“If we only concentrate on the numbers, we’ll miss what is really happening.” -Organic Community by Joseph R. Myers
Prior Posts in this Series:
Many
of us have been raised on an unhealthy dose of results-oriented, bottom-line
measurement. The mechanical order
approach to measurement is developing a program with a proposal that has a mission
statement, a vision, values, and goals.
It explains where we are headed and how to get there. This approach to measurement ushers all the
attention to an end point. That end
point acts as an invitation to do whatever it takes to reach it. Then, along the journey when the inevitable
highs and lows related to the end point takes place, we think too highly of the
highs and fall into panic and depression during the lows; both of which affect
our decision-making. Decisions are then
made out of these emotions rather than the life of the community in the
present.
For
example, Chris was placed in a position called “pastor of small groups.” His goal was to put everyone into a small
group. His measurements for success
were: number of active groups, number of people meeting per month, number of
new groups birthed, how many leaders attended leader meetings, etc. He even drafted criteria to determine if a
group was considered “active” or not. As
the journey progressed, there were times where the reports weren’t looking so
promising in relation to the plan. So,
what did Chris do? He experimented with
anything that had the promise of bringing up the numbers. His decisions weren’t based upon the life
inside of the community; they were based upon his plan. Then, when he couldn’t steer the community
into his master plan, he got fired by his superiors in favor of finding someone
that could “take the small group program to the next level.” Of course, by “level” they meant
attendance.
Because
Chris and those around him used mechanical measurement, his effectiveness was
not measured by what happened in the life of the people he was involved
with. Rather, it was measured by how
many people participated. They measured
what they perceived to be important and this held dynamic power over the journey
and the results of the life of the community.
This
happens all over the place. So, don’t be
fooled by numbers, catchy slogans and good intentions. Numbers can measure inanimate objects, but
they cannot measure life and relationship.
You can put a numerical value on the inanimate materials of a house, but
you cannot put a numerical value on the life that was experienced inside of the
house. That can only be measured by a
story. Stories are what emerge from
life, not numbers. How many times have
you watched a sporting event where the final score doesn’t really tell the
story of the game? It happens all the
time. Try looking at the final score of
a game you didn’t watch and telling someone the details of what happened in the game. You can't do it.
Story
is the universal measurement of life.
Numbers can be manipulated to say almost anything. A true story cannot. They measure the journey to explain the
end. They measure the life of a
community. They show us whether what we
are hoping for is taking place.
Myers, Joseph R. "Organic Community"
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