One of the unwritten rules of modern culture is to do what works. We are bottom line people. You’ve probably heard someone say, or perhaps have said yourself, “Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke.” After all, in a world as complicated as ours is, why would we mess with proven solutions? Who has the time? Why bother?

Our approach to efficiency and winning raised eyebrows in 1997 when Tiger Woods, arguably the greatest golfer ever, decided to step back and rebuild his swing after conquering Augusta National Golf Club in route to winning his first Master’s tournament. Woods’ domination of the course and his competition had been so total that Augusta National decided to lengthen and reshape parts of the golf course. That April, Tiger Woods became the youngest Master’s champion ever, setting the then tournament record with an 18-under par score, and winning with a 12-stroke margin. Yet, it was after all that when Tiger decided to go “back-to-school” and rebuild his swing.

Likewise, Taylor Swift, who is the biggest pop star in the world, could hold the crown today as the biggest Country music star in the world. Rather than that, she shifted—slowly and deliberately—into Pop music. Not only that, Swift has adapted and remolded her music within that genre over the course of various albums. All of that has resulted on four Album of the Year Grammys, so far, over $2 Billion in ticket sales over her most recent tour, holding the title as the most streamed artist on Spotify, and the record as the only artist to occupy all top 14 spots of the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously with The Tortured Poets Department. All this is just the beginning of the records and accolades Taylor Swift has earned.

Tiger Woods and Taylor Swift, both greats in their work, did what most preachers refuse to do: Change what’s working. They fixed what wasn’t broke.

Why did they go through the trouble? Because good enough isn’t always good enough and great enough isn’t always great enough. The measurement of faithfulness to our gifts is not doing well, the measurement of faithfulness to our gifts is doing the best we can. For preachers growth and improvement should always be in view.

Years ago a pastor friend was being criticized. In a moment of anger he said, “I’ve preached the way I preach for 30 years. It’s not changing.” In just under a year, he was fired. His refusal to grow not only kept him from reaching new heights in his development, it also cost his livelihood. After a few years at another church, the same criticism crept into his inbox. To be clear, he was not a poor preacher, but he refused to be a growing one. He refused to rebuild his swing to get better.

So, what are some initial steps preachers can take to rebuild their swing?

Learn from the Masters

No, this is not like the Master’s at Augusta National, but preaching Masters. YouTube has given us great access to homiletical experts like Fred Craddock, Barbara Brown Taylor, Anna Carter Florence, and many more. Growing preachers learn to listen and analyze what the best practitioners are doing.

In addition to hearing them preach, listen for mentions of books and other resources they use to fund their theological imagination. When learning from the greats, let us pay as much attention to their inputs as much as we do their results.

Practice New Styles
As a young preacher, I forced myself to practice new and various styles of preaching: inductive, deductive, narrative, three-point, and so on. I wanted to (1) discover my voice, and (2) have the skills to choose from when needed.

Preaching new styles can also keep us from getting stale or relying on our own giftedness. Also, and as I said in my book Speaking By The Numbers, each communicator has a way of seeing the world which, without care, can overlook hearers who do not share that same way of seeing the world.

Get a Coach

Coaches can see and hear what communicators often cannot. It is good and healthy to have trained, dedicated ears to give us feedback on what we are doing well and where we are missing the mark. Coaches can give us what our congregants cannot, a learned ear. If you are serious about growth, you need help and accountability to get it done.

More of preaching than we realize is simply wanting and desiring to be a better communicator. Faith, the scriptures teach, comes by hearing, and it is our honor and trust to develop in ways that maximize that hearing. At the end of the year, the caring and wise pastor desires to be a better preacher at this time next year than he or she is today. I know I do. I’m ready to rebuild my swing.

Sean Palmer is the Teaching Pastor at Ecclesia Houston, speaker and speaking coach, and author of several books including--Speaking by the Numbers: Ennegram Wisdom for Teachers, Pastors, and Communicators.