- Pick and choose your battles (my mom said that first)
- The single best piece of advice I’ve ever received (thanks, Mom). Not everything is worth fighting over. Decide ahead of time where you’ll put your energy, time, and knowledge. Decide what is most important and focus on that. Everything else is fluff and not worth your resources.
- Simple is best
- Complicated things are complicated and that makes life even more complicated than it is or needs to be. Keep it simple
- Provide the right tools for your staff
- If you don’t give them the tools, shame on you, and you can’t hold the staff accountable for your failures to set them up for success
- If you do give them the tools and they don’t do what you’ve asked them to do, you need to have a serious personnel conversation with them
- Training is one of the best tools for church staff
- Provide constant training – it is not a “one and done.” Invest in your staff and then expect them to perform to the level they’ve been trained.
- Every staff member needs a mentor/coach
- No one is above needing a coach/mentor/accountability partner. It may be a group or an individual, but everyone (including pastors and CEOs) need an advisor/counselor.
- Shadow a colleague once a year
- Conferences are good and useful, but about once a year (at most every other year), skip the conference and find an organization that is already at where you want to go and then go shadow your counterpart there. Learning from them will help you avoid their mistakes and get you there faster than if you do it all by yourself.
- Attack the problem, never the person
- When you attack a problem, you find solutions; when you attack a person, everyone gets defensive and solutions take a back seat. Find solutions, not scapegoats.
- God is inclusive, never exclusive
- Non-Christians criticize the church for not following John 3:16: “because God loved the WHOLE world…” and Christians need to remember God never excludes anyone, even people who are not like us.
- Financial numbers are best understood if you know their context
- To fully understand why money is spent like it is, you need to really understand the whole organization. If you don’t want to take the time to delve in, then you only need a financial executive summary.
- Do strategic things that eliminate future problems
- Take the time to analyze why you have lots of little problems and then find a solution that resolves the root issue. It will take time, but it will save you time in the long run.
- A financial crisis is a terrible thing to waste
- A financial crisis is an opportunity to make hard decisions – and blame the financial crisis.
- This is a personnel matter, not a management issue
- Many times there is an issue that involves personnel but we often fail to address the people and their (in)action. You don’t always have to find a management solution, sometimes the solution is new personnel.
- Never hire a ministry (Andy Stanley said that first)
- Churches want to help people. That’s great. But NEVER put them on your payroll – you will become an enabler and never get them off. Give the person loads of benevolence, but not a paycheck. AND, just think what hiring a ministry does to the hardworking staff you have – what happens to their morale?
- Develop people – gently push them farther than they think they can go and support them along the road
- This goes along with coaching – we can do more than we think we can, but most of us need someone cheering and encouraging us down the road. Marathon runners love cheering sections; life is a marathon – get a cheering section AND be someone else’s cheering section.
- My job as a manager is like a soccer coach:
- give everyone a specific job
- et them to play well together
- stay inside the boundaries, and
- keep everyone focused on the goal
- Row together for the same horizon
- A leader must set the goal (horizon) and then keep everyone aiming for that goal. If your rowing is not coordinated, you’re just going around in circles.
- Outsource decisions to others as much as you can
- it frees you up and empowers them
- if they do well in small decisions, give them bigger ones next time
- The school of hard knocks is worth its tuition
- The trick is to go through each class only one time
- Use people but don’t abuse them
- People are “tools” (that’s poor analogy but stay with me) and all tools should be used properly; abused tools will break or not work well causing you frustration when the problem is of your own making
- Never embarrass anyone in public (Gary Fenton said that first)
- ALWAYS talk to someone in private; there is no upside to public embarrassment
- Everyone’s favorite subject is themselves
- If you can get someone to talk about themselves, you’ll never lack for small talk at a dinner party
- If nothing unites you then everything will divide you
- Every church and every organization should have at least one clear focal point that EVERYONE can say, “Our mission is…”
- Have conversations not confrontations
- Conversations are dialogues; confrontations are usually one-way streets. Confrontations often lead to tense situations. Conversations usually lead to solutions.
- Set people up for success
- You will always be a better manager and leader if you help someone be better than they are now. Word will get around the office or organization and you will be seen as a leader because of the worth you place in people.
- Excellence is the goal, not perfection
- Some people are perfectionists; some seek excellence – don’t confuse those concepts. Excellence wants the best possible outcome using the currently available resources and it is willing to “make do” for now till something better comes along. Excellence, not perfection, must be the goal for all leaders.
- Quality + Service + Cost = Value (adapted from Ray Kroc)
- QSCV was the mantra of the founder of McDonald’s. I added some math symbols: value is the destination and that is achieved through excellent quality, outstanding service, and reasonable pricing. I’m always willing to pay more if the Q and S will be very good so that I get the best value.
- Buy quality or you’ll buy twice
- My dad said “we’re too poor to buy twice” – if you buy “cheap” it’ll break and you’ll end up buying it again. Be a wise money manager.
- Hire attitude first, then aptitude
- You can always train people but only if they have the right attitude. The wrong attitude will infest your workplace and cost you dearly. The right attitude is invaluable.
- One of leaderships greatest challenges is determining whether people are chasing you or following you
- And sometimes people are doing both at the same time; sometimes even the same person is doing both.
- Listen to the people who are chasing you; sometimes their criticism is helpful
- The people who are following you need to be put to work as volunteers
- Sometimes people will switch camps – that’s okay, they’ll switch back at some point or leave
- Get & stay organized: your mind, your time, and your stuff. It will save you time and headaches later.
- I’m an organization nut – I can usually find just about anything because everything has its place (just one place).
- Organizing your time, your mind, and your stuff is short-term pain and long-term gain.
- It’s not about how they act but how you re-act to situations. That shows your character.
- You never control what others are going to do or say – you have total control over what you do and say in that situation. Be a person of character and not “a character.”
- What is the wise thing to do?
- This is from “The Best Question Ever” by Andy Stanley. This question will ensure you always do what is best IF you answer it truthfully.
Steve’s Sayings
Posted on October 29, 2013 Written by
David & Solomon: Setting Up Your Successor For Success
Posted on October 22, 2013 Written by
David ruled Israel from 1000-960 BC and his son, Solomon, ruled from 960-920 BC. David was Israel’s greatest king: he unified the country, defeated the Philistine threat, built major civic projects and palaces, and prepared the way (and supplies) for Solomon to build the first permanent temple in Judaism. That temple lasted about 350 years and was the focal point of Judaism. Its restoration became a rallying cry of Jewish nationalism.
1st Kings in the Bible describes the materials, construction, foremen, and laborers needed to build the temple using a LOT of detail. The person most responsible for prepping for the temple was King David, but he never saw it. His job was to gather all the things needed to build the temple so that his son, Solomon, could do the actual building. David’s job was to create a platform so that his successor could be a success.
Pastors who are within five years of retirement have one primary job – to take care of things in the church (some of which have been lingering for years) so that his or her successor is set up for success. This involves making some hard decisions about personnel and/or volunteers, reallocation of budget figures, changing some of the expectations of the church about its leaders, and in general ensuring that all the minefields within the church have been cleared. A longtime and soon retiring pastor should have enough clout to do all these things and still retire gracefully. His financial future will not be dependent on the church when he retires, and that knowledge should free him up to make long-delayed decisions which can help the next generation.
David ruled and finished well as king. He made mistakes and he was vain, but for the most part his motives were pure. Yes, David was used by some of the people around him, including the conspiracy regarding his successor. But David knew that all that he did over the course of his 40-year reign could fall apart if he didn’t gather the materials and wise counsel his son and successor would need. In turn, Solomon was able to stand taller on his dad’s shoulders than he could have on his own. Solomon completed some of his dad’s unfinished stuff (the temple) but did a lot on his own (foreign relations). Solomon’s time was good for the country and good for him (albeit he made some unwise choices in his wives and advisors). Solomon’s success is directly related to David’s setting him for success.
Are you a David who will retire in a few years? If so, what are you doing to intentionally set up the next generation for success? Are you finishing well or just barely crossing the finish line? Be like David and help your successor be a success.
Lead On!
True Test of Servanthood
Posted on September 24, 2013 Written by
How do you act when you’re treated like a servant? Too often I don’t react well. People ask me to do this, they complain about that, and they want me to take care of something else. They treat me like a servant. Well, I am a servant, so I should expect to be treated like a servant. But I’m also a leader, and my humanity tells me I should be treated like a leader.
One of the key things about servants is that while they are called on to do lots of menial chores, their role is vital. If not for them, much of the work would never been done. Never underestimate the need for servants and the work they do.
I’ve seen families with servants and how those servants were treated. Almost always the servants were treated with graciousness and respect. Occasionally servants were treated in a demeaning way, and those places had high turnover rates among their servants. Servants are never to be denigrated. They are to be appreciated and valued for the assistance they provide.
So, when I’m treated like a servant, I need to understand the motives of the person. Are they “putting me in my place,” in which I case I have a responsibility to help them understand how to use church servants more effectively? Or, does the requestor have a real need and I, the servant, can help meet that need like few others can? Can I read through the question to see the real intention and then be a servant to this child of God? I’m going to try and I hope you will, too.
Lead On!
Missional – Institutional
Posted on September 17, 2013 Written by
All churches start with the passion of a person or group of people. They are excited about the opportunities and sometimes approach the impossible with a can-do attitude. They face lots of problems and often overcome them. This is the “Missional Church” – the church that starts with a mission to reach people with the Good News of Jesus Christ and will not be deterred from that task. There are discouraging times along the way, and there are setbacks every now and again. But the leaders and the members who stick it out know they are doing what God wants them to do.
And then, almost without exception, every Missional Church hits a roadblock. They buy a building, and that structure frequently stops the Missional Church in its tracks.
Too often the Missional Church becomes the Institutional Church. There is now something to protect, a debt to pay off, a place to focus resources, a building that consumes more and more financial and personnel resources. Left unchecked, the Institutional Church takes away almost all of the passion of the Missional Church.
I’m not saying church buildings are bad—far from it—but there must be some moderation. I am saying that the church must not lose its initial passion for people, but it should never let that energy be redirected toward bricks and mortar.
I celebrate the Missional Church and encourage it. I just want that church to never lose its desire to keep the main thing the main thing. And in church, the main thing is always, always, always PEOPLE. So, buy a building, make it a nice one so that people will come, and then find ways for those who come inside to then go outside to minister to others. Never believe that a building, an institution, is the endgame. It is a tool, not an institution.
Lead On!
Jesus and Church Staff (Pharisees and Sadducees)
Posted on August 27, 2013 Written by
Look it up – the ONLY people whom Jesus ever criticized were church staff (that would be the Pharisees and Sadducees during Jesus’ life on earth). He never laid low anyone else, but he really came down hard on the Temple leaders. He wasn’t even discreet about it – most times he said it straight to their faces. In one chapter alone, he takes it to them (these verses are called the “Seven Woes” by scholars):
- They taught about God but did not love God — they did not enter the kingdom of heaven themselves, nor did they let others enter. (Matt 23:13-14)
- They preached God but converted people to dead religion, thus making those converts twice as much sons of hell as they themselves were. (Matt 23:15)
- They taught that an oath sworn by the temple or altar was not binding, but that if sworn by the gold ornamentation of the temple, or by a sacrificial gift on the altar, it was binding. The gold and gifts, however, were not sacred in themselves as the temple and altar were, but derived a measure of lesser sacredness by being connected to the temple or altar. The teachers and Pharisees worshipped at the temple and offered sacrifices at the altar because they knew that the temple and altar were sacred. How then could they deny oath-binding value to what was truly sacred and accord it to objects of trivial and derived sacredness? (Mat 23:16-22)
- They taught the law but did not practice some of the most important parts of the law — justice, mercy, faithfulness to God. They obeyed the minutiae of the law such as tithing spices but not the real meat of the law. (Matt 23:23-24)
- They presented an appearance of being ‘clean’ (self-restrained, not involved in carnal matters), yet they were dirty inside: they seethed with hidden worldly desires, carnality. They were full of greed and self-indulgence. (Matt 23:25-26)
- They exhibited themselves as righteous on account of being scrupulous keepers of the law, but were in fact not righteous: their mask of righteousness hid a secret inner world of ungodly thoughts and feelings. They were full of wickedness. They were like whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside, but full of dead men’s bones. (Matt 23:27-28)
- They professed a high regard for the dead prophets of old, and claimed that they would never have persecuted and murdered prophets, when in fact they were cut from the same cloth as the persecutors and murderers: they too had murderous blood in their veins. (Matt 23:29-36)
That is hard stuff to hear – imagine if it were directed at you. How would that make you feel? Pretty bad. Now imagine how you would feel if Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior, were to say that to you. You’d feel even worse.
Church staffs have very high expectations – set for them by God and to which they agree (or else they wouldn’t have accepted to serve with a church). Everyone who serves on a church staff should take a moment every week to step back and ask, “Have I done anything this week for which Jesus would criticize me?” If yes, then address that issue head on; if not, be grateful but also make sure you’re not covering something just because you don’t want to address it.
We all fail – we’re all human. The key is how we react when we know we’ve failed God. If we try to cover it up – expect Jesus to get in your face about it. Never be a hypocrite like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Recognize your shortcomings, be a leader, and own up to them. People will respect you and God more if you acknowledge that you aren’t perfect and that God is, and always will be, working on you.
Lead On!
Standing Rubble (part 2)
Posted on August 13, 2013 Written by
In my last post, I wrote about Solomon’s Temple, Herod’s Temple, and the First Church of Jerusalem as the three greatest structures in ancient Judaism and early Christianity. These buildings helped shape Judaism and Christianity, and they became centers of their respective faiths. However, all three buildings are gone – only the Western or Wailing Wall of Herod’s Temple remains. Everything else is rubble, as Jesus predicted in Matthew 24:1-2.
As a church administrator, one of my roles is to maintain and upgrade church buildings. I believe that all church buildings should be places where people want to come to, pleasant to be in, inviting to newcomers, and welcoming to all. This means keeping the buildings clean and in good condition – walls with good paint, updated furnishings (not outdated furniture), well-lit, clean carpets and floors, free of clutter, etc. Well-cared-for and well-maintained facilities are important to getting younger generations inside a church – they have high expectations of what they want to see, and too many churches fall short. I’ve been in too many churches that are not taking care of their brick-and-mortar investments and that is a failure of stewardship, but that isn’t my point.
Taking care of church buildings is important, but taking care of people is even more important and urgent. Building up people is the real purpose of the four walls of a church edifice. Renovating hearts and minds is essential to the work of the church. Sometimes “gutting” mindsets and hardened anti-God feelings is necessary so that God can use that hollow structure to construct anew. Helping people begin to understand the love of God is the core purpose of every church building. The church must always be looking out its windows at the horizons God has set in front of it; it must take care of what God has entrusted to it, but the main thing for all churches is people.
All church buildings die. If they didn’t, then I’m sure that at least one of these three central religious structures who be standing today. None of them are. It’s not that God doesn’t care for the buildings, he just cares for people infinitely more and will sacrifice everything, including beautiful and important buildings, for the sake of his most loved creation. We should imitate God and realize that every building can be replaced, but people can’t. We need to prioritize our focus on buildings; they are a tool to help individuals get to know God just like so many other tools God gives us. Take care of your buildings, but take care of your people even more.
Lead On!
Left-Shoulder Giving
Posted on May 28, 2013 Written by
The blog post “Bell Curves and Giving” discusses the average age of your givers and shows that donors in their 50s are the single largest contributors to churches and non-profits. That is the age range on which churches most rely to support their current and future programs. If you visit a church where the average age is older than 60, then that church is likely in decline (unless there is a major endowment supporting the church).
The top of this bell curve are the 50-somethings. The 60-somethings and older form the right shoulder and it is shoulder with a steep downward trend. The overall amount of gifts from 60-, 70-, and 80-somethings declines very quickly for several reasons
- they are not earning as much as they used to and therefore can’t give as much
- they are trying to not outlive their money so they restrict what they give to their church and instead will give it as a bequest (if the church cultivates that gift)
The left shoulder is formed by 20-, 30-, and 40-somethings.
- They are just getting started in their marriages, careers, and families
- They often make poor financial decisions about cars, houses, and furnishings they purchase.
- Many end up paying off credit card balances for years or decades.
- Others are paying down college debt or establishing college funds for their own children.
- Some are doing all of the above!
Left-shoulder donors have less disposable income than they want to have. They really, really want to give to their church, they just can’t. Churches should and must help them – almost no one else is doing something to address this need. When a church helps a left-shoulder giver get out of or decrease his debt, many pay it forward through their church. This seems self-serving but there is a biblical viewpoint to this – helping people, especially young adults, to understand that our society makes an idol out of money and that distracts them from worshipping God.
Every church with young people (hopefully that means every church) should have classes on Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University or Crown Ministries. Everyone in the church should read Randy Alcorn’s The Treasure Principle and/or Andy Stanley’s Fields of Gold. These classes and books provide resources that help people approach money from a rational and biblical point of view, not just an emotional one.
This is an important and urgent matter. If you don’t think it is, try this: take the current giving levels on your bell curve and fast forward 10 or 20 years to see how much money your church will have (realizing that many right shoulder donors will die). That should be a wakeup call to see how significant it is to develop left shoulder donors as fast as possible. Then, when these left shoulder givers are in their 50s or even before, they can be generous givers to their church and the causes that appeal to them.
Lead On!
Steve
RACI
Posted on December 18, 2012 Written by
A friend and colleague of mine gave me an acronym that is used in his church whenever a decision is made. They assign RACI to actions and I like this so much I want to share it as a tool to help church staffs. RACI stands for:
- Responsible
- This person is in charge of the activity. All subsequent decisions go through this person to ensure that everything is working together to meet the desired outcome. This person can delegate intermediate steps but in the end, the buck stops with this person regarding the entire project. The responsible person must also have the trust and authorization to carry out the duties assigned to him or her. Anything less will set that person up for failure and perhaps even his or her departure from the church.
- Accountable
- This person is accountable for his or her actions (or inactions) and that accountability will affect his or her annual evaluation. An accountable person may or may be in charge of one aspect of the project or may be the responsible person, also. The accountable person must have the resources to carry out the task assigned to him or her whether those resources are financial, time, knowledge, or people. Accountable people need to know to whom they are accountable – that must be deicded initially; it is frequently the person who is responsible for everything.
- Consulted
- This is a person or group of people who have information which can help move the project further along the road. This may be specialized persons (lawyer, architect, teacher, pastor) but they are not part of the decision-making process. Their value is in providing additional knowledge which will help others who are decision-makers. Information is always a two-way street in the section: those who are consulted, by definition, should provide feedback to ensure the proper information is getting to the responsible or accountable person(s).
- Informed
- These are people who should be told what is happening along the way. This may be a person (such as the pastor or other leader) or a group of people (such as the congregation or key committee). They are not necessarily part of the decision-making process but keeping them informed can help the decisions go faster and easier. Information is usually one-way but sometimes it can flow back if it will help.
Sometimes these four are mixed and matched. For instance, someone who is consulted may also be a accountable. Sometimes you don’t have all four – one of the above may be omitted if it is not appropriate or unnecessary.
Use this terminology to ensure that everyone understands and knows their role in the decision-making process. Keeping this clear will help people know what they are supposed to do and what they should not do. It can minimize conflicts (“eliminate” is probably too much wishful thinking). Use this tool to help you become a more efficient and effective staff – and one that communicates better with each other.
Lead On!
Steve