As we near the two year mark of ministering through a pandemic, I hear a lot of ministries talking about Vision. What will our ministries look like in 2022? And while vision is important, a vision without a roadmap is just a dream. We may not need a new vision but new strategies to accomplish our vision.
What is strategy? Business professor Michael D. Watkins says that “a good strategy provides a clear roadmap, consisting of a set of guiding principles or rules, that defines the actions people in the [organization] should take (and not take) and the things they should prioritize (and not prioritize) to achieve desired goals.” In other words, a good strategy is as much about what things to stop doing as it is about what we continue to do or transform.
Here are some key questions I suggest when doing strategic visioning:
1. What is it time to stop doing and let go of?
2. What is essential to bring forward?
3. What are we called to transform?
And finally…
4. What is my next doable first step?
I have found these four questions to be the building blocks to co-create a roadmap for new roads ahead. To fulfill any vision requires strategy. I encourage you to invest time, prayer and energy to develop your roadmap for ministry in 2022.
If you would like to talk further about strategic planning, just contact me at RegionalRep@GreatLakesUnity.com.
For those who would like a deeper dive into strategy building, here’s the link to a great article from Faith and Leadership titled “Strategic Questions Engaging People’s Best Thinking”