I have had the privilege of serving in numerous leadership roles through the years. Each of those required sharing vision for accomplishing a particular mission; proposing strategies and developing policies. I remember coming away from meetings in which my wonderful ideas were not embraced and proposals received a “no” vote.
It was a form of rejection. It felt like a set-back. I was ready to move forward while others were exercising caution. Then I came across something by Lysle Schaller where he said that a “no” vote keeps all options open while a “yes” vote sets a direction and puts plans into motion.
Plans that are turned down in one meeting can always be presented in a subsequent meeting. Sometimes the best ideas need time for people to process – to think about them – consider the implications and pray.
I still get a little frustrated by “no” votes because at a minimum it means “wait.” But I also know that great idea may have another day.
These musings on decisions were sparked by the fact that I sat in meetings all day and will continue tomorrow. Fortunately I was not in charge and have little invested beyond time. However, there were several points for decisions and instead of voting “yes” or “no,” we postponed which is another way of saying we are not ready to say “yes.”
Decision-making in the church is not just about the decision or an up or down vote. It is about consensus and community. When the church is at its best, leaders have incredible respect for the concerns of others in leadership. When one has a reservation about a decision others listen and try to sort out what needs to be adjusted to make it right.
Listening to each other is critical to making good decisions.
