HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE CHANGE

HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE CHANGE

       I. FORERUN

1.      Create buy-in from key team leaders

·         Share what’s coming

·         Share the benefits

·         Call people to begin to think differently

Forerunners help create expectation, urgency, awareness

Mal 3:1

“Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the Lord of hosts.

                        Matthew 3:1

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

                       

Successful change happens internally before it happens externally

-Kyle Searcy-

Our brain tries to create habit patterns. It doesn’t want the task of having to keep old task in the conscious mind. It will seek to create automatic responses. Change is actually confrontational.

a.       Gather key personnel to communicate challenges.

b.      Attempt to bring them to the conclusion change is needed.

c.       Enlist suggestions for possible change strategies.

d.      Announce change will be forthcoming but don’t clearly delineate it yet even if they suggested what you are thinking.

e.       Don’t announce exactly what will change until they are ‘baptized’.

f.        Once they are ‘baptized’ share with all key personnel what the change will be.

g.       Choose the appropriate setting for communicating the change to key personnel.

·         Some one-on-one

·         Some groups of 2 or 3

·         Some larger groups

Always deal with troublesome individuals alone and win them over before any group meeting.

If you can’t win them over then anticipate their objection and counter it as you communicate the coming change

·         Some multiple meetings

h.      Give ample time for questions and allow them to freely share.

i.         Look for enough buy in…Not 100 %.

 

     II. COMMUNICATE THE NEED FOR CHANGE TO THE MASSES 

1.      Harp on why the change is needed.

Matthew 3:10-12

¹⁰ And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹ I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

2.      Communicate the change along with joint agreement of key personnel.

3.      Communicate change in light of vision and purpose.

  III. GATHER THE CHANGE IMPLEMENTERS AND COMMUNICATE ON THEIR LEVEL 

Luke 6:12-13

¹² Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. ¹³ And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles.

Matthew 13:34-36

³⁴ All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, ³⁵ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.” ³⁶ Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

·   Speak their language

·   Consider their concerns

·   Speak to their needs first

- When you communicate vision to people, they don’t see what you see or hear what you hear.

 IV. CLEARLY COMMUNICATE THE PARAMETERS OF CHANGE 

1.      Share what’s different, what it looks like, what the new normal is.

a.       Describe the new normal.

Matthew 5:3-12

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. ⁵ Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. ⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. ⁷ Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. ⁸  Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. ¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven

b.      Reiteration of the value of what we presently have.

Matthew 5:17-18

¹⁷ “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

c.       Compare and contrast what’s changing.

Matthew 5:21

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.

Matthew 5:27-28

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

2.      Give yourself an out.

·         Say we will try this and see how it works

·         If it doesn’t work well be honest and transition again openly

    V. DON’T BE DISTRACTED BY THE OPPOSITION

Matthew 19:9-13

⁹ As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. ¹⁰ Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. ¹¹ And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹² When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.

·         Stay on message

·         Communicate the need

·         Stress the rewards of the Change

·         Respond in meekness

 VI. CELEBRATE WINS NO MATTER HOW SMALL 

Luke 10:17-21

¹⁷ Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”  ¹⁸ And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. ²⁰ Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” ²¹ In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.