MIM Feb 17 2006

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The pastor and a key group of leaders have initiated a new worship service featuring a contemporary style of music and designed to reach a different group of people. the traditional worship service, however, is being moved up 30 minutes earlier to accommodate the Sunday morning schedule. Some members are in opposition.

Human nature resists change. Edwin Friedman wrote, “Successful leadership depends not only on the ability to overcome inertial passivity, but it also must be able to avoid being sidetracked by active sabotage. Another paradox facing people at the top is the predictable fact that followers will work to throw them off course precisely when they are functioning at their best.” (Generation to Generation, pp. 223-224)

Effective leaders should anticipate resistance. It is human nature to resist change. And it is normal group behavior to challenge leadership at the point of the most critical steps.

George was a faithful church member and attendee. Since his wife was often homebound with health problems, I visited frequently in their home. While George was supportive and dedicated to the church, he nearly always greeted me at the door following worship with some criticism of the service. At first, I pondered his concerns and followed up with questions to clarify his perspective. Then I found myself grinning and bearing it.

One Sunday, my defenses were not ready and he found a new trivial point to criticize. Before my better judgment took control, I retorted, “George, I would think something was wrong if you didn’t criticize something.” Then my heart gripped with fear that I actually spoke aloud what I had been thinking all along. But his wife standing behind him just smiled at me and gently pushed him out the door before he could respond.

Charles Ridley and Steven Goodwin offer a helpful analysis of resistance to change in their recent booklet, Overcoming Resistance to Change, (ChurchSmart Resources 2003). They note seven characteristics of resistance, four categories of resistance, and three necessary attributes of change leaders.

For a leader to address resistance to change, the leader needs to assess the behavior of resistance to determine the characteristics and category. Determining this will help the leader to focus his/her efforts in the most strategic manner.

Ridley and Goodwin develop a table to portray four responses to change initiatives. Diagnosing resistance in this matrix can help a leader to strategize more useful responses.

Some resistance is oppositional and some is non-oppositional. As the name implies oppositional resistance is open and visible dissent. However, there are two forms of oppositional resistance. Some of it is constructive and helpful while some of it is outright counterproductive.

The same is true of non-oppositional resistance. Some of it is constructive and some is counterproductive. Consequently, Ridley develops a table like this:

	RESPONSES
	OPPOSITIONAL	NON OPPOSITIONAL
COUNTERPRODUCTIVE	1 Active Resistance	2 Passive Resistance
EFFECTS CONSTRUCTIVE	3 Constructive Opposition	4 Collaboration

A change leader will respond differently to the various responses and effects. For example, resistance that is collaborative (quadrant 4) will call for listening and clarifying in order to gain the wisdom of the resistor as well as the partnership of the resistor. The leader will need to take the initiative to draw out the non-oppositional behavior in order to engage the resistor in active participation.

In quadrant 3 the leader will want to listen for clarity of why participants oppose the change. Quite possibly the resistance is not to the core of the proposed change but to the unanticipated side effects.

Aunt Sarah was upset about the new free lunch program. The pastor assumed she was resistant because the women’s group had always controlled the use of the kitchen. Now, new people would be using the kitchen. Some of those new people were not even members of the church.

Pastor Susan felt deeply about the mission and the outreach of the free lunch program, but on the advice of a couple of key leaders Susan visited Aunt Sarah to talk about the new program.

After the opening pleasantries, Aunt Sarah introduced the subject before Susan could bring it up. Aunt Sarah wanted to talk about it more than Susan did. As Susan listened, employing her best skills to clarify the communication; she discovered Aunt Sarah wanted to reach out to the hungry, too. Her concern was that the plans did not include sufficient detail on sanitation. Having been the victim of accidental food poisoning, she wanted more attention to the health risks.

Pastor Susan understood Aunt Sarah’s resistance not as opposition to change, but constructive advice to improve the mission and ministry.

Counterproductive resistance may be open and direct or it may be hidden and disguised. In quadrant 1 leaders have no difficulty identifying resistance. It is obvious and evident. It may be personal and hurtful. In this quadrant leaders need to practice self-differentiation. Friedman talks about the leaders who are clear about their position and their mission. They seek to continue communicating clarity about their purpose. At the same time they stay in contact with the resistors, inviting them to express and process their opposition.

According to Ridley and Goodwin, leaders often miss quadrant 2. Here the resistance is passive and not as obvious. Resistors may choose not to attend key meetings or not complete key assignments. They may even seem evasive and distracted. Ultimately, they are resisting change.

Change leaders need to identify this passive behavior for what it is: counterproductive resistance. At times it may be appropriate to graciously confront this behavior by naming it. Leaders need to clarify the vision of their direction and not allow resistance to veto the mission. By naming the resistance the leader sets the movement free from having to wait for others to get on board.

Leaders can equip themselves to strategically address resistance and enhance change movements by accurately diagnosing the character of resistance. Ridley and Goodwin’s book is a useful tool.

Tom Hanover has served in a variety of pastoral leadership roles for over 30 years, the last four as a District Superintendent supervising the ministries of more than 100 pastors and churches in southwest Ohio. He has a BA (cum laude) from Taylor University , the MDiv and DMin degrees from United Theological Seminary in Dayton . Contact Tom at thanover@pastors-study.com

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Book Review – When People Throw Stones: Leader's Guide to Withstanding Personal Criticism

Those who serve in ministry are in the public eye and subject to scrutiny. Criticism can be devastating even when a person’s intent is to help us improve how we serve others. Blaine Allen encourages us to remain steadfast and look at all aspects of how to handle words and actions that wound.

Is our critic simply malicious, or do his/her observations hold truth? How should we respond when we’ve been hurt and how can we benefit and grow? Since criticism is part of ministry, what steps can we take to strengthen ourselves so that we increase the chances of survival? Allen talks us down from the ledge in a calm and understanding voice that says, “I’ve been there.” He includes suggestions for filtering out vicious criticism and determining whether it has merit or is merely meant to destroy.

Allen’s observation that our critics would have no power over us if it had not been given to them from above is thought provoking. Whether what happens to us is right or wrong, God will use if for good if we allow Him. Allen never states that we can completely banish criticism from our lives, but he does suggest ways we can protect ourselves from critics and make sure our actions are verifiable should it become the critic’s word against ours.

The author also discusses techniques for hearing a critic out while remaining under control. His book is filled with personal illustrations plus humorous snippets that give color to his topic. This guide is a handy resource for learning how to withstand the inevitable storms of criticism that come with church leadership.

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MIM EZINE, FEB 17, 2006