I was having a conversation today about change.  The subject of values came up and the conversation slowed way down.  Leaders love to talk about vision and strategy – where we are going and how we are going to get there.  Values don’t get the same billing. If you lead a team, that’s where the hard work and the real payoff is.

The first challenge is figuring out what values are really motivating your team.  It’s probably not the 7 things alliterated into the name of your church and posted on your website.  It’s also not that hard to find out, you just have to be brave enough to start taking things away, or at least threatening to.

People aren’t afraid of losing things they don’t value.  They’ll give them up or give them away easily.   Want a Windows PDA? Its yours if I can even find it in the box of abandoned electrontic gadgets.  Take away something people value for comfort and they’ll probably complain.  Shut off my electricity and I’ll probably whine about the cold shower.  Go after something people hold dear and you can just watch the fear rise.  My kids, well… you get the picture.

Get a room full of people, even better a church full of people, to have that reaction to a shared value – now you’re going somewhere.