Most leaders don’t intentionally do it. It just happens. The shift is so subtle that we hardly even notice it until the signs appear that we’ve lost touch with the people that we lead. Over time…
We’ve all been there. The pressure to say yes to yet another thing. We don’t want to let someone down. We dread the thought of disappointing someone. And we convince ourselves that “it” won’t take that much more effort, won’t last that long, or won’t be that difficult when we know it will be all three of those things.
Saying yes feels good in the moment but is often followed by an almost immediate sense of “what did I just do?” Whatever high we were on when we said yes has now become a burden and regret. No one wins because it usually means doing more stuff with less time.
Ron Edmondson recently identified 7 Personal Development Benefits of Saying No. He writes:
In fact, learning to say no may be the most important personal, professional, or leadership development tool one can have.
Rut.
Not a particularly attractive word. Not really an encouraging definition either. Check this out: “…a settled or established habit or course of action, especially a boring one.” There are many things I don’t want to be boring… my marriage, my job, my friends, my church! However, when we implement new habits and don’t continually re-evaluate their effectiveness, boring is where we end up.
Tony Morgan addresses this in the second installment of his Leisure Suit eBook series, How to Get Unstuck. I love Tony’s focus on processes and systems. He gets how important they are. He also realizes churches often develop processes but don’t know how to measure their effectiveness, letting them stagnate without even realizing it. The result is a rut.
Sometimes I grow weary of talking to church leaders who just refuse to see the value that technology can bring to the table when it comes to accelerating ministry connections. Rather than provide a rational response, I’m pondering whether or not to start presenting these ideas in the midst of those frustrating conversations.
Here are 10 ways that will absolutely, positively shrink your database:
Seth Godin understands that individuals and organizations must offer something of value to be noticed and become remarkable. Remarkable is one of those words that we use regularly but don’t stop to think about its implications. Remarkable is the act of doing or being that is worth noticing and sharing because it represents something out of the ordinary.
In this post, Seth talks about the circle of the missed. He’s not talking about missing or mourning people as much as he is talking about the connection your organization is making with others. Is it so compelling that if you stopped doing it people would be upset?
