I wrote yesterday about SpaceX’s commitment to “embrace fiery mishaps” – how they use apparent setbacks as stepping stones. I contrasted SpaceX’s attitude with what happened in a large church when a new initiative caused confusion. Rather than work through it, they just killed the initiative.

At the time, about 20 years ago, I developed a little template for what we could have done. I’ve never published it until now. See what you think.

Consider the following sequence. Leadership actions are in ALL CAPS.

Suppose everyone in your organization is comfortable. They know what’s expected of them, they know how to do what’s expected of them, and, for the most part, they are doing it. Comfort. Then leadership comes along with a CHALLENGE. What’s the result? Confusion! “I thought we were doing what we were supposed to be doing! I don’t know how to do this new thing. I’m not even sure what this new thing is. I’m confused!” Confusion is good. At least they’re thinking about the challenge. So the leadership response is CLARIFICATION. We help them understand where we’re going and why. We affirm them for what they’ve been doing. We sell them on the benefits of the challenge. We’re aiming for Commitment. “OK. I’ll at least give this a go.” When they are committed at least to begin the challenge we can now implement COACHING. (I could say “training,” but that doesn’t start with C!) We coach and train until they reach a level of Competence. And, guess what? If they continue in competence for long enough, we’ll be back to Comfort. Rinse and repeat. 

Comfort -> CHALLENGE -> Confusion -> CLARIFICATION -> Commitment -> COACHING -> Competence/Comfort

Jesus said to Peter, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” In The Chosen, Peter says to his wife, “Jesus said I would be a fisher of men. I don’t even know what that means!” Neither did Peter understand that the band he would be traveling with would include a tax collector and that he would be interacting with Gentiles (see Acts 10). But Jesus kept leading Peter through the cycle: challenge -> confusion -> clarification -> commitment -> coaching -> competence.

Here’s an example of confusion:

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16.21 – 23, ESV)

But Jesus stuck with Peter, and near the end of his life, Peter is explaining the crucifixion to others:

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2.22 – 24, ESV)

Embrace fiery mishaps…and confusion. They are just steps along the journey.