Making Your Systems Work for People | FREEDOM DECODED Ep 46: A Podcast From Demir & Carey Bentley

In this Freedom Decoded episode, we explore how to make your systems actually work for the people you're leading. With our special guest Mitch, who is guiding churches through major transitions, we dive into how to transform dry SOPs into story-driven, trust-building tools people will actually use. From setting clear boundaries to delivering just-in-time information, this episode is packed with practical strategies to help you lead with clarity, confidence, and impact.

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0:00 - Welcome & Guest Intro: Meet Mitch and his mission to support congregational transitions

1:20 - How Mitch’s boss became a Lifehack fan and adopted the system language

9:15 - How do I stop repeating myself? Creating scalable, self-serve resources for congregations

12:04 - The challenge of boundary setting when others have loose expectations

15:15 - How to turn dry SOPs into story-rich, norm-driven tools people actually use

17:15 - Using light fear plus case studies to build early trust ("respect the mountain")

19:04 - Rules vs. Norms: A smarter way to guide behavior

23:08 - The Captain Metaphor: How to get people to trust your leadership

26:31 - Getting People to Follow Instructions and Engage

31:01 - Setting boundaries when you’re in a leadership role

33:33 - How to trim and structure content so it’s easier to engage with

36:27 - Why just-in-time delivery beats info dumps and how to do it

42:22 - The journey is the value: Making transformation part of the reward

43:02 - People want a "Bachelor-style" fix, but real change takes time

46:00 - "You’re doing better than 80%": The power of re-enrollment and affirmation