Evidence based decision making for churches is not different from conversations that business, families, even marriages need to have for increased effectiveness and satisfaction.
Susan Scott, author of “Fierce Conversations – Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One conversation at a Time” says this:
“Our work, our relationships, and our lives succeed or fail one conversation at a time. While no single conversation is guaranteed to transform a company, a relationship, or a life, any single conversation can. Speak and listen as if this is the most important conversation you can have.
To seek out the perspectives and desires of others with whom you share goals and community is a worthy endeavor.
This is critically important for churches. But where to start? Gaining evidence about people’s perspectives and desires via a credible data collecting assessment is a worthy starting place. Then, with evidence in hand, engaging in conversation – sharing stories and listening to one another results in awareness previously unavailable. This is organizational intelligence which makes available evidence based discernment for making decisions and plans together.
In this approach, all voices are invited. Everyone has a place at the table’s conversation.
Again, Scott says “Seeking out people with different views, different perspectives, different ideas is often challenging, because it requires us to set aside judgment and open our minds. But we have to remind ourselves that to get beyond where we are, where I believe most of us are, we would all be be well served to choose our music carefully, to stop talking and listen to one another.”
For churches that enlist the services of Mustard Seed Consulting, the important things get defined, evidence is presented and conversation ensures. Scott says “Remember that what gets talked about and how it gets talked about determines what will happen. Or won’t happen. And that we succeed or fail, gradually then suddenly, one conversation at a time.”
Mustard Seed Consulting works with churches seeking trusted insight and guidance for leadership to discover relevant, data driving evidence to address a wide-range of endeavors and challenges for effective and meaningful change.
