Failure to (Stay) Launch(ed)
The Wright Brothers’ famous first flight lasted only 12 second. By today’s standards this would be considered a dismal failure. Yet it is celebrated as a landmark achievement in human history.
Recently Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, tested a new rocket which exploded midair just four minutes into its flight. The SpaceX team termed it a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” and celebrated it as a success. Their next launch lasted only 8 minutes. These results were not only reasonable, they were perhaps even expected.
But what about when a spectacular crash back to earth is not a desired, or expected outcome?
When we launch a new endeavor, we try to plan for any situation so our work will stay launched. When we launch a new teen center, we try to prepare in such a way that the work will grow and bear fruit for many years.
But unfortunately, this is not always the case. As in every area of life, the unexpected often happens and things do not always (or even usually) go to plan. This is especially true with launching a teen center.
An unexpected leadership transition is a common reason that teen centers fail to stay launched.
You built your center. You launched and began to gain some height, but then a transition occurs and it all comes crashing back down to earth. It feels like you’re launching again from scratch.
I’ve witnessed this situation many times. And I’ve seen both successes and setbacks when navigating unexpected transitions at a teen centers. Today I want to share some insights I’ve learned to help you navigate transitions in leadership with losing the fragile momentum and culture you’ve developed.
How do you build a sustainable ministry?
3 Keys to Navigating Leadership Transitions and Keeping Your Teen Center Launched
Choosing the right leader is key
This may seem obvious, but the first way to ensure a messy transition, or avoid one, is found in the leader you choose for your teen center. Each center needs a director to handle the day-to-day operations and manage volunteers. This person will be key in setting the culture and building momentum. Though transitions in this position may be inevitable, choosing the right leader can make navigating them much easier.
Set criteria for choosing a director
Are they a cultural fit for your organization? Are they in alignment with your vision and strategy for the center?* What are their long-term ambitions in ministry? Do they have the necessary leadership qualities to manage the volunteers and students? Setting criteria which are important to you before searching for a director can help ensure you find the right person to move your center forward.
Take time with recruiting
Don’t rush the recruitment process. You may feel pressure to get the center up and running as quick as possible. Or you may worry that if you take too long vetting a candidate that you will lose them and not be able to find another. But the problems caused by choosing the wrong leader are far worse. And it is important to trust that the Lord will bring the right person at the right time. Taking the time to make sure you are choosing the right leader will save you a lot of trouble further down the line, and may help you to avoid a difficult transition.
Train them well
Properly training your leader will set them up for long-term success and lessen the chance of them leaving suddenly. Your leader needs to feel empowered, equipped, and given clear direction. When they have what they need to succeed, they are more likely to thrive in their position and want to stay long-term.
Have a transition plan in place
A transition plan begins with how you train your current leader. Training them on how to notify you of resignation and the process for off-boarding will help to ensure a smooth transition. Also training them on how to keep good documentation during their time a director, will help the incoming director to get up to speed quickly regarding the state of the ministry and how things are run.
This transition plan should also include how you train the incoming director and connect them with the outgoing leader. Having a clear plan regarding a meeting schedule and the topics that need to be covered will help ensure nothing gets missed and no knowledge and experience are lost in transition.
Develop excellent oversight and communication with the director
For a teen center to thrive the senior leadership needs to believe in the project and actively support it. This means that someone on staff needs to provide oversight and be actively involved at some level with the director. This support will provide stability to the center in case of a sudden transition in the director role, and will ensure the vision and direction remain constant. There are several ways the senior leadership can provide this support and oversight.
Give feedback
Someone in senior leadership needs to meet regularly with the director and give them feedback on their performance and direction. This oversight will encourage and empower the director, increasing the chances they stick around long-term, and will help them to be successful. This will also give the senior leader insight into the directors performance and mentality. If the need for a transition is approaching, the leadership will have a better chance of recognizing it early on and preparing for it.
Stay current with issues and challenges
Being regularly informed of the current challenges and efforts of the teen center will help keep the senior leadership aware of how the center is operating. If a sudden transition occurs, they will be better prepared to train and equip an incoming director, getting them up-to-speed with the operations quickly and keeping momentum.
Develop excellent channels of communication
All of the above means that excellent communication between director and senior leadership is established. You must develop a good strategy for keeping these lines of communication remain open and active, and ensuring the kinds of information you need are shared.
Can we help you?
If you would like to learn more about How Visit Ministries can help you to accomplish the above goals, or if you are currently experiencing a difficult transition and need help navigating it, fill out the form below and we will get back to you quickly.
