Silos, Politics and Turf Wars

Last week I read this great new book by Patrick Lencioni. I found this book to be a quick read, very insightful, and amazingly applicable to life in the church. Some highlights...

• The first 80% of the book is a story, and very well-written at that. If you made it through the 3 little pigs, then you'll make it through this book.
• He tells the story of a management consultant who stumbles across a way to help companies with the inter-departmental bickering that is so common.
• Some of you read the title and said, "What does this have to do with the church?" Uh huh. That's funny.
• Most churches have grown accustomed to silo ministries and political infighting and turf wars.
• Lencioni makes the case that this type of behavior costs a company lots of money in lost productivity and employee turnover. It's worse for the church. We lose out on the opportunity to transform lives, we watch as innocent bystanders are caught in the fire of the more "seasoned" believers, and we lose our focus on doing what God has called us to do. That is very sad.
• His solution is simple, it's profound, and it works. Without knowing it was the antibiotic for politics and turf wars--I have implemented his suggestion many times and seen the unity church-wide that results.

Read the book. Now. It's that good.