Realizing Isolation as Part of Healing

I realize that no blog post can be inclusive of all points of view, but I find myself wanting to respond to this post on isolation as a negative part of healing. 
http://blog.christianleadershipalliance.org/2014/09/15/six-steps-towards-healing-for-the-wounded-leader/

In her PhD dissertation, Shelley Trebesch focuses on periods of isolation as required time spent seeking an intimacy with God. Intimacy is the place where we recognize our need before our Creator and become honest in regard to being His steward. Shelley outlines a number of processes that take place in isolation that often come in response to organizational discipline (Trebesch 1997, 35-43):

1.  Stripping – sometimes the cause of the isolation (as it was with my self-initiated sabbatical after my resignation), a leader will face his or her identity – or loss of identity – in view of a separation from ministry whether voluntary or involuntary.

2.  Wrestling with God – if the isolation is forced, this brings the leader to desperately search for God and their true identity apart from the position and activity of ministry. This spiritual exertion can be as literal as Jacob’s interaction with God in Genesis 32, as we cling to God until we realize contentment.

3.  Increased Intimacy – this stage brings about an openness and honesty of the leader’s weakness, brokenness and vulnerability. There is a freedom in allowing others to see their hearts in this state. Leaders will often truncate this process here as it can be too painful, or they find another outlet for ministry. However, for those who are able to separate themselves from the position of ministry, they will discover a growing satisfaction in Christ alone.

4.  Released to Look Toward the Future – Rather than succumb to the temptation to truncate this process, the leader must allow God to remove them when He is ready. There will be an intuitive renewal and openness to the future. This is often when leadership emergence reveals itself.

I personally experienced this isolation process in 2006, following my voluntary resignation from a ministry, as I found myself seriously questioning my leadership ability and competency for ministry. It was paradoxical to me at that time, that while many other local organizations were seeking out my leadership, there was an unmistakable barrier between them and me . . . until which time I came through that process with a clear freedom to accept a new position.

The process was undesired, but critical to my spiritual formation, as well as my professional growth as a leader. It was only after my acceptance of a new position as God’s direction for me that I was contacted by the other organizations with the news that I was not their choice. It was this process that led me to an awareness of God’s preparation of me for a specific ministry position. I also feel that without this process of isolation I would not have been as prepared for continued leadership or for the intense introspection of the MA program that I was undertaking. 

  

I have learned that isolation can be a friend, but also a trap. Use it sparingly, but realize it as part of healing as a leader. 

Shelley Trebesch, “Developing Persons in Christian Organizations: A Case Study of OMF International.” (Ph.D. diss., FTS) 1997.

Some good quotes for me to embrace today

Push aside the expectations of others and instead focus on the appreciation of what you've accomplished. If you believe in it, then that's all the truly matters. - unknown

Don't judge me on the basis of what you heard from others. Judge me on the basis of what YOU know about me, or else try knowing me. - Ashish Basumatary

There's people that are just in awe of what you do, and then there are people who just think it's garbage. And I think there are people who are just uncomfortable seeing someone have fun with their job. - Todd Barry

With fame, you can't trust everybody. You can't depend on them being there for you as a person. They will only be there because of what you've got and what you can bring to their life. It's not a relationship - it's a leech. - Chris Brown

The ultimate victory in competition is derived from the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your best and that you have gotten the most out of what you had to give. - Howard Cosell

Believe half of what you see and only some of what you hear, unless you hear it from me. - Chris Daughtry

Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don't. - Steve Maraboli

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart . . ."

The Ask: It's About Vulnerablility And Trust

I have spent two decades leading nonprofits that were supported by asking for financial support.  Now that I am consulting for nonprofits, I realize how difficult it is for many of them to ask.  That hesitation translates into them not recognizing the need to invest in getting help—or more often, an inability to afford the help they critically need to become stable and sustainable.

Several years ago I wrote a blog post about fundraising not being about the "ask." (link)  That post included a TED video with Amanda Palmer, a musician who decided to trust her fans for her support.  It became an act of vulnerability and trust . . . putting herself out there, even when confronted by other musicians who mocked her efforts (which actually became very successful).

I realized that nonprofits have a hard time trusting their "fans" and don't communicate their ask in ways that allow supporters to see them as transparent and vulnerable.  It was then that I began to be more transparent and vulnerable to our donors.  I spoke more freely about our work, our difficulties, our successes, the needs we had, and highlighting the return they recieve for their investment.  I believe that is what sustained the organization through the recession—and even saw an increase in income and average gift per donor.

Now that I am consulting, many clients can't afford consulting services.  Perhaps don't realize they need to invest in their organizational development, and may not trust that their outcomes will be fruitful.

This leads me to ask you to help me help them.  I'm becoming vulnerable and asking for help, so that these nonprofits can get the help they need, and serve our communities.  I'm seeking subsidies to provide pro bono services to nonprofits who can't afford consulting, but who can't grow without that help.  Thank you.

Please consider investing in CharisNP:

Online Assessment Tools for Identifying Organizational Issues

Nonprofit Leader,

As an Executive Director I often wanted to know how well my board and staff understood our organization’s mission and vision, and if they were being clarified well enough.  I needed to assess the awareness of my board of how critical their understanding our programs and networking was to the organization and to our position in the community.  

Each time I looked over an organization’s financials and fundraising, I found areas needing improving, and fundraising issues that the staff and board had not recognized had changed over time.  It was that process of discovery and analysis that helped me revitalize several stagnant nonprofits and help them thrive. 

It was the fresh perspective of an outsider that made the difference.  In many cases a consultant is hired to show an organization’s leaders what they have been missing and help them make the right changes.  Some of the leadership and/or staff may recognize the issues, but may not be able to be the agents for the needed change.  Thus, the third-party consultant is engaged.  

But how do small, struggling under-funded nonprofits afford the rates for an experienced consultant?  They can’t, and so they keep struggling through tough organizational issues, ineffective programs, staff turnover, disconnect with the community, and loss of funding as a result.  And what are the options for well-run organizations to take an occasional fresh look at their organizational dynamics and leadership?

It was recognizing these issues that led me to create several online assessment tools that provide the data nonprofits need to get the overall view of their organization and start recognizing the needed changes to make.  By limiting travel and time of on-site interviews we reduce the cost and still provide a needed summary analysis to help an organization: 1. understand the stage in their life-cycle, 2. examine Staff-CEO-Board relationships, 3. measure their fundraising effectiveness.  

By developing anonymous surveys administered online, I have been able to assist a number of organizations of various age, size and budget.  The survey results are graphed for ease of understanding, and a brief, interpretive assessment is provided of potential action steps for further considerations.  The next steps are up to your organization’s leadership and funding capabilities.  You may decide to engage me or other advisor to help you move forward.  In any case, you will have this very important data with which to help change your organization for the better.

I invite you to take a few moments to examine my website and my background, and the four levels of low-cost assessment analysis tools I offer at www.CharisNP.com.  Whether you decide to engage my services beyond the surveys is completely up to you.  I am available to you to discuss how these can help your organization and help you lead quality change.

 

Serving together,

James K. Lewis, m.a., cfre^®

Is Public Office a Missional Vocation?

I am deeply moved by the numerous and diverse efforts of Jesus followers at my church to impact our community and the Kingdom. Overseas missions, neighborhood outreach, education, human trafficking, connections to help the homeless, advocating for fostering and adoption . . . it is an awesome example of stewardship - and a retaking of ownership of "social" activity within our world.

I wrote about this effort in several papers while studying at Fuller, and as I did there, I would like to take this discussion one step further, into a broader stewardship role for the church. Dallas Willard makes an excellent point in The Spirit of the Disciplines that “charity and social welfare programs, while good and clearly our duty, cannot even begin to fulfill our responsibility as children of the light to a needy world.” He then calls upon the people of God to “assume the responsibility, under God and by his power, of owning and directing the world’s wealth and goods” (1988:202). He points out that by doing so, with Christ, the church would be able to reduce the causes of poverty. That is a level of stewardship the church has not attempted on such a large scale—and likely will not without realizing that the sacred calling of God is not just within the church, but in all vocations and careers. The church should commission men and women into “farming, industry, law, education, banking, and journalism with the same zeal previously given to evangelism and missionary work” (1988:214).

The outcome of this ownership will lead to being able to speak into the development of policy . . . Once the people of God are involved as stewards in influencing the marketplace for the community’s good, they can have a hand in advising public agencies in serving the truly needy. This culminates in the people of God showing how the church “enters into full participation in the rule of God where they are” (1988:218). That is true stewardship of all that God has made and put under our authority, including social service to those in need. Religious control of social functions, as it has been in the past, can be seen as an authentic Christian response to need. P. Beyer, in Religion and Globalization states that this validates the Christian message (1994:197).

If this be the case, what is keeping us from contributing to the setting of policy in our city? Is not civic service as much a step into missional living as other forms of outreach and involvement? Is the desire to serve a public office not as sacred a vocation? If so, we should commission and support with our time, treasure, and talents those taking that step as well as the missionary.

When do you need a consultant?

 

Numerous issues in a nonprofit organization rise to the occasion of requiring paid outside assistance. These involve acknowledging you’re facing something larger than your in-house skill set can handle alone. Accepting that help is needed is the first step in any weakness or dysfunctional behavior – whether of a person or an organization.

Sometimes a struggling organization just needs help transitioning to its next stage of growth. Perhaps a well established organization needs help re-inventing itself. Facing reality is the most difficult when leaders and staff are deeply ingrained in the present organizational culture. It becomes even harder if the leader is a founder or long-term CEO, where he or she may be sensing a loss of control or that recent changes are becoming overwhelming. A lack of positive organizational dynamics keeps many dysfunctions hidden, and people are unwilling to be the one vulnerable enough to upset the apple cart.

Consulting with outside professionals isn’t limited to the need of addressing serious issues . . . most leaders could use regular coaching with peers and/or professional consultants. But some circumstances call for more serious consideration for outside help:

Strategic Planning. This process can require an anonymity that an independent consultant allows. Often I’ve found a key staff or board member who admits to not being sure of the direction or even of the organization’s mission and vision. In one case it was found that a new board member wasn’t aware of the organization’s religious core principles of faith. Appropriately laying the foundation before discussing strategy is critical to success. 

Analyzing fundraising effectiveness. In such a volatile economic landscape, it can become comfortable for an organization to stay the course with tired or limited funding appeals and stale communications. Organizations tend to stay with old metrics and “shot-gunning” rather than using new tools to target a segment of their donor base who are more likely to respond to different types of communications. E-commerce is still only effective in a small portion of demographics, and it is key to understand when and how to phase that in.

Closely aligned with fundraising is an understanding of an organization’s publics – those who can control or limit an organization’s ability to flourish. Many times an organization has “blinders” and they are not aware that they’ve grown myopic in their programs and vision. I’ve seen organizations atrophy due to ignoring the reality of their external context and relationships. This is where familiarity breeds contempt; stakeholders who once supported and helped form the organization can, if ignored or taken for granted, become the worse critics.

A most serious issue that desperately demands immediate assistance is internal organizational conflict due to a lack of unity in mission and vision. It's critical to quickly re-establish clarity of mission and unity between the leaders and the staff or board. This requires outside intervention. But choose the consultant carefully, as this requires a professional who is able to decipher the organization’s deeper cultural and personal issues – not merely personnel or HR issues that are on the surface. The former is ripe with personality clashes and broken trust, while the latter involves organization policy and procedure – which may need addressing, but is not the root cause.

I will mention briefly the need for a consultant and/or interim management through a period of crisis leadership change. Addressing this will require a separate blog, but it's most critical to contract with outside assistance rather than use internal staff in such a case.

These are just a few areas of concern where an independent third party will be able to increase awareness, broker unity, and ensure the stability and sustaining of the organization’s mission. Don’t wait until you realize the need – develop relationships with those you trust and who will be ready and willing to intercede within your organization when needed. While these resources may be costly, you will save time and money with the judicious use of consultants. They will be worth it to the organization, as you will gain much more than you spend. They may be reported as an expense, but they are an asset to any organization.

For more information on choosing Consultants:

http://strengtheningnonprofits.org/resources/guidebooks/Working_with_Consultants.pdf

http://www.first5la.org/files/Nonprofit%20Consultants-How%20to_Buttenheim.pdf

http://charisnp.com/
http://www.artiosinstitute.com/

http://www.theedgegroup.org/

Rights of the Individual vs Community

In light of recent conversations related to various rights being questioned as being in the community's best interest, I will make a brief comment on the veracity of the individual over the community. Dietrich Bonhoeffer brings critical thinking forward for us today. Claiming one's rights is counter to the self-renunciation we find in the Sermon on the Mount (Discipleship) . . . but we are to fight for the rights of others (Ethics), which – rather than renunciation – is a form of transforming initiative. I think that's what America's founders had in mind with the Bill of Rights as they set forth protection from an oppressive government – in order to provide for free personal and corporate (community) responsibility. That individuals would act with respect toward the benefit of community was part of their ethic . . . an ethic which has been tempered in our post-modernism. (I will preemptively add here related to the slavery issue: some Founders were proactive for the inclusion of extending rights to all, while others surmised that it would cease of its own accord given time and economics). The question remains for us: how to balance the rights of the individual and community. Bonhoeffer’s writings may provide some clues. From “Life Together” to “Letters and Papers from Prison” we glimpse the possibilities of community.