This was the main point of a talk by Andy Stanley at catalyst. I was really engaged by the concept. Marva dawn has written a whole book on how human systems are effected by sin and create injustice. But for the purpose of church leadership, here are Andy's points that I liked.
Systems create behaviors...
Preaching and Cool environments do not create behaviors; systems create behaviors.
A system is the way that your organization gets things done, or fails too.
The system you adopt will impact what staff and volunteers do... 80% of your problems are most likely related to systems...
For Example: If people in your church are not inviting people.... it is because there is a system that is creating that behavior... an announcement does not do this.. nor a video... nor _______
Your church is a combination of multiple systems... if you don't fix them, you will spend time blaming people, firing people, and never figure out why things don't change.
if you dont address things on the system level, nothing changes...
Components of a Good system (or lack of):
1. Expectations / rules...
2. Rewards (or lack of...)
3. Consequences... (or lack of...)
4. Communication, (style and content...)
5. Behavioral patterns (of those in charge...)
Look at those five things and ask what are the expectations in our organizations... (what do we reward... )
In any organization, what's rewarded is repeated.
---> Missions statements are less significant than systems....
--->Your staff is doing what you have led and rewarded them to do...
1. This principal explains why it is so difficult to transition an organization...
2. If a new leader casts a new vision and never addresses old systems, nothing changes.
Change the system... change the organization...
IF you create a context in which leaders are free to lead, and you will attract leaders...
Three Questions that we need to ask ourselves as we explore this stuff...
1. What are the behaviors that we wish characterized our people and organization?
2. List one thing we are doing systematically to encourage them?
-What are we doing in the rhythm of our organization to get it?
3. List the things you are doing to encourage wrong behavior?
