THE POWER OF COHORTS

Over the past quarter century as I have worked with leaders and congregations in ministry strategies for effectiveness, there are three distinct chapters: (1) church consulting, (2) consulting-coaching and now (3) consulting-coaching-cohort.  

In the mid 90s, as the executive pastor of a large church, I had significant mentoring interaction with Bill Easum and Ken Callahan, and was a bit of a pen pal with Lyle Schaller.  I began work with Easum's organization as a ministry interventionist, mostly with large congregations around the USA. Each of these late 20th century church consultants impacted how I approached my work.  Then, somewhere around 2005 I discovered that by adding a year's worth of coaching to on-site consultation, the results were stronger. It enabled me to troubleshoot with a leader as she/he hit barriers and potholes in the unfolding of their plan. Over the years, I have dabbled in cohort work, but often found that (taken alone) it was insufficient to produce the kinds of ministry improvements that came with direct 1:1 engagement with a church and/or pastor.  However, recently, I have begun to see that onsite consultation (enabling me to see what is happening first-hand), linked with 1:1 coaching for at least a year, linked with peer-support is the probably the strongest combination of assistance that we can offer to churches and talented leaders who are seeking to accomplish something difficult.

 

Here are a few of the reasons that I am doing more cohort work these days:

1. Better learning.  When I have 4 or 5 together on a zoom call, and I coach them one at a time, the others are listening, watching and applying the ideas and learning to their setting.  Sometimes by stepping out of their own situation and looking as an outsider at a colleague's situation, the light bulb comes on!

2. The cost goes down.  Obviously it is much less cost per hour for five people to share a call.  So, if you go to 1:1 calls every other month, with group calls the rest of the time, the cost drops considerably.

3. Fellowship!  Ministry is lonely - always has been, but the pandemic isolation has sent ministry loneliness over the edge!  With cohort work, we gain a set of competent peers who are sharing challenges alongside us.  We are encouraged not only when our colleagues succeed in a task, but also when they fail - reminding us that there is nothing wrong with us, when our ministry attempts have disappointing results.  And I often notice that folks in a cohort continue connecting beyond our established sessions.

4. A better conversation.  Often conversations with colleagues are limited to forced judicatory settings, where affinity from one person to the next may be low and the average level of competency in the room is low.  When we convene a cohort of the right people, it elevates the conversation.  This has especially been true during the pandemic, when I have quickly formed four Covid Cohorts - just offering pastors a better conversation, and nothing else - no coaching and no onsite work. (By right people, I do not mean "all inner city pastors," or "all large church pastors," but comparable levels of competency.)

It is now my preferred model for working with leaders: 1:1 coaching plus a carefully planned onsite visit/consultation plus a cohort of peers.  And it has not raised the cost to clients one cent.

Enjoy the last vestiges of summer, friends!  We are already having September mornings this August in DC.  Birds are migrating southward overhead.  And the pool is too chilly now to mess with. For those of you still baking in heat: the end is near!