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Understanding and working
with your church's culture
A great challenge to leaders is to read and relate with the culture
of the group or organization in which they serve. Culture is "the
integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thought, speech,
actions, and artifacts and depends on man's capacity for learning
and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations: the customary
beliefs, social forms and material traits of a...group." Organizational
culture develops from shared assumptions of a group that shape their
attitudes, actions, and awareness. Simply, it is "the way we do
things around here."
a certain way of doing things and relating within the group
develops, and a culture emerges. Organizational culture
develops from shared assumptions of a group that shape their
attitudes, actions, and awareness. Simply, it is "the way
we do things around here."
Characteristics and Functions of Organizational Culture
1. OC is built on the accumulation of shared values, beliefs,
experiences and expectations.
Groups form to accomplish some purpose. The process of working
toward the goal is driven by values, beliefs, experiences, and expectations.
Over time, a certain way of doing things and relating within the
group develops, and a culture emerges.
2. OC is driven by subconscious assumptions.
Most human behavior is driven by assumptions. For example, what
we assume about differences between men and women causes us to treat
them in distinctive ways. Group experiences, expectations, and activities
lead to basic assumptions, and then the assumptions may begin to
dictate nearly every facet of the group's interaction and involvement.
David Bohm, in an "On Dialog" seminar discussing the power of shared
assumptions within a group says, "Shared assumptions derive their
power from the fact that they begin to operate outside of awareness.
Furthermore, once formed and taken for granted, they become a defining
property of the group that permits the group to differentiate itself
from other groups, and in that process, value is attached to such
assumptions." (J. Thomas Wren, The Leader's Companion: Insights
on Leadership Through the Ages (New York: The Free Press,
3. OC drives all aspects of group life.
The strength of culture is that it drives all aspects of group
life subconsciously. The group doesn't talk about its culture and
shared assumptions, but its culture dictates the way the group works
and the way members relate to each other. So the culture comes to
define who we are, a type of identity for the group. You can see
the effects of the organizational culture, but the assumptions that
drive it are more difficult to detect. A good leader knows how to
interpret it and relate in appropriate ways.
4. OC is expressed in formal and informal rules.
Group norms or rules direct the work and relationships in a
group. Generally, the rules are based in the group's shared values
and are expressions of underlying shared assumptions. Then often
the rules become more important than the values on which they were
based. For example, a group may value holy living. This is often
translated appropriately as avoiding certain activities. Over time,
the value of living a holy life is replaced by a rule that says
certain activities are always wrong and should be avoided. You can
often identify lost values by looking at the rules. What values
produced the rules? Are they still relevant?
5. OC is not easily changed.
Organizational culture comes to be taken for granted. Assumptions
may never be discussed and are seldom examined. But we vigorously
defend the culture because we have emotionally invested in it. The
rules must be right because our group has operated by them successfully:
"The way we do things here is right because it has worked."
6. OC helps us predict individual and group behavior.
The way decisions are made, how problems are dealt with, how
planning is done, how plans are implemented, how communication takes
place, the roles of leadership and members, and how new members
enter the group are fairly predictable when we understand the organizational
culture. The organizational culture screens out participants, information,
and activities. Acceptance within a group comes at the cost of being
excluded from another group. People relate to each other based on
culturally conditioned and acceptable ways.
7. OC and leadership cannot be separated.
Leaders create cultures by starting groups and organizations,
but once these are formed, leaders are governed by the group's culture.
In The Leader's Companion: Insights on Leadership Through the
Ages (281), J. Thomas Wren discusses the connection between
leadership and organizational culture: "Culture and leadership are
two sides of the same coin in that leaders first create cultures
when they create groups and organizations. Once cultures exist,
they determine the criteria for leadership and thus determine who
will or will not be a leader." Taken a step further, the culture
determines if the positional leader is really the leader and what
specific role he or she will play in all dimensions of the group's
Wren goes on to say (281) that "it is the unique function of leadership
to perceive the functional and dysfunctional elements of the existing
culture and to manage cultural evolution and change in such a way
that the group can survive in a changing environment. The bottom
line for leaders is that if they do not become conscious of the
cultures in which they are embedded, those cultures will manage
them. Cultural understanding is desirable for all of us, but it
is essential to leaders if they are to lead."
8. Different leadership style is needed for different types
There are at least five primary church types based on their
size and organizational culture. Each requires a different type
* The Primary Family Church (30-50 average worship attendance).
This type of church is most like a single family. The pastor is
like a stepfather who has married into the family, sometimes with
less than enthusiastic acceptance. The leader's role is to manage
the expectations and care for the family's needs. His role is not
to take charge. This would create the same tension in the church
as it would in a family if the stepfather tried to take charge.
* The Extended Family Church (50-150 average worship attendance).
This type of church is most like a clan, a large close-knit family
that has grown up and now has their own families. The pastor who
comes into this type of church is treated much like an outsider.
He is treated as a new friend of certain members and invited to
participate in activities. But he is only there and allowed to participate
as the clan permits. His approach to leading must be understood
in a similar context to that of a clan.
* The Family Owned Enterprise Church (150-350 average worship
attendance). This type of church is most like a family owned business.
It has more structure and focus but is still very tied to the family.
The pastor's role is more like that of a hired worker. However,
his relationship with the family and expertise regarding the business
increase his ability to lead and his effectiveness as a leader.
* The Corporate Enterprise Church (350-800 average worship
attendance). This type of church is most like a corporation. The
pastor's role is more like that of a COO (chief operations officer).
The business and administrative duties are demanding. He is to give
strong leadership to the organization while making certain that
the needs and expectations of the members are cared for.
* The Corporate Multienterprise Church (800-plus average
worship attendance). This type of church is most like a franchised
corporation or a multidimension corporation. Many different subgroups
and ministries exist, each with its own focuses and resources. There
is a strong overall culture, but each division has a culture all
its own. The pastor's role in this type of church is more that of
a CEO (chief executive officer). He sets the course and provides
overall vision and leadership to the organization.
Reading and adapting to the OC is possible if we will:
- Relate. Take time to build meaningful relationship with
those in the group, especially those who have primary influence
in the group. You can't lead without them or beyond them.
- Listen. Take time to hear individual and organization
stories. Try to identify dreams and aspirations. Listen to discover
values and shared assumptions.
- Look. Observe the actions and activities of the group.
Observe the formal and informal rules. Observe how members work
- Respond. In appropriate time and manner match your leadership
to the culture of the group.
Like Christ, who came into our culture, understood, and related
to us, we must lead in the same way. It is essential to our success.
The leader who understands and adapts to the organizational culture
is more likely to lead the church forward and enjoy the journey.
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