Shaping for Mission? An Introduction to Change Management in a Methodist Context

1. Shaping for Mission? An Introduction to Change Management in a Methodist Context Richard Andrew

2. Aim – to explore change processes and identify some tools for change management

3. Exercise In pairs share a positive and a negative experience of change connected with your own practice. From your conversation distil two points of learning to share with the group.

4. Defining Change: A False Start Change is an ongoing process not a “visionary end state” which can be reached in a highly programmed way

5. http://www.lindsay-sherwin.co.uk/guide_managing_change/html _change_strategy/06_mckinsey.htm

6. Defining Change: A Definition Change = a process of moving from a less desirable to a more desirable state of affairs consistent with the beliefs, values and purposes of an organisation. Assumption – change management is a social process involving re-configurations (small or large) in human relationships and behaviour.

7. People are not Machines P O P P PERSON-OBJECT RELATIONSHIP PERSON-PERSON RELATIONSHIP

8. Three Leadership Rules of Change Rule #1 - People are different Rule #2 - People are different Rule #3 - People are different www.rapibi.com

9. Exercise: Brides of Christ As you watch the DVD jot down any observations you have about its success/failure as a process of change.

10. ‘Brides of Christ’: Key Factors Related to the Experience of Change people need a degree of stability and predictability in their environment both at the level of relationships and social space change threatens identity - it involves disruption to the normal course of events or to a world view - underpinning someone’s approach to congregational life is a world view which is not only made up of rational ideas but emotional attachments, stories, memories and symbols significant change poses the possibility of upsetting or modifying the balance of power among groups – churches are ‘coalitions’ of different interest groups

11. Change and Pain Martyn Snow, Leading Change in the Church, Grove, 2009

12. Change is a Result of Dissonance Change is generated by creating dissonance that has to be resolved. Benjamin Franklin’s definition of insanity, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."   ‘…movement to the desired state is effected by offering contradictory evidence and then supporting those involved in travelling to beliefs and behaviours where there is no conflict between what they believe to be the case and what they experience’. Dadswell, D, Consultancy for Mission and Ministry: A Handbook, provisional title, forthcoming SCM Press, December 2011.

13. Change is a Result of Dissonance • In order for change to occur, a person (or a group): • must experience dissonance • must have a sense that the new behaviour will improve the situation (for the individual or group) • must have a sense that he or she is an active player in the process, that he or she can influence the process. Macdonald I. et al, Systems Leadership: Creating Positive Organisations, (Aldershot: Gower, 2006), p. 27

14. !‘Crazy Time’!

15. Change and Bereavement http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/haven-of-peace-for-estranged-parents-hope/media/796196

16. Change and Bereavement J. William Worden, Grief Counselling and Grief Therapy, (Routledge, 2009). Four tasks that the bereaved need to undertake to adapt successfully: Task 1 – accepting the reality of the loss; Task 2 – working through the pain of grief; Task 3 – adjusting to an environment in which the deceased is missing; Task 4 – relocating the deceased emotionally and moving on with life.

17. Leadership in a Context of ChangeMacdonald I. et al, Systems Leadership: Creating Positive Organisations, (Aldershot: Gower, 2006), p. 19 + - Honest Dishonest Trustworthy Untrustworthy Courageous Cowardly Respectful/ Disrespectful/ Dignifying Undignifying Fair Unfair Loving Unloving

18. Change as Conversation ‘It is not the plan that will change people and give direction to the congregation. It is the conversation of the people one with another and with God – that is a part of the planning process – that changes people… Margaret Wheatley states: ‘there is no power equal to a community discovering what it cares about’. She then goes onto say ‘it is always like this. Real change begins with the simple action of people talking about what they care about.’ Rendle, G. and Mann, A. Holy Conversations: Strategic Planning as a Spiritual Practice for Congregations, (The Alban Institute, 2003), p. xviii

19. Change and Vocational Identity • Three critical formation questions (Rendle and Mann, p.xiv): • Who are we? • What has God called us to do or be? • Who is our neighbour?

20. Change and Vocational Identity Phil Potter (Director of Pioneer Ministry, Liverpool Diocese) – notes the importance of harnessing memories from the past as a means of journeying into the future. Speaks of three stages: Honouring Harnessing Healing Mark Wakelin – living ‘as if’ in the ‘not yet’

21. Plenary Where have you glimpsed these change processes at work? Which of these ideas do you think help to illuminate your practice of change management?