The 3 Assassins

The 3 assassins:

There are three huge stumbling blocks or hindrances to growth, which will stagnate and eventually kill any church or organization.

1)   Status quote- “this is just how we do it here.”

2)   Sacred cows- “We have always done it that way.”

3)   Comfort zone- “if I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist.”   

These three things keep the members of the organization from truly seeking the problems. They will blame the economy, finances, culture, and markets, anything but the real problems with the organization because they are unwilling to tackle these three things.

1) Status quote- “this is just how we do it here.” Or “If it worked for those guys it will work for us.”

It is much more comfortable to follow than to lead. To take our cues from those that we perceive are doing well at the same game we are playing. We establish heroes and idols that we strive to emulate thinking that if it worked for them it will work for everybody. This could not be further from the truth.

This can kill growth, ideas, teams and moral faster than almost anything. In order to grow, an organization must be willing to put every system and practice and program on the chopping block of the whiteboard, and evaluate if it is really working or necessary. Evaluate not just if it works, but does it work for us?

2) Sacred cows- “We have always done it that way.”

A sacred cow is any system, idea, practice, persona, image, methodology, or hierarchy, that is simply off limits to change or discussion simply because it is the way that it has always been or currently the way an organization operates. 

“If we canceled that program or changed that system it would just confuse everybody, even though it’s losing money we would have some really mad customers who are used to it that way.” Sacred cows kill growth.

-They create walls to creativity.

-They create Glass ceilings.

-They create unfair bias.

-They create unreal expectations of productivity and results.

They will create Invisible boundaries that your organization will bang its head against and wonder why they are not growing in that direction.

Organizations may or may not be aware of the sacred cows. They may be intentionally established thru bias and preference, or simply have been established thru handed down systems that once may have served a purpose, but no longer work.

Either way, they are the walls that must be toppled, to conquer the city.        

3) Comfort zone- “if I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist.”  

Do you have a junk closet? You know that closet that is piled high with all of the projects, old papers,  hastily taken down Christmas décor, things you meant to return but forgot, and stuff you plan to sell someday?  Everyone has one. We know it’s there, just waiting to be tackled. And we know how great it would be to have that closet space back… but it would take a lot of work. We would have to cancel a few plans, put on some gloves, and maybe buy some extra garbage bags, it's just Inconvenient.

Also, it is unpredictable. There’s no telling what we may find in the closet. Spiders. Expired gift cards to our favorite store. Pictures of old loves that would be too painful to remember. It almost becomes a comfort knowing the closet is full and will remain that way until you decide to change it. You have the power, you have the key, and are exercising that power by deciding to do nothing, and not open the door.

At its root, it is really based on fear.

Fear of change, the unpredictable, and unintended consequences both good and difficult keep the closet door closed.

This is one of the hardest to deal with and often must be the first, to be a catalyst of change before addressing the other two. Humans like predictability, and hate change by nature. We like knowing what to expect. We like having everything neatly penciled on our weekly calendar and nothing ever rocks the boat.

However, we can get so locked into our comfort zone that we may go down with a sinking ship simply because it was too uncomfortable to acknowledge we hit an iceberg, standup, and put on a life jacket.