Navigating The Problems Maze

January 25, 2012 in Ideas, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Productivity, Teamwork, Vision with 0 Comments

Problems are one of those things you are never going to completely avoid. They vary. Some are worthy of your attention, some are not. To manage your time and other resources well, you must decide which problems are worth your attention. Decide before they arise. Take a problem inventory; in retrospect, what have you experienced as a leader and organization? Which of your problems are recurring? How many of them need your attention as the leader? How many of them need to be delegated? Some problems can be solved once and for all time by putting in place clear systems. It is folly to keep watch for fires that you know are going to start instead of dealing with their source.

Crisis is often a result of our reactions and not the problems per se

How you look at the problem will determine your ability to solve it. The attention you give to problems is what determines the extent to which they will be magnified: greater or smaller. It’s your call! There are times when the problems we face are not really much of an issue. The way they actually become serious problems is because we make them that way. Crisis is often a result of our reactions and not the problems per se. Some problems may require urgent but not immediate attention. Effective problem solvers are comfortable with parking some problems to deal with ones worthy of attention. Parking a problem for a moment may also be necessary for getting a good perspective. Complications arise when you react to a perceived problem without first understanding it.

Be careful not to react out of the frustration or fear your team expresses when they encounter a problem. You cannot effectively lead your team out of challenges if you get caught up in the same anxiety as them. Keep in mind you lead yourself before you lead your team. How you lead yourself directly affects your team or organization. In fact, there will be many times you have to lead yourself out of frustration and helplessness before you can lead your team. Problems will appear solvable to your team when they hear you and see you act that way. Your team gets their cue on how to respond to challenges from you. Panic and they will too. Be honest and vulnerable, but do so with conviction you will not only survive but thrive beyond the problem and they will too.

illustration by joncandy, flickr (cc)

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What are some of the things that leaders need to take into account, in relation to their team, when they encounter problems?

What Giving Responsibility Can Do

January 22, 2012 in Church, Leadership, Ministry, My Lessons From Last Week, Productivity, Vision with 2 Comments

Last week I reflected on a period of about 5 weeks I allowed the team to take lead in areas I normally lead. During that period I was there as an observer and for (moral) support and allowed the team to call all the shots. OK, OK I was also there for quality control purposes. There! It’s out! I was also there for quality control purposes. Come on, I’m a leader concerned about our quality and standards… In fact, if you’re leader, I hereby give you permission to snoop! Yeah, snoop… “Quality control presence”  is just a sophisticated way of stating and justifying impromptu leader’s appearance / presence! I think this is something that should be inherent with every leader. As the leader you are the quality control watchmen. How have you been doing as the quality control in your team or organization? Do you have any set standards and clearly communicated expectations?

In retrospect I saw what giving more responsibilities to my team had yielded. There has been a consistent and significant growth. Giving responsibility has upped the confidence in the leadership of the individual members of my team. When you give a team member greater responsibility, it is also an expression of your confidence in them. With greater confidence your team members will  be more willing to chase greater goals. Thus, this enhances the performance and ‘delivery’ of your team. I’ll be honest and say there are times I have assigned responsibilities with some reservation and most of the times I got pleasant shock! Those you lead need to be affirmed not only in words, gifts etc but by being given greater responsibility.

Greater responsibility for some of my team members has also paved way for innovation. One of the guys was a given a job to do that I normally do. Because it is something that he didn’t do as often as I did it gave him freedom to approach the task assigned with a different approach from me. Not only did he do things differently but brought about a much appreciated “freshness” to an activity that we did regularly.When you want to “spice” things up engage a different head, voice and face.

Relinquishing some of my responsibilities also helped the team realize the demands of leadership at a level higher than what they were accustomed to. Some of my team got a more realistic insight into the cost of leadership and what it would  take for them to occupy the seat I do. When you see someone with the desire to lead this is a good way to give them a glimpse of what leadership at your level looks like. Give them some of your responsibility and use that as an opportunity to give them a picture of what you’re trying to accomplish. Share your heart and give a deeper insight of why you do some of the things you do.

Because we’re all not the same, we communicate things differently. Clarity was another way giving responsibility enriched my team and those we serve. When you have someone on your team that totally understands the vision and what you are trying to achieve, give them the freedom to express the vision in their own way. Some of the people may better understand one of your leadership team members better than you. Why not allow them to communicate vision so you can get through to those you, as the senior leader have not been able to effectively reach. The truth is even though you are the leader, not everybody you serve understands you the same. Someone on your leadership may speak the language of the guy in the “pew” better than you! If you are always the one communicating, people may get to a point of just “switching off”. Don’t forget that a great part of your job as the leader is not to “evangelize” everyone but more to “evangelize evangelists” who will reach everyone.

Try not to interfere too much and see what those you give responsibilities will do. Whatever the outcomes, there will be something to learn for you and or your team. Like parenting, one of the goals of leadership is equipping people for greater responsibilities. What better way is there for helping people embrace responsibility than by giving responsibility. Allow your leadership to be an enabling one, by equipping those you lead through giving responsibility.

Your thoughts?

The Double-edged Sword Of Branding and Communication

January 19, 2012 in Ideas, Leadership, Life, Productivity, Social Media, Vision with 0 Comments

Worldviews are shaped by a myriad of dynamics. Hence one message can mean different things to many people. Fact! We do not have control over the forces that shaped the outlook of those we lead or communicate with before we met them or made initial contact. It would be spitting in the wind to challenge anyone’s outlook without first understanding what shaped it.  You must be willing to understand before challenging them to change. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to walk a journey with people to challenge their outlook so that they are more receptive to the messages you send.

not all the people you will convey a message think like you

A delivery truck (picture above) I saw in traffic talked to me. (Don’t worry I’m not losing my sanity) It becomes imperative that you consider the many messages different types of people can draw from your marketing or brand campaign. Communication within your team or organization is included in this.

As you work on a new brand, marketing campaign or a vision communication strategy remember that those you desire to reach do not have as much background as you do. Some campaigns were dead before they were delivered because the campaign managers simply released the tail end of their internal conversation. You know what I mean… You know when someone has a conversation all by themselves in their head and they blurt out their conclusion? That’s exactly what I mean.

Other things to consider are the many other different ways that people will perceive your communication or brand. Because you have the background to your campaign it will be much easier for you to get the gist of your resultant slogan etc. Take the picture above as an example. My initial thought on what the brand was about would not be something considered as “clean” by some. (Think about it “Bull Brand”) In addition, I thought was odd was that nothing else clearly told me what the organization does. I thought they supplied beef or their business was livestock and could not come up with specifics. (It turns out Bull Brand actually supplies beef and allied products!)

For effective branding and communication you do not need to be too elaborate or vague. Your logo, billboard or other forms of communication must not be at the expense of what they are supposed to communicate. People must not get hung up on the logo rather what it represents. When you come up with your communication strategy always keep in front of you what you want people to remember and the action you want them to take. On the other hand, as in my case, if your “billboard” does not get anyone’s attention then there is no way a message can be conveyed. Your campaign must illuminate its object not draw attention to itself. You can think of numerous instances where people liked the campaign and did not “see” the product. Remember that the branding and communication sword is double-edged!

Quitting While Ahead?

January 12, 2012 in Leadership, Life, Ministry, Teamwork, Vision with 0 Comments

The old saying “quit while you’re ahead” is more loaded than meets the eye. One of the interpretations is “call it a day while the going is still good”. There are instances where this may be sound advice… I was thinking about areas I’ve grown in and I realized there is an area that I am happy with progress in. It has taken a lot of time and effort for progress. Part of me felt I should “quit while ahead”, then it occurred to me…

The “quit-while-ahead-philosophy” can be a reflection of some things:

  • That you feel you are at the best of your game and you cannot be any better. This can be due to fear. When you think you arrived at a place by chance. It is easy to feel this way. Be as systematic as you can be to be able to repeat success. This is true for your personal life and that of your organization or team. As you go along take note of steps you take as well as why you take them. Those with greater faith than fear will go farther.
  • Quitting while ahead could be a sign that you are getting lazy. Laziness is one progress killer you must avoid. It could be that you just don’t want to do any more work to even go further and accomplish more. Not only individuals get lazy but there is also “organizational laziness”. Organizations can start letting small things go such as taking longer to get back to clients when they don’t have to or neglecting details.
  • Embracing the “quit-while-ahead philosophy” may mean you are more concerned about having a legacy that is intact than one of constant, progressive and daring curiosity. Pursue a legacy of pushing boundaries in an attempt to go farther and accomplish more settling after a success. Let your success be something that spurs not cripples you. Never allow the success you’re experiencing now to rob the future of greater possibility!  Success has a “best before” date and must be managed for longevity. You are the one who decides when “you’ve arrived”. As long as you’re alive you haven’t exhausted all you are and can give! It is sad that some people feel they have lived their entire lives while they’re still alive. Risk taking is one of your guarantors against stagnation and irrelevance.
  • Walking in the “quit-while-you’re- ahead” attitude means you are more optimistic about the present than the future. If you have managed to do better than you have before, you can do better than you think is your best right now. The ”quit-while-ahead-philosophy” is faithlessness expressed. In the context of a leader or organization it says we have no faith in our vision for the future. This is how many organizations end up irrelevant or dead: when they believe that they have given the best they will ever give. For organizations to not only survive but thrive they must fulfill their vision today AND see themselves doing the same into the future.

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illustration by shawncampbell, flickr (cc)

Standards – Me, You, Them & God

August 29, 2011 in Chrstianity, Church, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Vision with 0 Comments

Organizations, and people in general, determine how good a service or product is based on other products or services of similar nature. Your claim to superiority may just be an admission that you recognize your competitor (in whatever form) as a threat. It is normal to check reviews for products or delivery in other areas in order to establish which is best. A problem comes in when we adopt this attitude when it comes to our spiritual life.

illustration - flickr, creative commons

It is easy to subconsciously adopt the, “I may not be as good as God calls me to be, but at least I’m not as bad as… [fill in the blank]“. This is dangerous! God is never going to commend you for being better than someone else, but for being who He calls you to be. You will not be held accountable for what someone else didn’t do, but what you didn’t do! When it comes to God, how well you’ve done on your assignment will never be based on how someone else did on theirs! God’s expectations for you are exclusive! They cannot be transferred, superimposed or adopted to or from others.

Have you been assessing your walk or progress with assignments based on what others are doing? Your only standard is God and the assignment He’s given you! You’re not good based on what others are not doing but what you are doing in fulfilling what He’s called you to! Forget what everyone else is doing or not doing! The only standard you have is God! Instead, ask yourself:

“Am I fulfilling all that God has called me to?”

More Than 5 Reasons Your Team Is Frustrated With Your Leadership

November 8, 2011 in Leadership, Teamwork, Vision with 0 Comments

A leader often has to deal with numerous dynamics in managing her team. It could be apathy, which I’ve written about in the past here. Another challenge a leader may have to deal with is a frustrated team. Here are some of the reasons why teams get frustrated:

  • Undermined: your team is frustrated because of being undermined. One of the ways to undermine your team is entrusting them with tasks that aren’t challenging enough. Undermining can be blatant or subtle. Are you constantly telling your team they cannot measure up? In word or deed?
  • Huh?: Your team doesn’t understand where they are going or supposed to be going. As leader you (should) see the vision more vividly than anyone on your team. It may be that your vision is only that clear to you. Does your team get the vision and how they fit in as clearly as you do? If your team doesn’t see the vision clearly as you do they are not going to be as passionate about it as you are!
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  • Goal posts: Your team is frustrated because you keep moving the goal posts without giving any reasons. Also, teams will be frustrated when they do not have any participation in setting goals whatsoever. Allowing your team to be part of setting goals in one way or another will help them own them. Also the team doesn’t know when they have scored. To help combat frustration and other challenges with the team, help them know what scoring is for them.
  • Model: in another post I stated that leadership development programs are sometimes overrated at the expense of leaders being the epitome of leadership for the teams and other leaders they lead. Your team is frustrated because you have higher standards for them than you have for yourself! Nothing is as upsetting for followers than a leader whom fundamental rules do not apply. One of the best ways to teach the leaders on your team to lead is by being the example
  • Ka Ching!: as leader you haven’t followed through with past promises & are making more. Never make new promises before fulfilling your old ones! This is often a foundation of distrust. Do not make promises that you cannot keep. When you are going to fail in keeping your promises communicating this with your team will guard trust.
  • They Really Cannot: your team is frustrated because they’ve been given responsibilities that are really out of their league. It is the leader’s responsibility to understand what his team can handle. Challenge your team in a way that will stretch them for growth, not discourage them.
  • Droids?: in all the goal chasing you do never forget you’re working with people. In another post I wrote about the relationship between people & programs. You can read it here. Your team. Could be frustrated because you have pursued goals / vision at their expense. Instances where the whole team or part if the team needs to put in extra will always arise. However, the leader must not just care about the welfare of the vision but if the work force that makes it happen! Team maintenance is a must! The best leaders know how to love & care for their people. Team leader, there must be a balance between work & care for the workers! Your team is the most valuable resource you have.
  • Standards: It is always prudent to embrace the importance of context. However, there cases where the same context and events will reoccur. For such it will be of great advantage for the leader to have standards set. Another reason why your team is frustrated is differential treatment. This can be in how you handle disciplinary measures to them being rewarded or scolded for the exact thing under the same circumstance. Do you reward the same action and under the exact circumstance punish it tomorrow? Be very clear about what you reward and how you handle the aforementioned occurrences.  You team is frustrated because you are not consistent! Say what you mean and mean what you say!
  • Hammer, No Nails: your team is frustrated because they have hammers & no nails. Giving your team an assignment without the adequate means to make it happen is guaranteed to frustrate them. Always ensure that you have aptly equipped your team to fulfil the tasks handed to them. It is irresponsible leadership to give tasks & not means to fulfil them! Empower your team!
What have you observed as frustration for teams?
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 illustration: David Chartier, flickr (cc)

A Reminder Of What The Church Is Not

December 18, 2011 in Chrstianity, Church, Ministry with 0 Comments

Every now and then a reminder needs to be issued. The Church is not a building. Neither is it programs that are run by her. The church is not how good the music or the preaching is. The church is not how much offering comes in or does not. The church is not liturgy. The church not man’s idea, it is God’s! The church is not just about the people in it. (It is also for the people not yet in it!) The church is not made up of people ‘who have it all together’.

the Church is incomplete without you!

The church is not how well people dress up on Sunday. The church is not the stain glass or steeple. The church is not complete without you! The church is not and should not be a place where some are more important than others. The church is not and should not be a closed ‘community’ or club. The church is not how well her building is adorned. The Church is NOT complete without you!

.illustration: from outside Wordwise, in Hartebeespoortdam


What is your take on what the Church is NOT?


		

		

	



	
		
			

			
				Inviting Trouble – #2 Lesson From Defunct Blog			
		

		
	

		
			December 30, 2011		 in 
		
			Leadership, Life, Ministry, Productivity, Self Leadership, Vision		 with 
		
			0 Comments		
	

	

		
			
							
		
		

			


Life is not static. There are things within and beyond our control. It can be in our personal lives, team or organizations. Something will go wrong at some point. I’ve started sharing some of the lessons I learned or was reminded when my blog crashed not too long ago. In another post I share about what to do when things fall apart. I alluded to how it can be a perfect opportunity for adjustments as well as an important first step to recovery. (You can read “When Things Fall Apart” here) I am positive that, like me, you know what it is to operate in your strengths, shortcomings and downright “clueless”.


You don't have to learn everything from a colossal mess! It is not necessary for you to be a failure of note to learn something significant


There are numerous factors that led to the blog crashing but this one is one of the biggest reasons – clueless! I got to a place of limited knowledge and decided to push ahead anyway. I had one of those moments where I knew that what I was about to do was going to bring bad results but I did it anyway! Be it in your personal life or role as a leader there are times you know that the only thing you’re going to achieve with a decision or action you’re about to make is nothing but a mess of note. I think this behavior is what gave birth to the axiom, “You’ve made your bed now lie in it!”


In the next decision or action in your personal life or role as a leader choose to listen to what some call, “the voice of reason”. When you know for sure that what you have is a mess in the making, stop! It’s that simple! You don’t have to learn everything from a colossal mess! It is not necessary for you to be a failure of note to learn something significant and be a better leader, team or organization. You don’t have to “fail forward” to move forward. You can move ahead without having to work your failure into a stepping stone! Use your failures but don’t create them when you don’t have to! Your opinion alone can be your demise. When you are not sure or do not know, avoid making decisions on your own.


I love it when I know that I don’t know. Knowing that you do not know is the first step to cure your ignorance! When you know that you do not know and know there is someone who knows it is folly to continue in ignorance. You need this reminder: seek help from those who know when you don’t know! Enlist skills from other people or organizations where you have limitations. It can prove more cost effective to outsource than messing up and then calling someone else who knows better to fix things. Seek out a forgotten catalyst for learning and success. Google. Read. If you cannot afford to hire someone, do your homework well. One of leaders’ worst enemies is nurtured ignorance!


illustration - Orin Zebest, flickr (cc)


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What other ways do we bring trouble on ourselves? Any other thoughts?










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