Champions Fax Archive

Frances Hesselbein serves as the CEO of the Drucker Foundation. In Leader to Leader, the magazine of that organization, she writes a brief summary of eight milestones she uses when consulting with non-profit organizations. Here are six of the eight with applications for Church Champions.

1. "Scan the environment" - Many times organizations make fatal assumptions about their operating environments. Proper planning requires up-to-date perspectives about the current situation. Many times organizations are suited for an environment of the past, but not the present.

2. "Revisit the mission" - Hesselbein advocates doing this at least every three years. The mission may not change but the process of revisiting the mission helps new members of the team catch the mission and older members refocus their work.

3. " Ban the hierarchy" - Today's leaders need organizations that are fluid and flexible. Tasks, roles and boundaries overlap. Learning to live in this reality is much more productive than drawing lines. And don't forget, most of your best constituents already know how to get around the hierarchy anyway.

4. "Challenge the gospel" - She's not talking about biblical orthodoxy, but rather the sacred cows within your organization. Another author calls this "rethinking the orthodoxies" in your business practices. What are the three most common practices in your organization that have been around forever? If they are unproductive, abandon them. Develop new practices to meet today's customer needs.

5. "Employ the power of language" - Leaders must communicate the same message over time. As one denominational executive said, "We changed the message too often. We have to stay focused on a theme for three years to bring everyone along." As in political campaigns, stay on the message.

6. "Assess performance" - Evaluation is the weak link of most churches, denominational groups and church-related organizations. Continuous feedback assists organizations in making mid-course adjustments in plans. Determine the right things that need to be measured in accomplishing your goals. Too many organizations plan for one thing and measure another. One of our editor's board members recently recalled, "For 10 years our district had an emphasis in evangelism but declined in number for the same 10 years. No one noticed the disconnect." Happily, he did and now his region is the fastest growing region within his denomination.

"Journey to Transformation" by Frances Hesselbein is found in the current Winter 1998 issue of Leader to Leader. To order a subscription to this excellent quarterly, call 888.378.2537. The Drucker Foundation web site is www.pfdf.org.