I just had another one of those moments when you know someone is either reading your mind, or listening to your conversations. Mark Batterson posted some thoughts on his blog recently that resonated with me, and paralleled discussions I've had with several people over the last month or so. Here's what Mark had to say:I am spending the next two days with a church consultant. Here's why.
One of the great challenges we face as leaders is something called "inattentional blindness." The way it works is this: if you see something all the time it begins to disappear until you don't see it at all. That's how you lose perspective. And that's how you lose your leadership edge.
What are the implications?
For starters, most of us totally forget what it's like for someone who is unchurched to walk through the doors of a church building for the first time. So our environment isn't as hospitable as it could be or should be.
For example, we do a disclaimer before our offering each week. If you are a guest, please don't feel obligated to give. This is just one way we, as regular attenders, worship God. You've got to let them off the hook because they have no idea what is happening when an offering bucket is coming their way. Is this mandatory? Are these weekly dues? How much do I put in? (Vann: We include the following in SoHills' bulletin each week: "Please do not feel obligated to participate in the offering. The offering is for members and regular attendees who consider Southern Hills church their home.")
I think another example is that we turn a blind eye to the chipped paint on the wall or the unevenly folded bulletin or the lack of directional signs. Essentially, we lose our excellence.
How do you fight it?
I have two recommendations. One way is by doing reconnaissance at other churches. I need to get outside my environment and see what others are doing. It keeps me from becoming a closed-system. Another way is via consultation. You invite someone into your environment to give you fresh perspective.
One way or the other, good leaders master the art of reevaluation. They are constantly reevaluating everything they do. Otherwise we start doing ministry out of memory.
Here's what I know for sure. We can have better systems. We can create better videos. We can become more hospitable. We can do a better job of evangelizing and discipling.
I think there has to be a degree of holy discontent if we are going to move toward excellence and overcome our "inattentional blindness."
