A culture of risk and experimentation
Thinking Faster is a blog that I have just started to read as I continue my obsession with David Allen’s getting things done methodology and my fruitless search for that perfect peice of software that will organise my life and all the information surrounding it. One of his post made me reflect on something that we have been trying to do at nccc for the last five years.
Thinking Faster writes on If not forbidden, it’s permitted
My father was a Marine, so maybe I’m biased, but there’s a long running joke about how Marines see the world and how soldiers see the world. Marines are taught that they must be prepared to improvise. One of their core maxims is: “That which is not forbidden is permitted”. Its often been said that the Army mantra is: “That which is not permitted is forbidden”. Now, this is merely illustrative and not meant to reflect anything but respect on both services.
At nccc we have attempted to create a culture around our multi-congregational model and missional teams that is one that says that failure is not giving it a go. It is my experience, that along with companies (and the military) becoming bogged down in bureaucratic red tape, Churches also are being strangled by this too. I was once a part of a church who had many talented people, and a large resource (financial, human and infrastructure) to call upon who spent extensive time crafting wonderful missional proposals and discussing and documenting them. I have gone back later and looked at my files, only to be impressed by the vision, innovation and energy within the written proposals. But, the problem was that most of the energy and time was burnt up on preparing the proposal and most of them never got beyond a written document.
To avoid this at nccc we have tried to engender a culture that says “let’s give it a go and work the details out as we go”. It is then that they energy, time and passion is expressed in the doing and not just the theoritical proposal writer. This has obvious meant a restructure in terms of permission and authority but one that I believe has been truly life giving. As an example, at nccc we have planted new congregations, changed the time of them, altered the format and style, moved them to a new location - all without documentation or reference to our key leadership body. The same goes for our missional teams. This means that those that lead and those within these congregations and missional teams are the decision makers - and they are the best people to do so.
Sometimes this has worked at nccc, and sometimes we have fallen into bad habits. But, on the whole we seem to be making progress.
I think is more than just a organisational leadership issue but it is actually at the heart of what it means to be a movement of people that follows Jesus. Sprituality done Jesus style is about learning “on the way” - reflecting, changing, modifying as we go and experiencing God as we get our hands dirty in the cause of Jesus.
November 29th, 2004 at 8:34 am
“let’s give it a go and work the details out as we go”
hmmmm, so that is the rationalisation you are using at the moment Phil. Nice work, if you can get it.
November 29th, 2004 at 2:19 pm
There’s a methodology in software development called “Agile Methodology” and it runs on a pretty similar basis to what you describe above.
There are a few critical things though that need to occur if you are going to run projects using this iterative approach:
1. Empower your people. People form the basis for everything you do and therefore need to be empowered with information so that they can make decisions on the run.
2. Clear objectives. Each project, even though you’re working out the details later, needs to have a very clear and well publicised objective. This way, people can continually measure up what they’re doing and ensure it aligns with the overall aim.
3. Discipline. Your team needs to be very disciplined when using this approach. The risk is that we can run away on tangents and never deliver the outcome we set out to. Regular meetings, discussions and team exploration sessions need to be run and adhered to strictly if this is going to work.
Of course, all of this can be done whilst having heaps of fun!
Sorry for the rant, this is just one of my current hobby-horses! Interesting to see how both software development & life\project management are developing similar ideas!
Cheers,
C.
November 29th, 2004 at 8:51 pm
Now, now Chris - don’t show your jealousy in such a public forum
Carl, very interesting - do you have any books that cover this?
November 30th, 2004 at 1:11 pm
At risk of turning this into a software development thread, the Agile Manifesto (http://agilemanifesto.org/) and the Principals (http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html) governing it can easily be turned to work for any project.
December 3rd, 2004 at 3:06 pm
I love the thought of giving it a go & se what happens. I had a conversation recently with someone who was aksing about children’s ministry; I closed, “I don’t really know if it will work, I am just amking it up as we talk.” This didn’t receive a negative reaction, that as I have thought it more, I probably expected.
I have been a in a Church where the first responses were often, it won’t ork, it’s been tried, it didn’t work - aaaaahhhhhh.
I think we allow our past expierences to create fear of the future.
I guess we can’t change it around too much, because i think we all, dep down sowher, like a degree of stability; but man I long for people to come up & say, let’s give this a go!
Sure, I think questions need to be asked that help develop it further, create an awareness of issues as we go that we might not otherwise see - but let’s walk a little instead of sitting around talking about what is or isn’t possible and never being anything!!
Does it sound like I live in two worlds? Somewhere between more power to experiential freedom, and having some structure. I probably am - the structured Church is in my blood going bak at least two generations & probably further. Another part of me oudl rather see us go right back to the experience of New Testament, seel our Church buildings, rotate house groups & come together in a public place for body celebration! Now I am ranting - sorry. It’s the world and tension that I exist in. Loving the Church, but belieivng in sol much more than it has bcome in some instances!
Thanks for the opportunity to comment
December 3rd, 2004 at 8:03 pm
Hey Simon, I will be writing a lot more on this style of leadership as I hope to research some of it for my Masters.