Miles Run:72.05
Miles Biked:85.99Total Miles:158.04
Stadium Stairs Run*:2244
Steep Steps Run*:1340
Days to Rainier:132
Summit Team:9.55
Aspirin Tablets:42
This week I had a conversation on the topic of organizational effectiveness, missional relevance, and what death looks like in an human institution. David provided some great insight and helped me to flesh out my own version of the Theory of the Firm.
During my time at Hillsdale College, I explored the strict Austrian view of Industrial Organization. They relied on the assumptions of human self-interest and the predictability of the natural desires for personal advancement. These desires in a properly architected organization can theoretically lead to the organization's benefit, the individual's benefit, and an expansion in overall production in the broader economy. Now how does this apply to the Security Team at the West Seattle Campus of Mars Hill Church?
I am blessed with the chance to serve with amazing folks in West Seattle who sacrifice their time to serve coffee, assist people's parking, and image Jesus.
So in an organization like Mars, what does a well-crafted system look like?
My conclusions, which have been heavily influenced by a bit of reading in this field, is that there are three phases in any organization: innovation, management, and death. In the innovation stage, the organization is infused with a vision of what can be done and pursues it. In the management phase the mission is accomplished, the passion is depleted, and the third phase is irrevocably imminent. When I say death, I mean that the organization still exists, but no progress is possible with current systems, the size will continue to dwindle, and though it may take 40 years (until all the people die off) there is only futile, stubborn mediocrity leading to closure.
Let's do a case study! The U.S. Postal Service. Back before letter carriers (calling them mail-men is not politically correct) decided to shoot people at random (40 people have been shot by on-duty USPS employees in the last 28 years), this organization was founded with enthusiasm to serve America in a noble profession. Benjamin Franklin[1] started a small-scale postal service in Philadelphia, 1775. After incorporation into the government under the newly ratified Constitution, the Post Office Department was created in 1792. So where has the institution come since some bright-eyed young men started delivering grandmother's birthday cards to young Philadelphia school children?
Well, as reported in the 2009 historical table from President Obama's Executive Office (Page 61) [2] the Postal Service will lose another $4.5 Billion this year and over $5 billion by next year. I find it humorous that USPS brags about its self-sufficiency...except for the little $4+ billion a year it has to borrow from the goventment because it is an obese organization. A brief survey of future initiatives laid down by Patrick R. Donahoe (the current PMG) shows management is the current phase of the organization. Their is no vision for the future, no innovation. The organization exists to continue its own existence. Basically, the organization is bound to slowly die over generations because it has no purpose, no passion.
Look around your neighborhoods (if you live in Seattle), there are a ten managerial/dying churches for every one innovative church[3]. So what does this look like in WS? Well, every team at Mars is designed to be a missional entity looking to share the gospel. We are totally flexible in the way to organize the teams; when a better idea comes along we adapt. Each leader under my oversight is free to direct their team as they desire (providing they still respect the aforementioned timeless truths. When a new leader is raised up, the first thing I tell them is, "Look for your replacement" because leading is not about getting a comfy role and then stagnating; it's about passionately pouring into others so they become better disciples of Jesus. If there is a highly-talented person on any team, we grab them, pour into them, and raise them up to lead as their abilities and gifts enable them. We look for new ideas to contextualize the message to our neighborhoods; we have a stated goal for a church campus of 2,000 people. (BTW that would put our little campus of Mars Hill into the top 400 churches nation-wide) I believe if we reach 2,000 folks and say, "Sweet, we have arrived, let's take a breather", then we have failed. We cannot give up progress and die. We must continually innovate even though it will certainly be uncomfortable, hard, unpopular, and exhausting.
Speaking of exhausting, my awesome cousin Tanya is running her second Marathon tomorrow. It is the 33rd Annual Napa Vally Marathon. She is amazing.
My training this week is a mere spark compared to the bonfire of a marathon, but I managed 21.31 miles in three runs including my longest run to date covering more than eight-and-a-half miles. I found out that the ringing in my ears is likely due to aspirin. So my fun pill statistic may be soon sacked. My internship is fun and challenging and I got a chance to work with the newest census data just released this week. Very cool. Oh...and now I have footnotes!
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1 - He was the biggest name is chess in Colonial America. Very Cool. I highly recommend his autobiography
3 - innovative is intended to convey a forward-looking passionate goal setting that is based on timeless truths in scripture, not a whoring (Jesus' words not mine) church who is trying to draw a crowd but doesn't care about truth.
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