When was the last time you were in a meeting and wondered, “Why am I even here?” Over the years I spent in the military, in corporate America and now in the work of the church, I cannot begin to count the times I have asked that question.
In reflecting on the leadership aspect of church revitalization, there is a necessary aspect of shifting culture. Organizational culture is critical and can be the wind that fills the sails or the wind that batters the ship. One of the aspects of culture includes the process of communication and specifically, the meetings.
Confession time:
I am not a huge fan of meetings…at least meetings in the way most people think
of them. Years ago, I was part of a church that met monthly to simply talk
calendaring. This was a multi-hour gathering of every leader of every ministry
to simply review the calendar, schedule new events, and adjust activities for
the month. The purpose was essential but I noticed that the contribution of
everyone around the table varied. Some folks were very active…particularly the
leader and the staff. Others were not. They attended, sat dutifully, and left
with a new piece of paper identifying what others were going to do. These
meetings were intended to generate unity and excitement but left people feeling
divided and despondent. Why? Because someone just gave a couple of hours of
their lives to an activity that had no perceived value for them.
Some years ago, I heard a leader say that those who dislike
meetings need to be part of an organization with more meetings. Not just more
meetings but meetings of different types, with different people at different
times. For instance, Patrick Lencioni suggested in his book, Death by Meeting (Jossey-Bass, 2004)
that meetings should involve (1) the right people who are stakeholders in the
discussion and (2) a defined purpose that requires the parties to discuss.
Sometimes, leaders desire a plenary meeting because they are most comfortable
seeing the people in the organization. Other leaders like to control their own
calendar and it is simply more convenient for them to have a two-hour block set
aside to do everything, even if the meeting is mostly ineffective for the
participants.
What do we do?
Fundamentally, if the leader desires to create a strong
organizational culture that includes meetings that are exciting and
fulfilling…the leader must change. The leader must shift his or her thinking to
reflect a more servant-oriented approach. In other words, convenience for the
leader or preferences of the leader must take a back seat to the productivity
of the people around the table. If having productive team members is important
to you as a leader, here are four questions to answer to make meetings more
effective.
Is my desire to give direction or to discuss insights? If you are giving directives and the approach is straightforward…send an email instead. What you can implement by proclamation can often be communicated in writing. If the desired actions are unclear, invite recipients to follow-up in a short meeting.
If collaboration is the leader’s desire, whose input is valuable; in other words, who are the stakeholders in the discussion? Some meetings have a strategic objective. Some need coordination. Some are for the purpose of a 360 degree evaluation of a completed project. Pull in those people who are the best to offer insight into the matters and hash it out.
Prepare, prepare, prepare. As the leader, you should spend a minute of preparation for every minute of meeting time. Know what needs to be discussed. Make sure the players are around the table. Make sure they are prepared to discuss what is on the agenda. Servant-leaders honor the time of others by preparing well.
Promote drama. I know this sounds counter-intuitive. After all, who wants drama at a meeting? Those who have done the hard work of building trust, communicating value for the team members and genuinely believes that there is wisdom in the counsel of man (Proverbs 11:14, 15:22, 24:6). If those around the table do not participate in the discussion, ask yourself, “Do they need to be here? Are they engaged? Why are they not weighing in?”
Finally, limit the agenda for greater effectiveness. Don’t schedule a meeting to discuss upper level strategy, get activity reports, address calendar items, and discuss human resource policies. Instead, have a stand-up meeting 3 times a week to give 2-minute reports on activity. Schedule to meet with the HR manager to hammer out policy matters. Bring in senior staff to formulate or evaluate strategy. Let department heads work with their teams to drill down on specifics. If it is necessary for the leader to see everyone in that department, set aside 10 minutes for a drop by “check-up and encouragement” visit. The department head can unofficially schedule the leader in for this and everyone wins!
Some may push back and suggest that they did not work for decades to climb the organizational food chain only to run around the organization accommodating others. However, if that kind of service is the culture you want to promote throughout your organization, what better way to emphasize it than to model it? I would suggest that while the approach of more and better meetings may be time consuming and a little awkward at first, over a short time they will pay off with greater productivity, more collaboration, and improved morale. In other words, this is a step toward that organizational culture you’ve dreamed of but always seemed to elude your grasp.
Group of office workers in a boardroom presentation
How does your organization
currently do meetings?
Is your approach effectively
delivering on the desired outcome?
What would you change immediately
if it were your purview?
What will you implement
immediately to make your meetings more engaging?
A friend recently returned from an extended trip across several time zones. As we visited one day, I casually asked about jet lag and reacclimating to his routine. He noted that everything was back in place except one component…the morning disciplines.
What are your disciplines? When I was a soldier in the US
Army, our typical week ran like clockwork. There was always morning physical
training (PT). There was always a morning meeting (formation), an end of the
day “debrief” (formation), and preparation of equipment and supplies for the
following day. These “disciplines” have been the source of much “parent
entertainment” with my family through the years. Yes…I am the dad that returned
from a camping trip with the boys and required that all of the gear be set back
up, cleaned and inspected, repackaged for the next excursion, and
systematically stored for a short-notice departure. The rationale for this was
not some pressing need to deploy the family into the woods, but the lingering
influence of habit…routine…discipline.
Generally speaking, I have a routine/discipline that drives my discipleship in Christ now. I tend to rise early…meaning that by 5:30am or so, I am already enjoying a cup of morning coffee and engaged in one of 3-5 devotional guides and daily bible readings. I follow a reading plan…a system, so that I won’t miss out on anything or skip over some uncomfortable part of the Scriptures. I make breakfast (nearly) every morning for Jodi and me. It is the same basic breakfast every day. I pack the same items into a briefcase and carry it to the truck so I can leave by the same general time every day. This is so I can get to the office before prayer time.
The point is not that I have a boring routine (though you
may be under that impression). The point is that I have certain milestones
driven into the ground that keep me grounded, facilitate achievement of defined
objectives, and provide much needed provisions for the day. When something
interrupts this discipline, I feel a bit “undone.” Because of my morning
discipline, my evening activities are generally shorter and often include an
early bedtime. If Jodi and I watch a late movie or a DVRd television show, my
morning disciple becomes a little more tedious and strained. So…to guard the
morning discipline (which is of ultimate value) I have to intentionally take
captive the runaway distractions of the evening.
Here is the point (and the question): For you, what are the defined goals and objectives that are critical to achieve? What disciplines are in place to promote, protect, and facilitate those objectives? How are your habits as they relate to these objectives?
Eugene Peterson described the Christian life as “a long
obedience in the same direction.” In other words, it consists of defined goals
and consistent progress toward them based on the desired outcomes rather than the
influence of emotions. Our “faith”
informs our habits/disciplines and our disciplines/habits influence our faith.
Do your habits reflect your priorities? Did they once? If so
and this is not the case today, start over. Don’t wait until next January and a
new wave of resolutions. Begin today. Define the goal. Lay out the strategy.
Adjust everything else around it. Begin again.
“discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness…” 1 Timothy 4:7
Today (Monday)…if you consider Sunday to be the first day of the week, is Day 32 of our churchwide reading plan. Reading through Exodus 10-11 and seeing the final plagues pronounced stirred my heart and mind today on the issue of trust.
If you spend enough time watching the news (regardless of
the channel) you can begin to feel that the world is a “hot mess” and that
there is no hope. If you read the Word of God, you certainly come to a totally
different conclusion…the world is still a “hot mess” but our God is working
according to a completely different perspective…and He is not even remotely
concerned about how things will turn out. He is not hopeless…but offers hope to
those in the journey.
Sign after sign, plague after plague, conversation after
conversation…God continued to offer a way for Pharoah to turn from his
self-will to acquiescing to the voice of God. God was never confused or dismayed,
challenged or discouraged by Pharoah’s resistance; rather, God announced it to
Moses in advance…so that Moses would learn to trust God’s sovereign plan even
more fully.
In the midst of the plagues, God caused the people of Egypt
to see Him and His protection/power as ultimate. The Hebrew God systematically
dismantled the top ten deities of Egypt, one after the other. Each time,
Pharoah became more entrenched in his self-will…but God’s “stock” among the
Egyptians increased. Also, the way the people of God were loved and protected
by God resonated in the hearts of the Egyptian people (Ex 11:3). So much so,
that the people gave gold and silver to the Hebrews willingly before the
Exodus. Finally, the “stock” of the leader, Moses, increased as the Egyptians
saw how he spoke clearly, powerfully, convictionally, and compassionately for
God (Ex 11:3).
Life today is in many way no different. The world is a mess.
Christians are often discounted and even dismissed. This, however, is not the
end of the story. God will prove Himself and His purpose to be unchangeable and
unstoppable. Most believers I know smile at that thought. Remember though…this
powerful movement of God’s demonstrable strength came in response to the cries
of His people after 400 years of slavery in Egypt with increasing persecution
and pressure.
So today…choose:
Choose to trust the purpose of God as good,
since God can be nothing else but good.
Choose to embrace the difficulties of the day,
knowing they are not final. God has more to say.
Choose to embrace and exalt the provision of God
throughout times of struggle; after all, God is at work demonstrating His power
for others to see.
For the sake of those watching, choose to look
toward the God who delivers, rather
than only the deliverance of God. We
worship Him, not merely what He does that benefits us.
I find, like you, that many professing Christ-followers often opine on matters beyond their immediate sphere of life. An actor in a distant state does something, and a Christian who disagrees may offer an opinion condemning the action. A government official in another state acts contrary to God’s revealed Word and a Christian offers a word of rebuke. [Full disclosure, I just offered an opinion on the actions of Governor Cuomo of New York on his horrific and destructive advocacy of expanded pro-abortion legislation. In my opinion, I suggested that if his church, the Roman Catholic Church, truly desired to demonstrate love toward the Governor and simultaneously clarify their position, they should seek his repentance through the process of church discipline.] Now, I am not part of the Governor’s church nor do I live in the state that he represents. My opinion, however informed or otherwise, is simply that. It is an opinion. I do not believe it is in any way unbiblical to share this opinion, since the Governor trumpets his faith, is a public figure, and is acting in a manner clearly at odds with Holy Scripture and the authority of the Catholic church.
What if, however, the Governor had been a member of a church that I attended…or led? Should his actions come under scrutiny by the congregation and should the church seek to assert any authoritative role in the conduct of the church member? My answer is…Yes. While that may shock or even provoke opposition from some, please allow me to briefly state my reasons.
To be a member of a church is to affirm agreement with the doctrinal positions of that church. The only (so called) church I know of that doesn’t require adherence to a doctrinal covenant is the Unitarian Universalist church, which is utterly inclusive. They are quite dogmatic about refusing to elevate one doctrine over another. [But this is, in itself, also a doctrinal assertion…and if you joined such an organization and sought to change it, you would likely have to separate from fellowship.]
For a Christian, there are no walls of separation between your faith, your personal life, and your professional life. One cannot separate faith from all other areas of life without becoming unfaithful. For instance, I once had the opportunity to open a gambling business and was promised an obscene amount of money to do so. The business was at odds with the faith position of my church (which I shared). To have aligned with the business would have placed me necessarily at odds with my church and my faith. In my free-choice, I chose to affirm my faith and forego the lucrative income.
The church has an obligation to act biblically and faithfully toward its membership. When a person joins a faith community, a covenant relationship is affirmed. There is a mutual obligation. The faith community MUST love its membership and be faithful to its covenant obligation in rescuing members who stray into sin…in both word and deed. If I believe or act contrary to closely-held doctrinal views, the only loving act the church can exercise is to seek my repentance and reconciliation (Matthew 18:15-20; Galatians 6:1-2, et.al.).
Not all doctrines are primary or essential to fellowship; therefore, there must be room for honest biblical disagreement within a church community. At the church I serve, we hold some doctrines as essential. In these matters, there must be unreserved agreement as a condition of the community. If a person, for instance, wished to join our church without agreeing that Jesus is the unique Son of God and that Salvation is only available through Jesus by grace through faith, and that this is true in every place and among every people at all times, their formal connection to the church would necessarily be refused, since this is a closely held and essential doctrine. At the same time, there may be disagreement on some biblical teachings (what we might refer to as secondary or tertiary doctrines), and membership NOT be refused. These doctrines may be recognized as being sufficiently mysterious, requiring more liberty within the fellowship.
Finally, if a member acts in a manner contrary to his faith assertion (actual or implied due to association with his church) all loving efforts should be employed to reconcile the dissonance and restore the member to a position of harmony with the doctrinal position of the church. To ignore the incompatibility is to demonstrate an unbiblical and unloving rejection of the member. Stated differently, to allow the disagreement to persist is to demonstrate that either the member or the church does not believe the doctrine to be essential to the faith.
I would suggest that it is time for communities of faith to act like communities. Church members deserve accountable communities that provide guidance and oversight, consistent with agreed upon doctrines, in their member’s lives. Churches deserve to have members that desire to live a consistent witness of the community’s doctrine and mission. This is the Lord’s desire and design for the church.
Much discussion occurs today on the “relevance” of the church. I think that the relevance of a like-minded and like-missioned community is self-evident. Therefore, every activity: personal, professional, or otherwise is connected to the community and should seek to further the community’s (church’s) mission and witness to its neighbors and the nations.
A Man Called Intrepid: The Incredible True Story of the Master Spy Who Helped Win World War II, by William Stevenson (New York: SkyHorse Publishing, 2014), 645 pages, Kindle Edition.
“I’ll read that when I finish my doctoral studies.” I wish I
had a quarter for every time I made that statement over the last 3 plus years.
Well, this is one of those. I know it has been a while since I posted book
reviews on this site, but I do read and I do find reviews helpful, so if you
share any of those traits, here you go.
I am a fan of historical works, and of military biographies,
and even enjoy a little bit of spy-novel suspense…so this book seemed tailor
made for me.
This seems to be a well-researched, non-fiction, perspective
on WW II from the perspective of the then “new” perspective on the world of
intelligence, counter-intelligence, and guerilla warfare. As a soldier, I
thought I had a good handle on the cost of war and a basic idea of warfare
planning and considerations. Reading this book told me I am clueless on the big
picture. In fact, many places in the book left me feeling like a little child
standing in the library/study of a great leader/statesman, in awe of the
surroundings and sheepishly hoping to learn something from a crouched position
in the corner, too overwhelmed to speak.
The book surveys the advent of intelligence work as an
emerging tactic in war. From steaming open letters, to listening in to radio
traffic, to breaking the German code relied upon by Hitler and his forces
during the war, the author tells the tale of how Allied forces survived and ultimately
achieved victory against a determined enemy.
As a student of leadership, I found myself enthralled with
the burdens of leadership that Churchill and Roosevelt bore in daily duties and
was quite enthralled at the art of people intelligence employed in the shadows
to facilitate ultimate victory.
I find that people with limited knowledge of facts and
specifics have strong opinions of what they would and would not do in a given
situation. A few days into this read is certain to challenge someone to
reconsider all of that.
If this type of book is your “jam,” I highly recommend. It actually has peaked a new curiosity for me as it relates to Churchill, Roosevelt, and World War II.
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