Are you ready to make big changes in your life? Are you a pastor or a leader who is trying to change an organization? Are you simply trying to get over a hurdle you have never been able to make it over before? Well, Switch, a book by Dan and Chip Heath is a great place for you to start.
Last week I began a series of reflections on this book. The central metaphor of the book is the image of a rider on an elephant and trying to line up both to get where you want to go. (Read the first post for a more in-depth description.)
Today I am focusing on the first part of making a switch, which is directing the rider. One of the most intriguing elements of the Heaths work is their ability to offer uncommon insight into a problem. In the case of making a change they suggest that the first place to start isn’t in the areas that aren’t working, but the ones that are. They call this finding the Bright Spot.
Any organization that is facing the need to change should start with a look at what parts of their work are actually working, not the ones that are failing. Often it is in these bright spots that many of the answers to our problems can be found. If we want to direct the rider down the right path, find places where this is already happening and learn from them.
Applying this idea to our church has been eye-opening. For instance, we have identified one of our greatest needs as a church is to train up Godly men. The culture of men in our area is simply not Godly. It is far too self focused and removed from family life to be effective in creating a God centered family. Addressing this issue, however, is really daunting and we weren’t sure where to begin. So I began by finding the men in our church who are Godly. They are certainly bright spots! Families that function with a Christ centered life also stand out clearly in our church, as I am sure they do in yours. So I started talking to those men to discover how they parented, how they interacted with their wife, and the role that Christ played in their and their families’ lives.
So now, having discovered some bright spots, I worked to reshape our men’s group into a forum where those guys who get it are able to share about their families and provide some insight into other men’s lives as well. Our hope, of course is that if we create enough bright spots we can then get these men partnered with more and more men and help them become bright spots.
Celebrating and understanding bright spots can be the first step towards real change.
So what are the bright spots you can find in your life or your church to lead real change?
February 27, 2010 at 12:17 pm
The idea of “Bright Spots” is genius in its simplicity. After reading the explanation, one is struck by how obvious this idea appears. Like the best inventions, you ask yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that?” My “company” is one built upon the extremes of innovation and non-changing tradition. Not surprisingly, these two characteristics often collide with one another violently. They are both strengths and weaknesses, both in constant tension.
Now that I have been blessed with a position with some influence in my region, I am constantly analyzing how my office can improve, how we can serve our clients better, how we can be more efficient. This week, I will now look at what we do right before tackling what we do poorly. I believe I will get the staff together and poll them on what they think we do well. I am actually excited about getting their input. Hopefully, I won’t get too many complaints about their boss.
I may have to pick this book up off of Amazon based on your comments.
February 28, 2010 at 1:15 pm
The powerful thing about this book is the unorthodox simplicity. When it came to finding the bright spots they shared a story about how an organization working among the poor in Vietnam transformed the eating habits and nourishment of huge amounts of children simply by looking around to see why some of the poor kids in these villages were healthier than others and having their moms teach other moms what they were doing. No government programs, no money, no aid packages, just looking around to understand what is working and what isn’t. Good luck.