Though it is common to lament staff meetings, to take jabs at their usefulness, and to breathe a sigh of relief when they are canceled, the reality is that staff meetings are essential. Teams must communicate. Without effective staff meetings, over time, people and teams will move in a plethora of directions. I have been…
Strategy
Servant Leadership and Strategic Thinking
Last week I gave a sketch of the Eishenhower Matrix, which has challenged leaders to focus on the most important things and to not allow the urgent to dominate and derail them. As a reminder, here is a sketch of the matrix: While many leaders have been served well with the thinking behind the framework,…
Churches and Cruises to Nowhere
Carnival Cruise Lines offers cruises to nowhere out of Norfolk, Virginia. You pay for a ticket, pack your bags, board a boat, and cruise to nowhere. You live on a boat for a few days—a boat that is going nowhere. In fact, here is a screen shot of the publicized itinerary for an upcoming cruise….
Mapping, Making, and Meshing in Ministry
In his book Die Empty, Todd Henry provides a helpful framework to plan, execute, and develop yourself as you work. He divides work into three broad categories: 1) Making: This is what many consider the actual work. It is the doing of the work. 2) Mapping: This is the planning of the work, the necessary strategic thinking that happens before…
The Illusion of a Strategy
The illusion of a strategy is worse than not having a strategy. For the person who wants to lose weight, the illusion of a diet/exercise plan is worse than not having one. Because when you don’t have one, you at least know you don’t have one. For the person attempting to save for retirement, the…
The Four Disciplines of Getting Things Done – Part One
A great strategy without execution is merely wishful thinking, a dream on paper that is never translated into real life. I have found that many leaders, organizations, and ministries struggle with execution, with actually getting things done. The book Four Disciplines of Execution has provided a sticky mental framework for me on leading teams to…