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Rounding Corners

by Val Hastings, Clergy Coach

Several years ago the church I was pastoring had outgrown its current facility and was deciding how to respond. One option was to renovate the current facility. The other option was to relocate to a new site. The congregation decided to begin the relocation process. As you might expect, several individuals were not in favor of this decision and said they wanted nothing to do with the relocation process.

As we began the search for suitable property I noticed something very interesting. Two of the individuals who had voted against the relocation project began to show interest in the current search. On several occasions I solicited their advice and invited them to join our search. Two years later one of the individuals who had initially voted against the relocation project found the piece of property that the church would eventually purchase. The other individual offered a sizeable amount of money to purchase the property.

WOW!
How did this happen?
How could two individuals who initially voted against this project play such an extremely important role in its success?

I believe that ROUNDING CORNERS is part of the answer. When I invited these two individuals to join our project I was rounding the corners. I was making it easier for them to change their mind and join the project. What I discovered was that these two individuals needed additional time to process the issues and make a decision. They also wanted to see what additional support surfaced regarding this decision. (Remember the 20-50-30 Rule listed above) In addition, they were coming to terms with what was ending in this organization.

The learning from this strategy is ... Sometimes when a person is opposed to something new, what they are really saying is:

• I'm not ready to make a decision. I need more time.

• I want to see what kind of support develops around this decision.

• I'm still wrestling with what's ENDING and am having difficulty addressing the NEW BEGINNING.

Remember to ROUND CORNERS! Sometimes support comes from unexpected people!