Congregations Have Life Stages? (Part II)

Organizational Life Styles and Typical Features

	Birth	Youth	Midlife	Maturity
Formalization	No written rules	Few rules	Policy and procedures manuals	Extensive
Administrative Intensity	Secretary, no professional staff	Increasing clerical and maintenance	Increasing professional and support staff	large and multiple departments
Internal Systems	Nonexistent	Crude budget and information system	Control systems in place; budget, performance reports, etc.	Extensive: Planning, Financial, and personnel added
Lateral task forces for coordination	None	Top leaders only	Some use of integrators and task forces	Frequent at lower levels to break down bureaucracy

Recognize any of them? Have an "A-ha" moment?

There comes a time when, most often when children are no longer considered youth, that the pediatrician steps out of the picture and a new physician begins to provide care. The child's needs have changed, Mom or Dad may be feeling like this whole parenting thing is a little bit out of their league. The new physician becomes a parent's BFF -- a reassuring voice that guides parents through the 'tween years and the teen years.

Some sources believe that non-profits have only four Life Stages. Ponder the these stages. What do you think?

• Stage One: Imagine and Inspire ("Can the dream be Realized?")

• Stage Two: Found and Frame ("How are we going to pull this off?")

• Stage Three: Ground and Grow ("How can we build this to be viable?")

• Stage Four: Produce and Sustain ("How can the momentum be sustained?")

• Stage Five: Review and Renew ("What do we need to redesign?")

With the increase in reliance on tele-visits, a remote advisor is just a phone call away. The SED coaches are just a few keystrokes away. The idea of Organizational Life Cycles have you intrigued? Would a reassuring voice be a blessing to you? Your organization's biological clock is ticking. Book a session today. c+