Ministry | Blessing Mpofu

Archive - Ministry RSS Feed

The Ghosts Of My Predecessors

September 8, 2011 in Leadership, Ministry, Teamwork, Vision with 2 Comments

I’ve served in numerous and diverse leadership roles. In some instances I took over from someone and was not the pioneer. I was thinking about the ghosts of my predecessors in those times. Yeah, their ghosts! My predecessors’ ghosts manifested in different ways. Let me give you a few:

illustration: gamillos, flickr

Not that way!: my predecessors’ ghosts appeared in the form of refusal to change the way something was done. This was because because the leader before had made one of the ways of doing things THE only way. This would be probably one of the reasons he may have been removed (if he was removed). When process is glorified at the expense of purpose we risk becoming busy but unproductive. Anyway, this manifestation of the previous leader’s ghost made methods ‘sacred’. When methods or systems become sacred progress and innovation is either stalled or completely aborted.
Processes & Direction: this was of the most blatant manifestations… There are times when the leader before engaged process or chartered a course that couldn’t just stop. This was where I had to be caretaker of systems I did not like, and sometimes disagreed with completely! The main reason for continuing them was that it would do great harm to the team or organization to abruptly stop or change course. When you take over as leader you are not always going to be able to implement immediate change.
Important: one of the other manifestations of the ghost was values. From experience as leader and follower I’ve learnt this: leaders have different values. This is not bad per se. What it means is that different things are important to different leaders. One of the manifestations I’ve encountered is conflict in values with my inherited team. Because things somehow keep moving as you step in as the new leader… The inherited team will operate in what they always have till you show them different.
It was your fault he left!: My predecessors have haunted me through the inherited team when I’ve been seen as the reason they left. This was in instances where there was a strong tie between the leader and the team. Sometimes done unconsciously. This made me an enemy of the team I was to lead, making my duties more difficult. “Because you got rid of our leader you have something against us”, is the attitude that was often communicated. The hostility came in different ways…
Problems!: This is one of the main reasons why some leaders abandon ship. Either they’ve encountered or created problems they feel they cannot solve. Perhaps they were just not willing to try to solve them. This manifestation of the ghost has sometimes been hidden from me at the interview stages and only realized it when I was at the helm.

More on how I’ve learnt to deal with these ‘ghosts’ and others later… Do you have something you’d like to share?

Why Apathy Sets In

September 4, 2011 in Leadership, Ministry, Productivity, Self Leadership, Teamwork, Vision with 1 Comment

I was thinking about why apathy sets in and the remedies. The following are not comprehensive:

What’s New? : Accomplishing a goal or target without the next one lined up will create what I call a “wander wonder period”. Don’t wait till you reach your target to set the next one, always have ‘one in the bag’. Apathy will set in when there is no new and clear goal or target set ahead. Myopia can be a good catalyst of apathy. Challenges are one of the things I think facilitate innovation. With innovation there’s a general sense of, “we’re breaking barriers” or “new frontiers”, keeping your organization or team feeling a sense of progress and accomplishment. To combat apathy one of the things to do is to also constantly introduce your team to newer scenarios or challenges. New scenarios not only involve coming up with completely new programs or ‘products’ but could simply be, “how can we better a process?” Familiarity is one of the biggest enemies of ingenuity! As a leader, it is important for you to constantly and intentionally plan fun and engaging challenges for your team.

See Me? : Feedback is very important for any subordinate or colleague. Without feedback outside of themselves your team can easily feel that their efforts and or even them, as individuals are being taken for granted, creating a platform for apathy to set in. Your team and colleagues want to know what you think or feel about them and their performance. From my experiences, most would rather know that you think they are not doing as well as they could or should rather than silence. Feedback to your team will act a compass, pointing them to the areas and course they need to pay attention to.

Big Picture: Your team needs to be constantly reminded of the big picture and how they fit in. It is easy for some people to get discouraged when some part of their activity begins to feel mundane. Constant reminders about the significance of their contribution will help keep their efforts in perspective, fanning the flames of purpose and combating possible apathy.

I’m still trying to think of other reasons why apathy sets in and some solutions… What are the other reasons why apathy sets in and what is the remedy?

5 Sources For Sermon Or Teaching Content

August 31, 2011 in Church, Ministry with 0 Comments

I’m a pastor’s kid. One of the things that fascinated me when I was growing up was how dad cranked up a sermon or teaching every Sunday! Sometimes he even taught two to three times a week on different subjects. As a communicator, I thought I’d give sources for content for ‘platform communicators’ in the church context. The obvious source for sermon or teaching content is God. I think this one is a given. As a preacher or teacher you must seek God on what you ought to preach. I didn’t see the need to expound on this one as it is rather obvious! ;-)

illustration by p_a_h, on flickr (cc)

In You: The first place to get what to preach is from yourself! What is God speaking to you at a personal level? I’ve often discovered that as I go through certain phases those I serve seem to follow too. Not all the lessons you learn are exclusively for your growth or benefit. It seems God prepares me to serve those I serve better by allowing me to experience some things first. You have a platform and influence that God uses to speak to people. Don’t undermine that by not cultivating your relationship with Him. With this comes a warning: don’t spend time with God just to get a sermon or series! At the same time, do not limit God from speaking to others through what He’s doing in your personal life.
Needs: You’d think this one is a ‘no brainer’ but you’d be surprised how many preachers overlook this one! Great sources for your preaching or teaching content are the felt needs of those you serve. The implications are that you need to be in touch with people to know where they’re at. Build authentic relationships. Knowing your people will also be a great help in knowing how to communicate with them. Preachers, if you don’t care about people you’re in the wrong ‘business’! I have been in instances where the majority of the congregation was going through similar things. You don’t need to go ask God if you can teach a series on healing when you can see that it is the prevailing need among your congregants!
Poll: Ask your congregation! At some points I’ve sat in the pews hoping that pastor would teach on a particular subject. He never did. I never asked him to either. I’m sure he would’ve taught on the subject if I had asked. You can use online tools like surverymonkey.com, simple response cards or your small group leaders to ask. I’m not suggesting you teach what people want to hear. I’m just saying there could be areas of growth you could be neglecting by not asking your congregation.
Vision & Mission: One of the best places to get your teaching content is your vision and mission statements. Too many churches now only leave this for their “vision Sunday”. If you took the time to really break down your vision, mission and values statements you’ll see that there are numerous components that you can expound on forever. This is one of the best ways to get your congregation to understand and embrace the vision. You may not necessarily outright say “as part of our vision” or “this is how that fits into our vision”… You don’t have to use “vision” for it to be a sermon on something that is at the core of your purpose. Teach it in as many ways as possible and eventually your people will begin to live it!
Around: I’m constantly on the lookout for ideas. I watch billboards, tv ads, people in the mall and yes, even online… Sometimes I look for illustrations and at other times I happen to find an illustration from which a talk develops. This works great especially with media that young people are constantly interacting with. I think plain old observation is underrated as a source. Even watch your congregation when they come into church… You could discover that the spouses don’t honor each other; run a marriage enrichment series. Or people mishandle their property; teach on stewardship. Keep your eyes open and be open for God to speak to you.

Your thoughts?

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?”

Francis Chan & A Bug’s Life – The First Rule Of Leadership

August 25, 2011 in Backstage Leadership, Leadership, Ministry, Teamwork, Vision with 0 Comments

I was going through my computer and came across a video clip I used in training some leaders. This clip was from the movie “A Bugs Life”. Long story short, a locust tells the ant, “the first rule of leadership – everything is your fault!”. (It is a fairly ‘old’ movie I enjoyed a long time ago, with a lot to learn on leadership and teamwork…) This reminded me of something Francis Chan said on a Backstage Leadership session I was on.

illustration - Marco Buonvino on Flickr

One of the questions Francis was asked was, ‘what are some of the things a leader must NEVER delegate?’ His response included this:

A leader must never delegate taking responsibility or blame for things going wrong.

There is sometimes a temptation for the leader to ‘look good’. To always be right. To always have the answer or never make mistakes… To always know what to do… and the list goes on. Some leaders think it is weakness to be wrong let alone to admit your hand in your organization’s failure. On the contrary, it takes courage for the leader to own his organization or team’s failure without shifting the blame. Leader, when things go wrong where is the first place you seek fault?

A lot of leaders miss out on opportunities to build their influence by not taking responsibility when things go wrong. How can you expect those you lead to take responsibility for their part in things going wrong if you don’t show them how? The leadership that your team see from you is the leadership they’ll not only embrace, but practice and perpetuate! Take responsibility for things going wrong and when it is their turn they are more likely to do likewise. The reason why your team make not be taking responsibility for things in their care going wrong could be that you’ve taught them not to.

There are times when I’ve led very badly by blaming my team, circumstance and other environmental factors for my failure to lead. Lately, I am being challenged to self-evaluation as a leader. Leadership that does not embrace humility can never have the courage to take responsibility for things going wrong. Some of the questions I have to ask include:

How have I contributed to the failure of someone or the team I lead?
Does the reason for failure reveal a gap in training or systems?
What can I learn from this as a leader?
What lessons are there for us as a team / organization?

Your thoughts?

———————————————————————————————————————————————-

(BackstageLeadership.Org is the online place where 20s-30s something leaders connect and collaborate around fresh weekly content. Through articles, Q&A sessions, Quick Tips, interviews, and live events, we share content for leaders, creatives, entrepreneurs, and other professionals to enhance their ability to make change. The goal is to inspire, challenge, and connect young leaders to change the world.)