Is This the Right Quick Win?

Yesterday, I posted on an article I read in Harvard Business Review. Check my post out here to catch up.

The tool I described at the end of that post is on the right.

I challenged the team that leads the Butler Campus along side me with achieving a pretty lofty goal related to the number of volunteers on our campus. (Since we just launched a new service time we need to recruit more volunteers)

In order to ensure that our goal (90% new volunteers on Sun. pm teams by 2/9/09) was worthy of the time and effort we ran it through the grid on the right. At the end of the exercise, everyone agreed that it was at least a 9 and therefore worth our attention.

As there boss, I could have just said, "here's the goal, get it done" and they would have gotten it done. But I am not just interested in achieving today's goal but in laying the foundation for achieving tomorrow's. Since I believe I am only as good as the team I lead I am glad to have stumbled on a tool that can help me create that team while achieving necessary goals.

The Quick Wins Paradox

I read an article the other day in Harvard Business Review. It was about new leaders trying to prove themselves to everyone they lead and it was very challenging. You can check out the abstract here. Or get your own copy of the magazine for like 20 bucks!!!!

Basically, the article highlighted all of the mistakes I have made as a developing leader and listed them in order like they have been following me around for 3 years. The only thing missing from the article is pictures of me actually making the errors, otherwise it reads like an interview. My guess is, if you have lead anyone at any time you'll feel the same way after you read it...

The article outlines five traps that new leaders fall into:

1) Focusing too heavily on details - "Here's an inventory report I developed for your department...use it!"

2) Reacting negatively to criticism - "Then I'm just going to take my ball and go home..."

3) Intimidating others - "Do you like your job?"

4) Jumping to conclusions - "after 2 1/2 minutes of conversation I think we should throw away your system and start over..."

5) Micromanaging - "Do you think that color works? I mean, if I were developing that report I would use green not blue..."

The basic point of the article is that in order to establish yourself as a new leader you'll need to strive for that "quick win". Everyone is looking to the new leader to make a difference. If I hire you to work for me I want to know that I invested wisely and the right "quick win" can give me that confidence. The problem arises when you go about trying to achieve the "quick win" in the wrong way inevitably falling into one or more of traps above.

Instead, the article describes that the leaders who are successful focus on the following:

1) Communicating a clear vision

2) Developing constructive relationships

3) Demonstrating empathy

4) Play a hands-on role in developing team capabilities

5) Pull everyone together

Picking the right "quick win" becomes very important and the article provides a diagnostic tool that was exceedingly helpful. I'll post my thoughts about that tool tomorrow. In the meantime, if you're leading in any capacity, I would highly recommend the article.

And We Kicked it Off Right...

WOW!



The first Butler 6pm worship experience this past Sunday was amazing but my faith was way too small:



I expected 565 people to come...there were 779!



I expected about 50 people to respond to the message...and they did, but so did 75 additional people making a total of 125 people who came home on Sunday night!



My dream was to break 1500 people at the Butler Campus for the whole day...(I have a hard time writing this number) - 1998 came!



Over all on our campus this week we saw 334 people "Come Home" and in our church 925 people total!



We have a lot to celebrate. We have a lot to be thankful for. God has placed all of us in the middle of something amazing. If you were at the 6pm worship experience Sunday, you, like me, felt that "something amazing" in a way that you have never felt it before.



Here are some pictures:

Forecast: Sunny Skies

Last night I looked at the weather for today and realized that the forecast was for sunny skies. When I saw that it would be 50 degrees and sunny when I would be leaving work to come home I decided to ride to work this morning. The problem was at 6:15am when I left my house I felt more like this guy:

Here's what I know: when the forecast is for sunny skies sometimes you have to endure this:

in order to enjoy this:

This Sunday night we are launching our first evening worship experience at the Butler Campus of Elevation Church. For those of you who have been part of the process of getting this service off the ground you can empathize with me when I say it is not always easy! Recruiting your friend to volunteer with you, stepping into a leadership role that you're uncertain about, giving up your seat at a convenient time to make room for someone else, or agreeing to volunteer all day to get us through the launch of this service are all examples of how you have decided to trust the forecast rather than the circumstances.

Well, now that the morning ride is over and the day has shaped up to look like this:

I'm glad I rode to work today.

This Sunday is going to be a benchmark day for the Butler Campus. For those of you who have trusted the forecast get ready for a great ride!

See you Sunday!

"Take That Devil"

We have a little saying around here that most of us use sparingly. I probably use it more than I should...but then again, there are a lot of good opportunities to use it!

When something happens that clearly advances the Kingdom of God and therefore subdues the attacks of the enemy against God's Church you might hear someone on staff at Elevation say, "Take that Devil...".

The heart behind it for me comes from the charge that Jesus gives to Peter when he tells him, "You will be called Peter (rather than Simon) on this rock I will build my Church and the Gates of Hell will not prevail against it." - Matthew 13:18. To which I would say - Take that Devil.

So, I hear that a homeless man was given a ticket right outside the doors of our Christmas Eve service. He comes in and gets saved. I say, "Take that Devil".

I'm quietly flipping through the Scriptures and I read something like this...Take that Devil!

We have planned an incredible worship experience for this Sunday's Come Home series. You're bringing your friends who are far from God and when they are exposed to the Power of Christ and see that they need him in their lives they're going to "Come Home" to Him...so you will quietly say under your breath, "Take that Devil"...and maybe you'll add a little fist pump - that's appropriate.

At Butler we are launching a 6pm worship experience. we've been climbing an uphill battle to get the facility secured, identify volunteers, and get ready for the new service. This week it's going to happen and hundreds of people are going to come and dozens will have their lives changed. What else can I say?

Sometimes you need a phrase that carries a measure of celebratory violence...if you don't already have one of your own your welcome to use ours.

See you this Sunday!

Leadership Analogy

The other day I was trying to explain to one of my direct reports why I act the way I do in certain situations and I said, "I lead like a chess match rather than a marksman..."




I proceeded to explain that I occasionally struggle with "analysis paralysis" meaning that I'm so concerned about eliminating future moves by making a bad decision that I sometimes struggle to decide at all.





To run with the chess analogy, you can't set up the uber-powerful and strategic "castling" move (see the picture on the right) if you have made a mistake early on in the game and exposed your king to a "check" by the opponent. I have been blessed (and cursed) with an analytical mind. This means I generally have multiple scenarios running through my head for every decision I'm trying to make, big or small.



The strength: when I've got time to think and prepare I generally have contingencies covered and I make a complete decision.



The weakness: "Would you please just make a decision already...no one cares what the parking lot should look like in 35 years the traffic is backed up on 51!"



Some of you lead like a sawed off shot gun. You can pull the trigger quick and plaster the target with holes. You have your weaknesses too...I'm just saying!



I'm learning that the best leaders know their strengths and weaknesses and I'm thankful to have mentors and friends in my life who care enough about my development to point out my weaknesses so I can grow.


Get to know your style, and make provision for your weaknesses, it's the first step toward becoming more effective!

The Christmas Gnome

Welcome to another addition to Friday's Fun Family Facts.

If you have not been following my blog over the past year let me catch you up. I have an interesting family! So on occasion, and always on Fridays, I post a story about things that have happened in my family. Usually these things are from my childhood but today I have a special treat...a glimpse into the present!

About 5 years ago we (my family) all got fed up buying cheap presents for everyone (which ironically cost more) and decided to take all the money we were spending on everyone and concentrate it on one person. The result, we spend less and get nicer things. Enter the Christmas Gnome...

Having an interesting family, it isn't possible to just do a normal name exchange. Without a certain element of mystery, competition and bitter sarcasm it just doesn't fly with us. The Christmas Gnome provided all those essential elements to our name exchange and for the last 5 years we have relied on him to help us navigate through the logistical nightmare that is buying presents for a big family.

I wanted to give you a glimpse into the mind of the Christmas Gnome (and consequently into the personality of my family) so I've copied an email that he wrote to my family below. Please know that everyone in my family is trying very hard to figure out which one of us is masquerading as this vicious little imp...it really has been a mystery. If any of you have an idea who it might be I would love to know!

Well,

I know you have been eagerly awaiting this email for days now, so let me get right to it...

This year we, the governing body of the Bishop/Cushing-and-Extension-Christmas-Gift-Purchase-and-Delivery-Extravaganza led by the illustrious Christmas Gnome, are going to experiment with something a little bit different.

Rather than just send a boring email with your gift recipient's name in it, we are going to make the actual name acquiring portion of the present exchange process part of the fun! You will be receiving an email in the next 24 hours with three clues as to who your secret gift recipient is for this year.

You will only have three days to figure out who your person is on your own and then I will send a cheat sheet so that you don't buy presents for the wrong person. The first person to email thechristmasgnome@gmail.com with a correct guess for who you think you have this year will win a highly coveted and desirable prize (to be awarded on Christmas day...).

As always you can begin "replying to all" with your Christmas lists so that your mystery Santa can know what to buy for you. Your Christmas list will be due no later than December 15th...a very nice day for things to be due indeed...

The amount to be spent this year is $50.00.

The Christmas Gnome

Here's what the Christmas Gnome thought would be good clues to describe me...I was not very happy!

JOHN
1) TALENT: The Scrabler...or is it Scrabbler?: Could win at Scrabble every time, if only spelling weren't an issue
2) LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8ISuRkO3Fs
3) ANIMAL: Shrew

Sometimes having an interesting family is fun. Other times, it's just down right painful!