Dig Before You Build
This week I had consultations with a variety of school leaders:
A director who’s dealt with one major change after another for the last five years
A pastor who’s serving a principal vacancy at a school that’s running out of space
A development team wondering how to better reach the community they’ve always been a part of
A board member worried about the connection between school families and the church’s mission
While each of these ministries is facing a unique set of challenges, they all share two things in common:
They are tired of chasing the answer,
And they aren’t sure where to start.
Consultations are my favorite. One because every story and ministry is unique, and two, because every story and ministry is incredibly the same. We are all struggling in one way or another. We are all wondering the same question:
“What’s next?”
It’s no different for me. As the leader of Blueprint Schools, I continually face challenges as I work with our team to serve our clients well while building a healthy, mission-hearted organization of our own. No leader is alone in this. We are navigating challenges and crises, budgets and marketing, packed schedules and pressing deadlines. All while trying to be loving parents and spouses, friends and community members.
All while trying to make a difference in our own little corners of ministry.
And yet…
Our situations are layered and complex, with unique challenges and quirks. Our communities are different, as are our resources. Our teams and bandwidths vary. Our dumpster fires are all special.
So if we’re all radically similar and radically different, it brings us back to the question we all need to answer:
“What’s next?”
It’s the reason each of those four leaders reached out to me this week. They’re trying to discern the next best step in their context. And here’s what’s surprising:
They all need the same thing: INFORMATION.
Not opinions. Not assumptions. Not guesses. Good, solid information. Data, research, and expertise. The kind that helps leaders see clearly enough to make wise, long-term decisions instead of reactive ones.
And getting that kind of information always starts the same way. We get it by digging.
You see, the only way to build a strong foundation for the future–the only way to build anything that lasts–is to dig first. Before we build up, we need to dig down. We need to mine insights and data, pulling out context and getting our hands in the local landscape.
We need to understand what’s already in the ground: who the community is, how the education in our area has grown or shifted, what families actually value, and where the mission is aligned or off-kilter. We sit with people. We ask questions. We listen. We dig.
It feels counterintuitive, because digging doesn’t look or feel very productive. If you’ve been a part of any building project, you know that the very exciting groundbreaking ceremony is following by weeks and months of digging, excavating, and moving dirt from one place to another. There’s no exciting pictures for social media…just a lot of holes and dirt…for quite some time.
Digging doesn’t feel like progress. But what’s true in construction is also true in leadership and problem-solving:
Without excavation, there is no foundation.
Because after we’re done digging, we have what we need to build something sturdy and sustainable. We have
Demographic realities–and how they will affect the next years and decades of ministry
A clear picture of the educational options in our community–and what makes us special
The felt needs and desires of the families we want to serve–and what we need to do to serve them well
A deeper understanding of challenges and resources–and how to prioritize them
And we find both the ROOT of the issues and the OPPORTUNITIES hidden beneath the surface. This is where we want to be. This is gold. This is where we start building a really strong foundation.
When we have the roots of our issues and the opportunities we have to grow, we know WHAT TO DO NEXT. We can make data-informed decisions. We can build programs that meet the needs of those we want to serve. And we can do so with unity and confidence.
All of the leaders I met with this week are doing pretty amazing things. They have been blessed with a host of strengths and gifts. Most of the all, they want to be faithful builders, making the most of what they have to serve a Gospel mission.
They just need some more information before they can answer the question, “What’s next?” That’s where I love to get out my shovel. Because before we can talk strategies and plans, financial models or marketing campaigns, we need to dig together.
For Reflection
If you’re looking for “what’s next,” consider the following:
Have you completed an Area School Study, and if so, do you update it yearly?
How do you regularly gain insights from your newest and youngest parents about what they were looking for in a school and why they chose your school?
When was the last time your team had access to a demographic study of your area?
How do you regularly gather feedback from current parents?
At Blueprint Schools, we love helping schools dig for the information they need to build for the future. We’d love to help you, too! Learn more by scheduling a consultation.
