10. Centralizing Control of the Mission 

Problem or situation. I had been emphasizing many things over the past several months--a new vision, new directions, new programs, and new techniques. But inertia rather than the new vision still seemed to be guiding the actions of many of the missionaries. Then I discovered through letters and personal interviews with missionaries that much of the direction I was giving to the mission through regular mission channels--especially through the Zone Leaders--was being screened and interpreted according to their old accustomed way of doing things.

Much of what I had been discussing and advocating in the missionary conferences was being counteracted by my own Zone Leaders back in the field. "He didn't really mean that," they would say. "He just said that so . . ." As a result, the missionaries were getting mixed signals. My messages often never got to them, or if they did get to them, they were "reinterpreted" to fit what they were already doing.

I had recently returned from my first mission presidents’ training seminar in Hong Kong. One of the general authorities of the Church presiding at the meeting, Elder Boyd K. Packer, had emphasized the admonition to teach only what we were taught, not our own programs or interpretations. I felt that that message applied to my mission leaders, too--especially my Zone Leaders. 

Action taken. (10-78) CENTRALIZE CONTROL OF THE MISSION IN THE HANDS OF THE MISSION PRESIDENT. MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE MISSION LEADERS THAT THEY ARE TO COMMUNICATE PRECISELY THE DIRECTION AND PROGRAMS--ESPECIALLY THE VISION--OF THE MISSION PRESIDENT. (Productivity label: Organizational.) 

I held a special Zone Leaders' conference and discussed the message I had received at the mission presidents' seminar. I emphasized that the Zone Leaders' responsibility was to transmit the direction from the mission president to the missionaries intact, not to interpret and adapt it to old ways.

Once I felt assured that my direction would actually get to the field, I was certain I could change the attitudes and activities of the missionaries. I also expected that at some later date I could gradually begin to "decentralize" and give more and more authority to the mission leaders. However, until I was sure they were following my direction precisely, I didn't feel that could happen. 

Results of the action. I began to get my message, vision, and direction to the missionaries as a consistent, unified whole, without the "reinterpretation" or watering down to match current activities and attitudes. I could sense it during my interviews with the missionaries, in their letters to me, and in their activities. Most of the Zone Leaders understood the necessity of the change and responded well. Those who understood and rallied to the new vision of the mission had no trouble continuing to transmit the messages. That's what they had been doing all along. Those who did not fully understand or accept the new vision and direction, or who were too set in their ways to adapt, were released from their leadership positions shortly thereafter.

As the missionaries began to get a consistent message from all sources--from our area supervisor, Elder Kikuchi, from me, the mission president, and from the missionary Zone Leaders--their attitudes began to solidify around the new vision. Then, as I had anticipated, I was able to give more and more authority back to the Zone Leaders, confident that their activities and direction would be consistent with that of the mission vision. Over the next two and a half years, the reoriented mission leaders--especially the Zone Leaders--were able to assume the major role in directing the proselyting activities.  

11. Bringing the Missionaries "In" for Zone Conferences 

Problem or situation. Although the mission was relatively small geographically, it still took between two and six hours to travel to the various outlying missionary zones. Up to this time I had been traveling with my wife and my assistants out to each of the five zones to hold missionary training conferences. Our meetings were held in makeshift space, often in one of the rented church buildings. These arrangements resulted in a number of constraints such as when we could meet, how long we could meet, and how free we were of noise and other distractions.

My assistants also took the opportunity on these trips to deliver materials and supplies from the mission office to missionaries in the field. Unfortunately, because of poor communications, recent transfers of missionaries, and other reasons, the orders were often mixed up. Missionaries often had to make special trips into the office anyway, or wait for another six to eight weeks for their supplies. It appeared to me that many problems would be solved if the missionaries could come into the mission office on some regular basis.

The mission office consisted of rented office space on the fourth floor of a ten-story office building across from a train station. Because the assistants had been assigned to live and work in nearby branches and no longer required office space, there appeared to be enough space left to provide a meeting room for 20 to 30 people. It was just a matter of using it better. 

Action taken. (11-78) MAKE ROOM AND HOLD ZONE CONFERENCES IN MISSION OFFICE. (Productivity label: Physical.)

After obtaining the appropriate approval, I moved the remaining four-person office staff into half of the space, put up a wall, and created an adjoining meeting room. A local ward provided us with its old chairs after they purchased new ones. We now had a permanent location for zone conferences and other training meetings. Except for one outlying zone, almost all of the missionaries could travel to the mission home by train within two or three hours. 

Results of the action. I have since thought that bringing the 20 to 25 missionaries in away from their immediate proselyting areas every six to eight weeks, rather than the four or five of us from mission headquarters traveling out to them, might seem like poor economics. However, the results proved otherwise: my assistants and I were able to conduct better training by having our own facilities when we needed them, for as long as we needed them, and equipped as we needed them. By getting the missionaries away from their immediate work areas and allowing them to come to the mission headquarters, the value of the zone conferences increased in their minds.

Also, being able to come into the mission office once every six to eight weeks gave the missionaries a chance to personally see evidence of the changes that were occurring in the mission. They could see the progress charts, the lists of converts, the growth of the branches, and so forth. They were also able to purchase needed materials and supplies immediately and clear up problems or questions with the office staff.

Another benefit of having our own space was the economy and ease with which we could hold other training and planning meetings such as District Leader meetings, Zone Leader meetings, and special training meetings. The improved economy and ease meant the difference between having these meetings and not having them. That was of key importance.

As time went on, it seemed that the value of the partitioned space increased. Once operating this way, I found so many advantages that I wondered how we had been able to function before. 

12. Separating the Zone Leaders 

Problem or situation. Like my assistants, my ten Zone Leaders were generally among my finest missionaries. They had usually been in the mission longer than most, they spoke the language well, and they were loyal to the mission president and to the new vision of the mission. They had shown good leadership ability as District Leaders and had developed good relations with the local members. They had generally been effective proselyters: most of them had been at least moderately successful in bringing converts into the Church.

According to usual mission organization, these ten outstanding missionaries were assigned, in pairs, as companions. Each companion set led one of the five mission zones. Their primary responsibility was to help the missionaries in the five or six districts within their zones become more effective proselyters. Unfortunately, when they became Zone Leaders, these missionaries often stopped, or almost stopped, proselyting themselves.

Although it was my policy to assign new missionaries to the best "currently baptizing" companions, the exclusion of my two assistants and the ten Zone Leaders as possible companions to new missionaries reduced my options considerably. After I had assigned new companions to those few remaining missionaries who met the standards, I simply didn't have enough for all the new missionaries. I saw these sets of experienced Zone Leaders--now companions to each other--as a potential source of excellent companions for new missionaries. 

Action taken. (10-78) PUT EACH ZONE LEADER IN A DIFFERENT PROSELYTING DISTRICT OR BRANCH--USUALLY WITH A RELATIVELY NEW MISSIONARY AS HIS COMPANION--WITH THE ASSIGNMENT TO LEAD THE ZONE IN BAPTISMS AS WELL AS OTHER THINGS. (Productivity label: Organizational.) 

They were still Zone Leaders in their assigned zones. But now, instead of both of them being in the same proselyting district or branch, each was assigned to a different location within the zone. Instead of being companions to each other, each had a relatively new missionary as a companion. And instead of trying to lead the zone by exhortation and training, they were now asked to lead by showing--by the example of what they were doing themselves.  

Results of the action. There were three immediate and obvious results to this change: 

1. Twice as many proselyting districts or branches had a Zone Leader in them. What little fires of success we were having quickly spread to more areas.

2. The Zone Leaders became proselyting missionaries first, trainers and leaders second. This leading by example increased their effectiveness as trainers. Missionaries began listening to them with real interest and intent now that the Zone Leaders themselves were finding, teaching, baptizing, not just talking about it. 

3. The number of missionaries I could assign as companions to new missionaries was greatly increased. And what an exciting beginning for a new missionary: to be assigned as companion to a zone leader! 

There was an additional, though perhaps not so obvious, result to this change: the missionaries received a confirming message of the vision and purpose of the mission--to proselyte, to bring converts into the Church. The message said they did not need to obtain positions of leadership in the mission to be successful; a proselyting missionary was the highest calling.

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