Written by: Richard Rhoads on October 17, 2013

All of us have had amazing co-workers leave our respective ministries.  In these moments, have you ever heard a fellow leader  who’s about to leave say, “God’s leading me onto a new ministry?”  Now, I know this can often be true but what happens when you and all the other employees know the back story, organizational pressures and quite often the real reason why someone is leaving!  It almost feels like they just used Jesus, because they didn’t have the nerve to say what needed to be said.  On the other hand, have you ever observed a fellow employee who recognizes real issues in the organization and makes it their quest in life to change the organization one ugly argument at a time, while in the same breathe say, “I’m doing this to protect God’s work”?  Both extremes seem to lack emotional health and place the blame slash responsibility on Jesus rather than ourselves or the organizational dysfunction.  So I want to ask you, “Can we please start letting Jesus off the hook?”

This past week while reading Exit, Voice, and Loyalty by Albert O. Hirschman I was struck by the difficulty organizations carry in creating a culture where healthy voice and exit can be embodied simultaneously for the good of the employee, company and parishioner.  When either of these important functions are devalued or lived out within imbalance, the company and its employees suffer.  The following are three key themes which emerged in regards to  voice, exit and those left behind in an organization.

Voice…  Voice is such an essential function to a church or any Christian organization.  Yet, too often in religious based organizations voice is either not used at all due to fear, or is used in its extreme and subsequently becomes an empty gong.  The need to speak with clarity, wisdom and power is essential for the overall health of any organization.  This can also not just happen  before we are planning to exit.  Many times people leaving Christian organizations use the excuse, “I didn’t want to divide the church or the organization.” But then, two weeks after they leave, their willing to tell the whole world about the dysfunction! Seriously…

Exit…  The function of exit is powerful.  The loss of a valued employee or customer can cause deep internal reflection within organizational structures.  Yet, in a post industrialized culture where employees have become inanimate objects of commoditization, exit or mass exit can often be overshadowed by the shear need to fill the hole quickly in order to keep the organization running.  Once caught in this cycle, exit loses its teeth.  While at the same time, constant turn over demands more training, cost increases, less productivity and more responsibility being pushed onto those left behind.  Organizations who desire accomplishing their vision must wrestle with what they can learn from those who leave.

Those Left Behind…  For any one left behind when a valued co-worker leaves, there is a wide array of affects.  If the co-worker did not use voice and exit in a healthy way, you may be the recipient of mixed messages.  For example, if the co-worker left because of organizational dysfunction, yet while they were exiting said, “Everything was great here, I am thankful for the time God had me here.”   They have created a set up for you.  They should have used their voice more, but didn’t.  Now, the same pressures exist on you, if not more because of the healthy person leaving.  If you now choose to use your voice, you’re set up, because those needing to hear your words will often to refer to those who’ve left before you and say, “Well they didn’t have a problem.”  Please, don’t allow this to stop you from using your voice.

Emotional Health, Jesus & Organizations

When we legitimize our actions by saying Jesus told us to do it, we must be cautious.  Too often I here good brothers and sisters in the faith with great intentions, use Jesus to explain away actions which seem somewhat emotionally unhealthy.  Sometimes it almost seems like they use God, to run from God.  Emotionally healthy leaders recognize they have a voice and use it with wisdom.  They also realize that exit is a function which must be used carefully but can be a powerful tool for the benefit of the employees and the organization.  And certainly, give Jesus the praise where appropriate, but make sure you’re not using Him to avoid possibly what He’s asking you to do in your organization.

About the Author

Richard Rhoads