ADDING UP THE VALUE OF DE-VISION

If we want our organizations or boards to be relevant and contemporary we have to first deal with the institution we have developed. De-visioning can help. Here's how it works. 

Start off by asking yourself all the things that could be accomplished by shutting the place down completely. Could the money gained by its sale actually contribute more to advancing the original cause, than its continued existence? Could the staff and volunteers actually be freed up to do more than they now can within the organization? Now start stripping programs and layers that have developed over the years. De-visioning gets rid of dead weight, pounds that simply hold the real purposes of the ministry back. Keep stripping back until someone says, "That is the reason we exist. That is what we are called to do. That is absolutely essential to accomplishing what it is we are here to accomplish." 

Creating a fresh vision within an existing board or organization often subtly involves "adding to". De-visioning starts mentally "peeling away" and getting you back more quickly to what is important. It allows precious staff and volunteers to be deployed with focus on the real things that count, doing those few important things well and avoiding mediocrity and institutionalism in attitude.

Many of our organizations have been around for awhile. We do a lot of things. We have a lot of stuff. We have people within the organization who have taken "ownership" of the things they do and stuff they have. Often, somebody thinks the new vision must conform to accommodate the existing structure, without that existing structure changing at all. That presents a challenge for nurturing fresh new vision in the minds of the leadership. Call it political, antiquated, short-sighted, call it whatever you want, but the antidote is de-visioning. Never always easy, letting go of the old form makes room for the new and more focused vision. New wineskins can hold the new wine, the fresh fruit of unencumbered vision. GW

Key Coaching

1. Why should your church, organization or ministry not close its doors forever at 5:00 PM tonight?
2. If by tomorrow you had to remove 50% of what you do, and what you have, what would you keep? What about 80%? What is the essence of what is important?
3. What would the people you serve tell you is important? What are the 5 real benefits that they would say, they absolutely need? How do you see that?
4. Now do you have a glimpse of the fresh vision? Do you feel it in your heart, or is it still in your head? Can you articulate it for others? 
5. Next time your key staff or board are together for vision planning, try de-visioning.