Selling The Problem

by Val Hastings, Clergy Coach

Several years ago I interviewed for a position as the new pastor of a church. As I drove into the parking lot I noticed that the steeple was leaning. As I got out of the car, I took a second look at the steeple. I tilted my head to the right, then to the left. YES! The steeple was definitely leaning. At one point in the interview process I inquired about the leaning steeple. I simply asked, "Is the steeple secure? I noticed it was leaning." I was unprepared for their responses. It leans? I have lived here my entire life and I never noticed that before.

How could they miss the obvious? Anyone and everyone could easily see that the steeple leaned. I was puzzled. If they couldn't see the obvious, how would it ever be possible for this organization to address the sizeable issues and challenges before it and successfully move forward? TEN YEARS LATER this organization had almost quadrupled in size; they had outgrown their current facility and had purchased 18 acres for a relocation project. How did that happen?

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? While there are several reasons why this happened, I would like to focus on a strategy that helped this organization move forward. The strategy is called, SELLING THE PROBLEM. Our natural tendency as leaders is to spend about 95% of our time trying to sell a solution and about 5% of our time attempting to sell the problem. The irony is that we are trying to sell a solution to people who don't see a problem. (IE. The leaning steeple phenomenon) Is it any wonder that 7 out of 10 attempts at change fail?

A more effective strategy is to first sell the problem! People need to see the problem. People need to feel and experience the discomfort of the problem. Problems can actually help create the climate in which people begin to entertain possible solutions. Most people and organizations hold on to an old way of doing things until they are SOLD OUT to the fact that the old way isn't working anymore. When both the leadership and the people in the organization understand the problem (and are on the same page as to what the problem really is) the dynamics of the organization will very often begin to shift from Leader vs. People to Leader and People vs. Problem. In addition, when leaders and people focus on the same problem, often a climate of cooperation begins to emerge. The end result is increased participation and a quicker solution.

I'm convinced that if we, as leaders, begin to understand the importance of this strategy and implement it in our organizations that we will be better able to respond successfully to the sizeable challenges and issues ahead of us.

P.S. Several years after I first noticed the leaning steeple I received a call from an organization that was creating a poster called "Steeples of Lancaster County". They asked for permission to include our steeple on their poster. When I asked them "Why", they responded that "They wanted to include a leaning steeple." I almost said "It leans?" But I caught myself. Instead I said something like, "It is a rather unique steeple, isn't it?"

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E-mail: val@coaching4clergy.com

Philadelphia Area