How IBM Builds Businesses
Think Big... Really big -- Look for opportunities that can become profitable billion-dollar businesses in fie to seven years. You'll probably find them by talking to customers rather than to brilliant researchers in the labs, who are looking further ahead.
Bring in the A-Team -- Growth is too important to trust to novices. Tap your most talented and experienced leaders -- senior people who are secure enough in their accomplishments that they can afford to fail. That might mean taking star managers away from your core businesses.
Start Small -- Resist the impulse to staff up quickly. Learn from pilot programs' "first of a kind" engagements with customers, and get clarity about the business before you ramp up.
Find New Ways to Measure -- In the early years, don't try to guage success by revenue and profits, as you would in an established business. Instead, look at feedback from market trials and partnerships.
Of course, we aren't a business, but this article from Fast Company made me think. We have not brought in our A-Team (proven senior people). We have not placed our plants where they can grow quickly and large (at least I haven't). Something to think about.
posted by Brian @ 4:54 PM
7 Comments:
How do you measure and guage success in church planting? A lot of times it's boiled down to nickels and noses or perhaps longevitiy. What constitutes success for The Crossover? What constitutes success for Crossroads or Lifespring?
I struggle with the A-Team mentality. We've brought in A-Team members before (thinking short and long-term history here) and watched lots and lots of people crash and burn because they thought they were A-Team members and expected good things to happen.
Is there a location in Central Illinois where you could realistically expect fast and large growth???? For the 25 or so miles surrounding Mattoon, I think you're it. Does Champaign, Decatur, Terre Haute, Springfield, etc. really provide more of an opportunity for fast and large growth?
No real point here, just some other questions to chew on.
That is a great question. The way I guage success is following what God has laid before us and seeing lives changed because of our actions. I measure depth not width, life change not attendance.
On the other hand, I do not think we have used our A-Team historically. I personally did not have proven abilities before I planted.
What kind of growth could we expect from an A-team pastor in Champaign or Springfield? I'd like to know. But the most important part is to discern what God is doing and where He is doing it and who He has called to lead it. No matter where or what it looks like.
Then we also try to build in multiplying reproduction.
I like the way you define success, but I do believe the two (depth and width) are connected. I've been in a lot of churches of 15-25 people that tell me they're not growing in numbers, but they're growing deep in the Lord. I don't really buy that for the most part. I think if there was that kind of significant life change and growth taking place, some sort of numerical growth would follow. I don't think it necessarily has to be hundreds or thousands, but heathly organisms do grow.
I guess maybe I need to understand how you define the A-Team person or persons. I think we have brought in people with proven abilities and skills (obviously I don't want to use specific names, but I'm thinking of the guy from Central IL who spoke at the crossover wearing a coat and tie and referencing aquinas or augustine like your people might know who either of them were) and they were complete flops at church planting. They had proven skills, they had grown churches elsewhere and yet they didn't get it when it came to church planting. Even take some of the pastors you and I know who have grown churches... how many of them could really cut it as a church planter?
What do you mean when you think about the A-team mentality?
I think about you and Eddie and Fran and I see three really different people who are all experiencing success as church planters. What are the common threads that the three of you share that perhaps an A-Team person needs to share too?
I think you nailed it in that it's about how God is moving and who he's calling to come along and lead it. I think that's one of the threads I see with you, Eddie, & Fran.... each of you felt called to where you're serving.
Just some more randon thoughts with Lance (by the way, I'm under anonymous because I forgot my password to Findog7... any help Brian?).
I agree at least that I'm looking for a healthy proportioned body of water, not an ocean with an average depth of 1" or a mud whole that goes clear through to China. There is certainly something to proportion.
As to the A-Team, I'm not sure it carries over. I worked for IBM and I've worked for small business. To take a guy, who was managing 35,000 people (an A-Team) guy and given him no employees and an entrepreneureal task actually seems stupid to me. But it has worked, at least at IBM.
What would happen if a Keith Raderstorf, George Reeser, Scott Sims, or some other, I think well proven minister would plant a church from scratch?
Another part of the IBM articles says "It takes the execs who work for his startups months to 'stop the crap.'" In other words, there are significant personal transitions to be made.
I'm not suggesting we use the A-Team. I was just working the articles ideas for what they might offer.
I'm not convinced on the A-Team philosophy... I remember Bob Simmons... the guy planted a church in the middle of nowhere, PA. No real reason why a church would grow in the back-water town he planted it in, but he stayed there for 10-15 years and grew a great church. He was the United Brethren Church's golden boy, so they sent him to Scotsdale, AZ to plant a new church there. It flopped.... completely different context, everything he knew from Cochrantan didn't help him a bit in Scotsdale. He struggled and fought for 8-10 years before they finally closed it and he moved on to another project.
I look at Scott and I think he could do about anything he wanted to... he really is an amazingly gifted person. I look at Reser, he might make it work out of shear drive and determination. Maybe Keith would make it fly, maybe not. I think some of it depends on context.... I'm convinced that there are people who can make it work in Chicago, who would fail miserably in Mattoon and vice versa.
But I think there is something to learn from successful church planters to know what kind of qualities you're looking for in other church planters. Eddie is completely insane.... but absolutely loves people, can build almost instant rapport with folks. You are a visionary and deep thinker who's not afraid to try new things and fail. I think your engineering days of trial and error serve you well as a church planter... you seem to be willing to risk a little more knowing it might work or it might not, but at least you'll know a little more than you did before. Fran is the self-starter and self-educated one. He really seems to be able to hone in on the right issues and ask the right questions.
I'm guessing there are some common threads that each make you successful at planting churches.... flexibility, visionary, contected to your context (that one is huge.... you've done an amazing job at learning about Mattoon and what it takes to connect there... and at the same time you know there's a lot you have left to learn)
More thoughts by Lance
Thinking about the A-Team philosophy. "Growth is too important to trust to novices." There seems to be plenty of exceptions...I'm thinking of Bill Gates, and then there was the guy who started Dell computers in a college dorm room, and the list could go on...I think these guys would be considered novices at the time.
On more of a Biblical note, the people chose Saul (who was an A-team guy) and that didn't work so well. Then God chose David, who didn't exhibit very many A-team characteristics at the time. Then a few hundred years later, Jesus didn't seem to pick the A-team candidates for disciples. But, I will concede Paul as an A-Team guy prior to his Damascus road experience.
Just wanted to throw that out in the discussion mix...and like Lance, I (Gil) forgot my password.
The A-Team for me right now would be an entrepreneural guy, who understood people and was a student of culture, not necessarily pop culture, but the culture that makes your area unique. He would have to have a reasonable grasp on the Bible and his faith in Jesus would need to be fairly obvious to people he meets. It is hard to say where this guy is most likely to show up.
Our area is pretty rural but each town has a unique flavor that you had better understand. Then there is the ability to engage that culture authentically. I'm not sure I can alway do that in Mattoon. It has to be true to who you are. Eddie is pretty true to Sullivan. Fran is true to the suburbs. And while I consider myself generally to be open and authentic, I'm not sure where I would be exactly true.
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