I contribute to the maintenance of the status quo and am resistant to change. In some ways I see disruptive change as an unavoidable wreck which others, maybe even myself, are blind to see and do anything about.
I need to practice the faith I preach about and trust the Holy Spirit to guide me through this process. God in Christ Jesus will be with me regardless of what actions I take or don’t take, or what happens to me and my community. Change will happen, I trust God to be with me as we walk with me through this process.
Exactly! This is my new journey at the age of seventy-one. Coincidently, in the secular world today’s (May 29th) FORTUNE magazine’s CEODAILY discusses business success in the age of disruption. Fifty-seven percent of the companies on this year’s Fortune 500 list weren’t on it twenty years ago. That worries me for our church but I guess that’s my age showing. We have so much potential, which takes me back to Ken Rutherford’s comment above.
I treasure this on-line community via davidlose.net. Thank you all and thank you Dr. Lose.
Along the same lines, look at the brave step the Yazidi are taking by changing ancient traditions and allowing women who were forced to convert by ISIS to return to their community. Maybe a lesson for us Christians?
http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-05-18/yazidi-society-changes-try-and-rescue-generation-traumatized-women