When I’ve worked with teams, I’ve tried to emphasize tackling a problem by looking at it from multiple perspectives. The usual perspective is, of course, their own: what they’re going to do to fix the problem from the top down. Yet it’s very helpful to look at the issue from a different perspective.
If the problem is related to assimilation, for example, look at it from the perspective of a newcomer. How do they initially connect? What happens to them next? What do they experience? How do they find their way? Who do they meet? What help do they need?
It’s almost like turning the problem upside down or looking at it sideways. By doing that you can see other facets that you just can’t see from the perspective of the leadership.
Try looking through different people’s lenses: a team member, someone outside your own church. Talk with people to help you gain these other perspectives. Ask questions. Discover what their experience is like and how things look through their eyes.
By looking at a problem through multiple people’s eyes, you can sometimes understand more completely than if you only look at it from your own vantage point.