Churches like any people centred organisation have inherit communication challenges. Typically when churches fail to communicate well, the role that the grapevine plays in communicating or more importantly miscommunicating information is given a higher credence.
The grapevine mode of communication is however incredibly powerful when tapped appropriately. People prefer to be communicated to personally. No matter how many times someone reads an announcement in a church bulletin or sees a PowerPoint slide during the notices, or hears a ministry leader speak from the front; a personal invitation to an event is going to win every time hands down, and when that invitation comes from a friend who is already coming to the event you are set for success. Generating this style of grapevine communication takes time and identifying who are key people on the grapevine and who play important network roles such as opinion leaders, bridges and stars.
My first two family events demonstrated the power of this form of informal communication well. I was hosting my first family BBQ and did everything well (or so I thought) good marketing, posters, announcements and buy in or so I thought. On the day I had one family attend (and they were the interns so didn't really have a choice). After feeling rather disappointed I attempted again this time I connected with one of the mother's who played a central role in the parent's group; though not the leader, and fed her information and got her to buy in to the event. The result was that almost every family from church attended. This harnessing of the grapevine and the importance of identifying people to feed correct and accurate information to can be very beneficial.
I agree totally. However i have also discored that wrong information in the grapevine is very difficult to correct. Once generated information becomes like a wild fire. The churches therefore have to ensure correct information is always available to all people and through different channels.
ReplyDeleteI was once bitten by a poisonous snake and hospitalised for a day. Three weeks later one of my distant relatives arrived to attend my funeral. The grapevine had it that I was dead.