Richard
You wrote
> * There is a major educational/cultural gap between myself and my
> people: I'm ABD in my doctoral work and most of them are HS grads
> at best
This only makes a difference because you hold differing assumptions about
how the world works. Yes, your mental models are different to the point
where perhaps there is very little in common.
Also, the threshold of complexity is vastly different.
I would also add that you are dealing in differing levels of maturation
and life cycle-you have a need to move things, they have a need to hold
on.
Your risk thresholds are probably extremely different. Consider these
issues and look at the problems FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW. You can do this
by asking them to state the problems (if they see it that way) in their
terms and listen carefully for their needs-that will give you a clue to
how you can influence them.
> * I have great difficulty getting people to respond to what I say,
> whether in my preaching, teaching, or board presentations. For the
> most part they just stare at me. My conclusion is that I'm failing
> to communicate. Their explanation is that they're just not very
> responsive people.
See the above. You're probably talking to them in a language that they
can not understand. They listen to you because they respect you and your
knowledge, yet they will not act because YOU have not bridged the gap
between them (perceived rewards) and where you want them to reside (risk
of change). Of course they would say that they are not responsive. This
protects everyone's "face."
> I'm trying to study the situation more. Right now I've failed in my last
> two major attempts to even discuss our shared vision in Board meetings.
> I'm going back to one on one discussions with influential people in the
> congregation. If any of y'all have any ideas for me, I'd love to hear
> them.
Many people feel the way you feel and many have felt the same thing,
however I have found that going to visioning without first discovering the
assumptions underlying one's present course of action and why it is
insufficient or why it needs to be changed produces the exact situations
you are describing.
First, establish what is now and WHY you need to change. Unless you gain
some agreement that there is a need to change, you have no other real
authority to move these people, so you can't do it for their own good like
so many "claim" to be doing in corporate America.
Second, after you have found agreement on the need for change, paint a
picture of the possibilities that could be acceptable. After you get to
this point, the inertia will carry you into visioning and you will find
that constructing a strategy and finding commitment for that strategy will
be much more "responsive."
If you want further help, contact me privately, I owe some civic rent.<g>
mike
--"Mike Jay" <Quarterback@msn.com>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>