photo by busy.pochi

I really like change. I like change because it usually brings about something that is bigger and better. Not always. But a lot of the time it does.

In ministry, it can be easy to resist change because of tradition. Because I like change, I like to try and be a change agent if I think it is something that is worthwhile in my ministry. However, I have often gotten stuck. My tactic towards change is usually logical. I present statistics and knowledge that state the case for change. That should be enough.

I’ve discovered that it’s not. To lead change, I need to think differently about the change process.

I often state this quote. “People only change when they hurt enough to change or know enough to change.” I’d rather change because of knowledge and not because of pain. However, I believe that the majority of change comes when people hurt enough, not necessarily know enough.

In this video, Dan Heath, the author ofSwitch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, explains the process of how true change happens in organizations. He suggests that to truly get organizations to change, feelings have to come first, not knowledge.

Question: Do you agree or disagree with Dan Heath? How might you put feeling first as a way to lead change in your ministry?

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhBzxy7CneM]