The Change Equation - First Steps

NON-ACTIONABLE VISION IS A PIPE DREAM
I have opportunity meet Pastors, Church Planters and Renewal Pastors quite often. I enjoy hearing about their goals, plans and vision. Often I leave those conversations inspired, pumped, sometimes I'd consider joining them if I wasn't already committed to a local church.  What causes me to feel that way?  Actionable vision. They know where they are going and how they are going to get there. If you can paint a grand picture but can't articulate how you will accomplish making that happen - you're more a story teller than a leader.

VISION IS ACCOMPLISHED IN SMALL STEPS
I'm a big picture guy, I like to elevate and see where we need to go, to focus on the end goal or vision. I see what a church can become, what it can look like if the vision comes to reality. I'm less a detail guy-but I've had to learn, sometimes through pain, that every vision can and should be broken down into small steps, sometimes painfully small steps.

FIRST STEPS = a set of clear actionable items/steps that will begin to lead the congregation toward fulfilling that vision.
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Nehemiah has served as our reference point, here's the next passage: “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah,  and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me."  Nehemiah 2:5-8

VISION IS WHAT NOW AND WHAT NEXT
What is the first right step toward making your vision happen? Is it a meeting, is it several. Is it a conversation with a key gatekeeper? Do you need to get bids, price some things out?  Do you need some time away to chart all of this on a giant whiteboard? Would it help to bounce it off a key mentor? Do you know what the lynchpin or keystone actions are which will get things moving in the right direction?  

VISION REQUIRES PERMISSION
I want to be careful not to derail anyone's pursuit of their vision-you don't need permission from everyone, but you do need buy in from the influencers. Technically not permission but a "yes" from them nonetheless. When congregational influencers affirm the vision you have opportunity for progress, if they resist you're stuck until they come onboard. 

VISION REQUIRES PROVISION
Every vision is a picture of a preferred future that is different from the state of what is right now reality. Moving anything, any group, church or people forward to a new reality will require resources of some kind.  A building, a vehicle, a new website, additional staff, communication materials, volunteers, leaders all that costs something. Get permission for your vision and you'll have provision. 

VISION REQUIRES PERSISTENCE
I'll get to this in detail in a future blog post but if you're not ready to communicate the vision multiple times, if you're not ready to pursue it when it looks like it won't happen, if you give up or are easily frustrated then the vision is in jeopardy. Dogged persistence to pursue the vision is one of the key ingredients to seeing what isn't yet, become what is.

Questions for Consideration:

1. Have you listed out your vision in steps? Assigned timelines and due dates?
2. Who needs to "buy-in" to your plan or vision? Who are the influencers or gatekeepers?
3. What is the first actionable step? What are the next ten?