Your job is hard enough, right? You’ve got networks, servers, hardware, and software of all types to keep in check, not to mention managing successfully your relationships with everyone who can’t login to their email.
So having to deal with your needs with increasing the budget for IT resources and investments with a pastor or leader who won’t budge is just the cherry on top, right?
And although a penny-pinching management might be the biggest enemy of IT you know that information technology can also be a “bottomless pit” (which might lead to a fear of spending that is somewhat irrational).
In any case, here are 3 tips to help convince your “spending-conscious” pastor for more IT resources:
1. Research (and Make it Pretty)
Providing strategic intelligence and research might just be the best thing that you can do.
Show your ministry’s need in nice and pretty graphs, making it obvious that deficits that exist and the benefits that are readily available on upgrades.
Spend your time here and you may just win the battle. Due-diligence is not overrated.
2. Recommendations and References
I’ve seen more “winning encounters” simply because I was able to provide valuable references from other organizations that went through similar situations.
The power of relational-equity is huge and might provide the mortar required to build a successful case. Sometimes it just takes someone from the “outside” to help give that extra kick of credibility.
3. A Community Effort
Don’t make it just about you and your needs; make it about the community, and involve them heavily.
There’s power in numbers and if you can provide more support throughout the ministry that these things are indeed impacting productivity you may be able to bend the discussion in your favor.
Remember, it’s not a fight, so don’t play a numbers game just because you’re trying to gang it.
Bonus: Prayer
Prayer works too. I just thought I’d throw that in there to.
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JayCaruso says
Penny pinching…..That will go over well! đŸ™‚
It’s a tough thing to do because many times you could be an IT person faced with dealing with a Pastor that doesn’t know much about IT so if you just rattling off why you need something in “IT speak”, their eyes will quickly glaze over.
John Saddington says
yes. speaking to their level… gold baby!
dannyjbixby says
Bonus points for prayer. Excellent.
John Saddington says
prayer is NOT overrated.
Joshgussler says
I have struggled with this questions in a little different format. How do you convince a congregation that investing money into IT and Media equipment is important even when sometime they do not see the benefits of them. Its easy to ask people to give money to little Susie who needs it to go to camp but pulling money out of church members for a new server or for new video equipment can be a huge hassle.
John Saddington says
have to provide and show how it impacts everything else!