I've been reading BusinessWeek for over 20 years, and enjoy finding things that apply to the church. The backpage column by Jack and Suzy Welch (he's the renowned former pres of General Electric) is always engaging. They just answer questions people send. In the January 15 issue, someone said workers went on strike at their largest factory, demanding higher pay, even though they paid the same as at other factories.
The Welches responded that when labor issues erupt, the trouble can usually be traced to workplace leadership--usually, a plant boss or foreman who is abusive, insensitive, bullying, secretive, or all of the above. "In short," they write, "bad management most likely caused your strike."
Is that usually the problem when problems arise in churches? A pastor or "church boss" or elder board who are insensitive, bullying, secretive? Yes, I've seen shades of that time and again in our churches. (At my own church, though, we try to be highly transparent, and our pastor takes the lead in that.)
The Welches say the answer is to install plant leaders who are transparent, candid, fair, and respectful. Yes, we need church leaders like that, too.
A key principle, they say, is to give workers a voice and dignity. "All employees, not just the ones carrying briefcases, need to be heard. Factory workers in particular need to know they are more to the company than just a pair of hands at a machine. Their ideas count." So how do you do this? You listen, you create forums where workers are encouraged to raise their ideas for doing things better. "Nothing builds resentment like a factory boss standing cross-armed in his glassed-in office, overseeing from on high." We at the denominational headquarters (my day job) are often perceived this way, though it's not fair.
And then they conclude with this, which I really like: "What you need are local plant leaders who are comfortable with dialogue. That builds trust....When managers operate transparently and fairly and workers know it, there is no need for a third party to broker the conversation between them. There is just one team, working together to win."
A lot of good stuff there about dealing with people.
Career-wise, I've been hanging around and writing about and cheering on churches and pastors for the past 25 years as my denomination's Communications Director.
"Nothing builds resentment like a factory boss standing cross-armed in his glassed-in office, overseeing from on high."
"We at the denominational headquarters (my day job) are often perceived this way, though it's not fair."
I suppose some folks do perceive HQ this way. (the word "HQ" even reenforces it, huh?) But you are right - it's not fair. Anyone who has been there can see you don't have glassed-in offices ;-P
Mike