Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

I’ve been cleaning out my office. While sorting and dumping most papers into the recycling bin, a few gems surfaced. One is a simple chart called Managing Complex Change. 

The columns represent five key elements necessary for a successful change process:

• a compelling vision,
• clear roles and responsibilities,
• behavior by staff/volunteers that support and reinforce a new way of doing things,
• resources to get things done,
• and an action plan that details the path forward.

An X indicates a missing element. It suggests that even if other elements exist, a change process can get hung up with just one missing ingredient. Without vision, confusion sets in. Without clear roles, anxiety reigns. Without adopting new behaviors or practices, old patterns persist and change stalls out. Without appropriate resources, people get frustrated. And without an action plan, false starts impede momentum and motivation.

This chart highlights an abstract process. But think about your own experience – have you ever had an experience that would illustrate these points? How can you apply it to something you’re involved in right now?

I wish I knew the source of this handy little chart, so I could give due credit. One of my professors in graduate school scribbled it on the chalkboard one day, presumably reminding us of something we’d already learned. The idea resonated with my experience, but I’d never seen this useful image before.

Now, years later, I’m glad I wrote it down. Every time I’m on the cusp of a change it seems to reappear – often on days like today, when I’m cleaning out old stuff to make room for the new. I know that “managing complex change” takes way more mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual work than what appears in these few words and symbols in a chart. But it has served me well as a guidepost along the way.

Do you have any guideposts of your own? What tools do you use to keep your heart and mind on track when leading change?