Who Moved My Pew?

Managing Change Using Creative Problem Solving as a Leader in the Church Prof. Shelly Palma “May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Rom. 15:13 NIV

Our objectives for the Session: Main objectives  Applying imagination by using the creative thinking process  Learning a four step cps model  Encourage collaboration, teamwork, and innovation

Our Objectives for the Session: Supporting Objectives  Show how two companies method’s encourage positive behavior

Outline of Activities  Show Volkswagen example…a company which uses change to create a better world  Highlight IDEO’s cps process  Apply the four step cps process to a challenge…specific to pastoral ministry

“I can be changed by what happens to me. I refuse to be reduced by it.” Maya Angelou

One company’s quest for positive change… “We believe that we can change people’s behavior for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better.”

 Creates innovative products and places  One of the world’s most influential companies “We create impact through design. Together we can design change…” IDEO

“I ask of myself, “Live a good Christian life. Toward that objective I bend every effort in shaping my personal, domestic and professional activities and growth.” “I function better when things are going badly than when they’re as smooth as whipped cream.” Walt Disney W. Disney

Four Step CPS Challenge Objectives:  Apply the cps process to a pastoral challenge  Encourage creative and collaborative solutions as a team

Challenge Scenarios  New Worship Service: How do you introduce a new worship service in an established traditional church?  Facility: How do I modify the facility: increase the worship space or change the worship space so that it fits with the needs of our worship?  Technology: How do I incorporate new technology into the service or worship experiences?  Staff: How do I deal with a difficult staff person or lay key leader that I’m having problems getting along with?  Self-Improvement: How do I change me? Or in what ways might I improve my pastoral style of leadership to better meet the needs of the congregation?  Alignment with Mission: How do I get rid of long- standing traditions that aren’t consistent with the mission of the church?

Overview 1. Prepare/Understand: analysis of problem, assumptions defined 2. Ideate: generate ideas, brainstorming with post-it notes 3. Converge: ideas evaluated, selected, supported and chosen 4. Implement: plan of action developed

Step 1: Prepare & Understand: Analysis of problem, assumptions defined  Carefully define the problem  Ask questions  Determine assumptions about problem

Step 2: Ideate  Generate ideas—at least 40 from your group!  This is where the divergent thinking process comes in. Plug into some new ways to connect to the spark of creativity and imagination.  Action: brainstorming with post-it notes

Step 3: Converge  Use convergent (critical) thinking to categorize, eliminate, evaluate and combine ideas.  Select, sort, determine which are the most promising solutions.  Action: Dot vote on the ideas which will be the most effective. Try to find multiple solutions, not just one.

Step 4: Implement  Action: Use the 6 Universal questions method: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

Overview 1. Go to the challenge that you have an interest in working on. 2. Select a volunteer who will assist with recording the process. 3. Make sure each group has supplies/notes: outline of ppslides with 4 step process, at least 4 large post- its, 1 small post-it note pad, and 2 markers. 4. Breakout into small groups and begin discussion.

“Kermit's function on this show is very much like my own in that he's trying to hold together this group of crazies. And that's not unlike what I do.” Jim Henson

Debrief/Summary  Applying creative thinking will encourage imagination and fresh ideas to the team building process  Using a four step cps model with a challenge helps overcome uncertainty with change and brings structure and organization to a leadership team  Encouraging collaboration assists in overcoming barriers of communication

Thank you! For more information: Pick up a business card Rochelle (Shelly) Palma or Quentin Madden Creative Problem Solving Solutions Office Phone (R. Palma):