EXCEEDING GRACE

His grace is enough because it is exceeding.

OUR ACTIONS

What goes around not only comes around, but also stays around. Spit up and eventually the spit will end up on our head.

Think of the gold-seeker merchant who finds a pond in the desert. After satiating his thirst and replenishing his jugs with water for the remaining of his journey, he poisons the pond to stop other merchants. Yet a little later, his camels spill all his collected water. Unable to refill his jugs, he dies of thirst two days later.

How would we act today if we knew that we would be the recipients of such actions? Act accordingly because we might very well be.

“Our actions are like boomerangs, no matter what, they’ll always come back to us, in one way or another. Act wisely.”

                                                                – Andres Lara

Channels Television (@Channels_TV) tweeted at 6:30 PM on Mon, Aug 25, 2014: Albert Ebosse’s Death: Football League Suspended Indefinitely In Algeria http://t.co/99DeHEEJ4E (https://twitter.com/Channels_TV/status/503957501729992704) Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

5 Must-Have Stages of an Organized Church

Life cycles are a reality for every church. Here’s how to guide your church through the process.

Every organization goes through life cycles. This includes the church. These cycles can be natural or forced, but part of leadership is recognizing them and adapting leadership to them for continued health and growth. Each stage has overlap, but understanding this can help a leader decide how best to lead … which is different in each cycle.

Here are five life cycles of any organization:

1. Birth—This founding period usually involves a few people with a big vision. This is the initial stage where a lot of learning takes place and the organization begins to develop leaders … sometimes by trial and error. Everyone on the team at this point has the potential to become a leader in some area. Having planted a couple of churches, we launched one with one staff member (me), my wife and 20 or so people.
The other was with three staff members, our wives and 11 couples. Each member of both teams was forced to lead areas outside of his or her comfort level, but we gained some of our best leaders that way and several people found a passion they did not know they had. In both church plants, which grew quickly; this stage lasted less than one year.

2. Childhood—A deepening and maturity process begins at this stage, but the organization still has few policies and procedures in place and everything is still “fun,” with the excitement of still being a young vision. New leadership develops and responsibilities spread to new people within the organization. Mistakes are common as the organization figures out its identity.
The DNA of the organization begins to form. The organization begins to recognize its need for more structure. This was a fun stage and time for both church plants. The normal for this stage appears to end in three to five years. (For larger organizations, I assume this could be a longer time frame.)

3. Adolescence—Greater levels of responsibility are handed out to more people and the weight of responsibility spreads within the organization. The organization has had some success at this point and so it begins to take new risks and dream new and bigger dreams. This is a continued growth time and usually full of renewed energy. If the organization is not careful, some of the initial leaders of the organization can begin to experience burnout, and often a loss of power as new leaders emerge.
More developed structure becomes necessary at this point and the organization must begin to think about maintaining growth. Organizations are forced to “grow up” during this stage. It usually happens in the first 10 years, but again, this may depend on the size of the organization.

4. Maturity—At this stage the organization has many experiences of success and some failure and must begin to think through continued growth and health as an organization. The organization needs constant renewal and regeneration to remain current and viable. Leadership has been developed, but the organization begins to plan out succession of leaders.
The structure of the organization is usually well established by this point, but must remain flexible enough to adapt to changes outside the organization. At some point, all organizations enter this phase. All. The goal at this point needs to shift into breathing new life into the organization. (A lot of churches reach this stage and cease to change and grow, often steeped in their own traditions, and this is where plateau begins. Know any who fit this category?)

5. Renewal—This stage almost always has to be forced on an organization. Sad, isn’t it? Either by leadership or for survival purposes, something new must occur or the organization will eventually die or cease to be viable. I am in this stage with a church now. This can be scary for people, but it does not mean the organization must leave its vision, traditions or culture, but it must consider new ways of realizing its potential.
Some will say renewal comes at each stage of the organization’s life cycle and that may be true, but I contend there is a definite stage in a healthy life cycle where an organization improves and almost reinvents itself to continue to experience health and growth.
Another thing to remember is that the speed of an organization’s growth (or the church’s growth) can cause life cycles to complete much quicker. Consider the child who has to face adult decisions early in life and is forced to “grow up fast.” A similar thing happens to organizations.
(These are not my terms. I learned them years ago in a management class. The explanation and application is mine. I realize this is written with secular leadership terms. I have a long background in the business community, but I believe the principles here are directly transferable to the church setting.)

This article was contributed by Ron Edmondson
Ron Edmondson is a pastor and church leader passionate about planting churches, helping established churches thrive, and assisting pastors and those in ministry think through leadership, strategy and life. Ron has over 20 years business experience, mostly as a self-employed business owner, and he's been helping church grow vocationally for over 10 years.

 
If you are a leader of an organization, then you have the awesome responsibility of establishing the parameters by which your organization will be successful.

Now, as I feel the need to say in every post like this, Jesus sets the bar. Period! He is our standard. However, it would be foolish to ignore the fact that God allows people to lead, even in the church. And, as Christian leaders, we set the bar in our church for many of the things that happen in the church.
A mentor of mine always says, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” He didn’t make up the saying, but he’s learned in his 70-plus years of experience how true a statement it is. Are you leading with the idea that you are setting the bar for the people you are trying to lead?

Here are seven ways the leader sets the bar:
1. Vision casting—The God-given vision to the people is primarily communicated by the senior leader. Others will only take it as serious as you do. Keeping it ever before the people is primarily in your hands.

2. Character—The moral value of the church and staff follows closely behind its senior leadership. Our example is Jesus, and none of us fully live out that standard, but the quality of the church’s character—in every major area of life—will mirror closely the depth of the leader’s character.

3. Team spirit—If the leader isn’t a cheerleader for the team, there will seldom be any cheerleaders on the team. Energy and enthusiasm are often directly proportional to the attitude of the leader.

4. Generosity—No church—and no organization for that matter—will be more generous than its most senior leadership. There may be individuals who are generous, but as a whole people, follow the example of leadership in this area as much or more than any other.

5. Completing goals and objectives—The leader doesn’t complete all the tasks—and shouldn’t—but ultimately, the leader sets the bar on whether goals and objectives are met. Complacency prevails where the leader doesn’t set measurable progress as a value and ensure systems are in place to meet them.

6. Creativity—The leader doesn’t have to be the most creative person—and seldom is—but the team will be no more creative than the leader allows. A leader that stifles idea generation puts a lid on creativity and eventually curtails growth and change.

7. Pace—The speed of change and the speed of work on a team is set by the leader. If the leader moves too slow—so moves the team. If the leader moves too fast—the team will do likewise.
Team members will seldom outperform the bar their leader sets for them. Consequently, and why this is so important a discussion, an organization will normally cease to grow beyond the bar of the leader.
Be careful, leader, of the bars you set for your team.

This article was contributed by Ron Edmondson
Ron Edmondson is a pastor and church leader passionate about planting churches, helping established churches thrive, and assisting pastors and those in ministry think through leadership, strategy and life. Ron has over 20 years business experience, mostly as a self-employed business owner.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I CHARGE MY CLIENTS?

Image credit: Shutterstock

For entrepreneurs, pricing is a four-letter word, especially when you are a service-based company.
Since starting my business, figuring out what to charge my customers has been my number-one problem. It is challenging to put a price tag on intangible items such as connections, knowledge and time. Whereas if you are producing a product, setting a price seems a little bit easier because you have very clear numbers to take into consideration, such as cost of manufacturing, packaging, shipping, etc.
Jamie Walker, founder of SweatGuru and Fit Approach, writes: “Determining pricing is one of the toughest things there is to do; its part art and part science.”
When you provide a service, you have to find an intersection between where you feel adequately compensated and what is the highest amount your clients are comfortably willing to pay.

I know, easier said than done. However, here are a few things to think about when it comes to your pricing structure:
Stick to your rate. When I first started fifteen media, I used to accept any rate that new clients were willing to pay me. My mentality was having some work is better than none. I quickly learned that this is no way to grow a business. Working with these lower-paying clients takes away time from higher-paying clients. You should aim for high-quality clients, rather than quantity.
With that being said, Stephanie Abrams and Courtney Spritzer, founders of Socialfly NY, point out situations where you can waiver on your rate: “Stick to your pricing and only make accommodations for strategic business reasons, [which] may include putting a household name on your resume as a client you have worked with, breaking into a new industry/sector and building a new relationship.”

Know what your price is saying about your business. Daniel Lieberman of Cory Vines says it best: “It is important to find the price which sells both value and quality. You don’t want to price something too low and people think it’s poor quality. Find the price which customers know they’re getting value when purchasing your product.”
When providing a service, if you don’t charge enough, you are saying that you aren’t the best at what you do. You don’t want people just to hire you because you are a bargain!
Raise your rates accordingly. Abrams and Spritzer explain, “Don’t be afraid to raise your pricing as your company continues to evolve and build a positive track record.”
As I started to build a more impressive portfolio, I was able to start charging my new clients more. Once I had enough credibility, I also went back to my original clients with a new rate, and most of them agreed to the higher pricing structure because I had been able to prove myself.

Be realistic about costs. We all want to please our clients and show them that we can get the most results in the shortest amount of time. However, the reality is good work takes time and resources.
Alex Weiss, partner at CA Creative, asks herself the following questions when determining the price for new project: “What are CA Creative’s roles and responsibilities each month? How many people from our team will it take to execute this scope? How many assets are we delivering? Do we have to pay for additional resources such as video production or monitoring tools? Clearly defining the answers to each of these questions allows us to determine a fee structure that makes sense, and set clear parameters as to what each service includes.”
If you take the time to really think about what will go into the project, you can give your client a realistic quote. There is no better way to anger a customer than finishing a project and sending an invoice for an higher amount than you initially agreed to
.
Research industry standards. When setting your price, you have to know the ins and outs of your industry. For example, in PR, I pay attention to the amount PR firms are charging their clients, the hourly rates of freelancers and the price of industry tools, such as Cision. You should take all of these into account when deciding on your rate.
Walker, of SweatGuru and Fit Approach, adds, “It’s important to know how your competitors are pricing their product, but even more importantly, why they are pricing their product that way.”
The author is an Entrepreneur contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.

This article was contributed by Rebekah Epstein
Rebekah Epstein is the founder of fifteen media, an agency that works exclusively with PR firms to get more media placements for their clients. She specialized in lifestyle, technology, healthcare and business. She also blogs about the ups and downs of gen-y entrepreneurship at NeonNotebook.

You Can’t Do That in the Pulpit! 7 Nevers

Joe McKeever’s list is pretty clear. And we need to hear it!

You can’t chew gum in the pulpit or bring your coffee in with you. You can’t preach in your pajamas or lead a worship service in your swimsuit.
But you knew that.
However, some pastors do things every bit as silly as this, and as counter-productive, we must say.
Now, in one sense, a pastor can do anything from the pulpit. Once.
But we’re talking about things no right-thinking godly pastor should attempt to do from the Lord’s sacred place of leadership in His church.

1. He cannot recommend a book which has questionable material in it nor condemn a book he has not read.

2. Ditto a movie. Some movies have much to be commended, but by their horrible language and their using Christ’s name blasphemously destroy all the good. The pastor will not want to endorse such a movie even though it has some positive aspects.

3. He cannot bring someone into the pulpit, even for an interview, whose life is a contradiction to the way of Jesus Christ. There may be a forum for the church to host the mayor who has atheistic beliefs or a prominent author of a questionable piece in a way that would not give the impression of endorsing the person’s lifestyle, if that is thought necessary. But a worship service is not the place.

4. He cannot preach that he disbelieves certain Scriptures. Imagine a NASA engineer addressing the astronauts just before their blastoff and informing them that he has no confidence in the integrity of the spaceship, that the onboard computers are untrustworthy or that there are flaws in the design. He ends with, “Nevertheless, you have a good flight.”
If the preacher disbelieves the Bible, let him resign and find an honest way to make a living.
(Note: In the past, when I have said something similar, people have written to argue that they appreciate the transparency of such a minister who would admit to having the same struggles as they. Far from agreeing with them, I find their point of view amazing. I wonder if they would be willing to undergo surgery when the physician doubts his abilities and questions the procedures.)

5. He cannot share with the congregation the personal doubts he struggles with concerning the Lord, or important doctrines such as salvation, the Incarnation, the Trinity, the Virgin Birth and the Atonement. If he has such issues, let him read Psalm 73 a dozen times and take its message to heart, then work out his doubts in private.

6. He cannot tell the congregation that he struggles with porn or lust. Some things are better dealt with privately—or at least between himself, his spouse and a faithful counselor—but never in public.
The pastor who tells his people that he has a lust problem is creating more problems for himself than he can imagine. Every woman in the church will think he’s undressing her when he shakes her hand. When that happens, his ministry has come to an end.

7. A minister cannot rebuke anyone publicly from the pulpit. He cannot call names and slander someone, no matter how strongly he feels.*
Again, he may do it, but not and retain the respect of Christians who know the word and reverence His name. Mean-spirited preachers will always have their defenders, but this does not make it wise or right.
Let the preacher honor His Lord, reverence His calling and bless His people.
Let the preacher never forget he has not been called to “share his heart” with his people but to “preach the Word” (II Timothy 4:2).
Let the preacher not fall prey to the temptation to be transparent to the point that he lays stumblingblocks in the paths of his people.
Let the preacher say to himself a hundred times a day, “This is not about me; this is about Jesus Christ” (see 2 Corinthians 4:5).
Let the preacher with overwhelming doubts have enough integrity to a) get help, b) stay on his knees, c) not preach his doubts, and d) get out of the ministry if the doubts and questions remain unresolved.
We will all stand before the Lord and give account.
Let none of us have to account for having caused God’s people to stumble.

*Postscript: When ChurchLeaders.com published this article, several readers were quick to take issue with #7, not calling names from the pulpit. They said I am contradicting I Timothy 5:20 which reads “Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all….”
My response: a) The previous verse says Paul is referring to elders in the body, not to the world at large, which was what I had in mind (although I wasn’t clear on that). b) My concern is irresponsible preachers who attack celebrities, politicians, etc., by name, committing slander (a word I did use). There is no place for that in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are sent as bearers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, not as Old Testament prophets off to Samaria to confront wicked Jezebel and good-for-nothing Ahab. c) Might there not be exceptions to #7? Of course. We can probably think of a possible exception to every one of these. As the saying goes, “Every rule has its exceptions, including this one.”

This article was contributed by Dr. Joe McKeever
Dr. Joe McKeever is a preacher, cartoonist and the retired Director of Missions for the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans. Currently he loves to serve as a speaker/pulpit fill for revivals, prayer conferences, deacon trainings, leadership banquets and other church events. Visit him and enjoy his insights on nearly 50 years of ministry at JoeMcKeever.com.

7 PRINCIPLES FOR SETTING GOALS THAT WORK

How do you make change happen? More than that, how do you make the right change happen? When there is a gap between what is and what you want to be, how do you cross that gap?
This is where we enter the realm of goals.

In my first job out of graduate school, I was given a massive task that was far beyond anything I had been prepared for: redesign the entire website for the major ministry I worked for—while launching a nationwide radio program and keeping several other initiatives in motion as well.
So how did I keep things together? I learned about setting goals.
At first, I got all caught up in all the different types of goals we encounter, and the detailed (and sometimes overly complex!) processes for defining our goals.
Fortunately, I came to discover that more important than the particular process we use to set our goals are some fundamental principles that can help us identify the right goals in the first place.
With those principles, I set our goals for the website redesign. When we released the site, it was a turning point for our ministry and our primary website metrics quadrupled within four months. I’ve since used these principles whenever I need to set goals (which is a lot!—I set yearly goals, annual goals, weekly goals, and much more), and they have never let me down.
So no matter what types of goals you are setting or for what time frame, here are seven core principles for setting goals that will help you make a bigger difference and get you to a place you actually want to be.

1. First ask “what needs to be done?”
Goals are about making a contribution. Therefore the first question you need to ask is not “what do I want to do?” but rather “what needs to be done?” Asking this question first focuses our attention on contribution rather than simply activity or what will serve ourselves.
The point here is not that our own interests don’t matter. They do matter—immensely. The issue is the end towards which you direct your interests. When setting goals, you need to ask first what outcomes your family needs, what outcomes your organization needs, and what outcomes your community needs, not first what outcomes you need. You need to put your interests in the service of others, not first yourself (see Philippians 2:4-5).

2. Then ask “where can I contribute best?”
When you ask the question of what needs to be done, there will almost always be more than one good answer. This is where you take into account what you are passionate about, your strengths, your interests, and what you want to do. When there is more than one thing that needs to be done, choose the one that is most in line with your interests, skills, and strengths.
The relationship between what needs to be done and what energizes you is iterative—thinking through each side can affect the other. What you are looking for is the overlap. Except for extreme cases (emergencies where there is no other option), don’t compromise here.

3. Ask “what are the constraints?” last, not first.
Most people put this question first, and that’s what ends up creating so many problems in the long run. This question must be last, not first, because as Peter Drucker points out, you will almost always have to compromise something—and you can never know what the right compromises are unless you first know the ideal state you are aiming toward.
Don’t limit yourself right out of the gate. Compromises will have to be made, but unless you start out with the ideal outcome, you will always make the wrong ones.

4. Aim high and lead.
Don’t simply jump on the bandwagon, and don’t be drug down by people with a militant commitment to mediocrity. Set large goals and make big plans.

5. Keep your goals aligned with your mission and values.
This is what discipline is. Discipline is not necessarily doing less, but making sure that all that you do is in line with your mission and values—especially for organizations.
In fact, many organizations that look disciplined because they seem to be very focused are actually very undisciplined, because their focus is not being determined by their mission and values. Don’t settle for mere appearances of discipline by simply doing less. Be truly disciplined by focusing on the things that embody and reflect your mission and values.

6. Re-consider all of your goals each time you accomplish a goal.
After accomplishing a goal, if you simply do what’s next on your list, you run the risk of being held captive to the priorities of yesterday. Therefore, always reconsider your priorities before setting a new goal, rather than simply doing what’s next on the list.

7. Pursue justice and mercy in your goals.
Goals have a reputation of being about how we can make our own lives better. But that is not the life of greatest meaning and significance. The life of greatest meaning is when we use all that we have to take initiative for the good of others—even to the point of making plans for their welfare.
Setting goals for using any influence we have to go the extra mile and bring benefit to those in need is a fantastic way to do this—and a great privilege. It helps us ensure that we are setting goals that really count and will really be meaningful in the end.

This article was contributed by Matt Perman

Starting a Business: The New ‘Safe’ Career?

Is it really that big a gamble to start your own business? Compared with other options, maybe not.

You know the stereotypical image: An entrepreneur risks it all in a gamble to get a business started. It’s tremendously hard work–but is it really all that risky? Sometimes what seems safe is, in reality, far riskier.
The “Safer” Options

José María Cobián, an experienced entrepreneur in Spain, recently wondered about the number of university graduates in his country thinking of trying for a public sector job. About 60% are considering whether to take the qualifying exam. Only 1.6% entertain an entrepreneur’s path.
And yet, according to research that Cobián quotes, five years out, only a fifth of the people who actually pass the exams get jobs in the public sector, and the annual success rate in the examinations is only 2%. Those numbers came before the current austerity measures that will mean fewer positions and less certainty. Public service is hardly more reliable and welcoming in the U.S., where government keeps trying to downsize and there is tremendous contention between management and labor. Just look at the turmoil in the Chicago public schools.
Are big corporations safer than starting your own company? For years, when asked about the dangers of working on my own and not as a corporate employee, I’ve always answered that given the economic climate and potential for layoffs, it seemed to me that full-time employees were the ones at risk. All their eggs are in one basket.

Where the Jobs Really Are
Look at the hiring trends. New jobs aren’t increasing at a breakneck pace, and the number of people who are disappearing from the unemployment rolls because they’ve given up on finding something has been on the increase. Furthermore, how many companies scale back on benefits and pay over time? What good is it if a large company can retroactively limit your retirement benefits, health care coverage, or other important aspect of living?

As Cobián also points out, if you want a new opportunity, small companies are largely the way to go. According to the Kauffman Foundation, young firms less than five years old are the real job creators in the U.S. In fact, at least in 2009, if you factored out young companies, the net number of jobs decreased. Small businesses can do this because they’re growing and need the help.
Job security is long gone in the world. Big companies are shrinking their workforces where and how they can. So which is really riskier: trusting your fate to a corporate entity, or taking matters into your own hands so no single employer/customer can undermine your financial welfare? If you’re like me, the answer is clear.
This article was contributed by Erik Sherman

The Employee Data You Should Be Tracking

In the startup world, it’s important to be up on the latest and greatest. (Think “big data” and wearables.) But be careful that you don’t neglect the tried and tested: Let’s talk turnover.
I see eyes glazing over already. When you have only 60 employees (and even more so when you have only 10 employees), you may think that you know not only all the employees’ names but their favored pizza toppings and whether they have a significant other. You don’t need a percent or ratio to tell you about turnover–you know where every employee who left went.
Except you’re wrong. You need numbers. It’s precisely because you do know these people, inside and out, that you need cold, hard numbers. Numbers that don’t have a face to them.
Why? Because people lie. Unless you have a particularly volatile staff for which screaming is common place, no one says, “Gee, boss, the reason I’m leaving is that you’re a micromanaging twit.” Someone says, “Oh, my word, I’m so sad to be leaving, but this new opportunity just fell into my lap! I couldn’t say no.” So, you file that away in a “Lucky for him!” category in your brain and neglect to ask the question: Why did he go looking for a new job in the first place?
Though headhunters call all the time, your employee needs a reason to listen to them. And many of these opportunities that just “fell” into laps were strongly pursued. So how do you look at turnover when you’re a startup? Here are five tips:

1. Don’t panic about high percentages. Don’t unleash a screaming fit on your chief marketing officer when the marketing department has 33 percent turnover in one year if turnover for the past five years was zero, and there are three people in the department total and one left. If you have 33 percent turnover every year for three years in a row in that three-person department, it’s far more likely that there’s a problem.

2. Let length of service also factor in. In startup culture, you’ll have a lot of new people on board. That goes with the nature of startups. How long are they staying? If people are booking it out the door in six months, it’s not because Silicon Valley is a tough market for keeping good people. It’s because your management stinks. Sorry. Changing jobs is a huge pain, and people don’t do it after six months for small bumps in salary. There needs to be something more for someone to go through the stress of seeking out and interviewing for a new job.

3. Consider who is losing the talent. You might be tempted to lump all numbers together; after all, you know everyone. But unless you’re really small, there are multiple managers. Is one manager losing people at a much faster rate than the others? And look at internal turnover as well. Are people fleeing Bob’s department? Is that because Bob is an excellent talent finder and developer, and he brings people in and prepares them to take on different roles? Or is that because Bob is a jerk?

4. Don’t seek zero turnover, either. Zero percent turnover sounds awesome. Everybody loves working for your company! And this may well be the case when it’s just your close team members, but as your company expands, turnover at zero means you’re probably doing something wrong. Why? Because no company can hire perfectly all the time. And though perfect jobs don’t generally magically appear, sometimes they do.
You don’t, actually, want to be the company that no one wants to leave, ever, because you never get the good type of turnover. And what is the good turnover? When someone who isn’t a star performer leaves. Or, even, when someone who is a good employee, but is extremely annoying, leaves. You want that. It saves you having to deal with discipline and firing and such.
So, why are these people who clearly aren’t a good fit staying forever? It probably has something to do with the size of their paycheck and the slacker nature of your management. If you’re not giving needed feedback to low performers, they have no reason to realize they aren’t good. They don’t know that they aren’t performing up to par, and that they might be better off somewhere else. It can also be that you’re overpaying your low performers so that, try as they might, they can’t find somewhere that can fill their bank accounts.

5. Start looking at the numbers now. And start making changes based on what you see. You want to look for patterns and solve the problems that come up. Even when someone awful quits voluntarily, it’s a reminder that you need to tweak your hiring standards. Sometimes, nothing needs to be done–some turnover is normal. But you can only know that if you look at the numbers.
This article was contributed by Suzanne Lucas

7 “BE’s” of Effective Leadership and Management

Here ere are principles for being effective whether you lead or manage a large or small organization — or church .

One of the chief goals of this blog is to encourage better leadership. In this post, I’m including the term management. I believe the two are different functions, but both are vital to a healthy organization. Whether you lead or manage a large or small organization — or church — there are principles for being effective.

Be aware – Know your team. People are individuals. They have unique expectations and they require different things from leadership. Some require more attention and some less. Use personality profiles or just get to know them over time, but learn the people you are supposed to be leading or managing.

Be open – Let them know you — as a person outside of the role as leader or manager. Be transparent enough that they can learn to trust you.

Be responsive – Don’t leave people waiting too long for a response. They’ll make up their own if you do — and it’s usually not the conclusion you want them to reach.

Be approachable – You can’t be everything to everyone, and you may not always be available, but for the people you are called to lead or manage, you need to be approachable. They need to know if there is a problem — or a concern — you will be receptive to hearing from them. I realize the larger the organization the more difficult this becomes, but build systems that allow you to hear from people at every level within the organization.

Be consistent – Over time, the team you lead or manage needs to know you are going to be dependable. The world is changing fast. It’s hard to know who to trust these days. We certainly need to be able to trust people we are supposed to follow.

Be trustworthy – Follow through on what you say you will do. If you make a promise — keep it. If you can’t support something — say it. If you’re not going to do it — say no. Let your word be your bond. Spend time building and protecting your character. Be the quality of person you would want to follow.

Be appreciative – Recognize you can’t do it alone. Be grateful. Be rewarding. Celebrate. Love others genuinely and display it well.

What would you add? Upon which of these do you most need to improve?

DEFINING QUALITIES OF WORST MANAGERS

Here’s a wakeup call: 75% of employees who leave their jobs are actually quitting their boss or manager. This is a case of “it’s not them, it’s you.” It may be easy to point the finger and assume that you aren’t the issue, but the truth is that with numbers like that, there’s room for improvement across the board.
The truth is that most manager want to be good at their jobs, they want to be effective leaders, but they are oblivious to what they’re doing that turns employee off. Want to know why your bright-eyed, go-getter employees are heading toward the nearest exit? Here are six ways your management could be failing.

1. Your mood shifts with the tides
You are human, so it’s OK to have bad days. Employees can forgive a manager’s ill mood here and there, but making a habit of unpredictable swings will only make you more unapproachable. I once had a boss that we called “The Bear”; most people assumed he earned this nickname due to his large stature. We actually called him that because you were never sure if you were getting a teddy bear or a grizzly bear from day to day. That guy was all over the place!
Part of being a leader is gaining the trust of those who are supposed to follow you. When an employee can’t trust that you will be open to hearing positives and negatives of a project or situation, problems will fly under your radar or never be reported. If an employee never really knows what to expect, then communication, engagement and innovation will suffer.
Above all, learn humility. You are allowed to make mistakes, so be prepared to own up to them.

2. Helicopter manager
Much like the parent, a helicopter manager is one who micromanages the deliverables of an employee. While it’s understood that a manager is to be included in big decisions, to expect everything to fly past your eyes is a waste of your time and the company’s money.
Managers should be aware of what everyone is doing in the office without knowing all the intricate details. Employees are given tasks because they have the knowledge to handle them. At Red Branch Media, we adapted the Directly Responsible Individual concept. Establishing a DRI grants room for employees to work on projects while still holding one person accountable when things don’t get done.

3. Office bully
Who would have guessed that intimidation and belittlement would have negative effects on morale? The professional world can be competitive. As people work their way to the top, attitudes and insults are often brought to the floor. Fear may work as a motivator for a little while but eventually, all it will inspire your employees to do is change their occupation.
It is a manager’s job to curb this type of issue and not be the one causing it. You will not like everyone you work with (that’s life), but a manager should be aware that they were given their position in hopes that they were able to meet such challenges. Be the bigger person and set a positive example and standard.

4. Not friend, not parent — boss
One of the best arts of being in an office is building a sense of camaraderie and allowing that to fuel production. That said, there is a time and place when those friendships should stop and a professional relationship should begin.
A managerial staff should be pleasant with subordinates without allowing for easily misconstrued favoritism. The blurred friend/boss line can make for a difficult conversation when addressing problems or situations that are likely to come about. If there becomes a time that a manager is uncomfortable with speaking to an employee due to how close they are outside of work, business could be compromised elsewhere.

5. The Bill Lumbergh
Bill Lumbergh in “Office Space” wasn’t the first boss to expect work on the weekend “to play catch up,” and he probably won’t be the last. People are working more. A lot more. Like 11 hours more a week than we did in the 1970s.
We’ve all worked with one or two Lumberghs who proceeded to send e-mails after work hours, on the weekend and expected immediate responses. It wasn’t fun. The time managers and employees are away from the office is important to health and productivity, so if you could go ahead and let a break be a break, that’d be great. Thaaanks.

6. Your glass is never half-full
Employees make mistakes and when they do, it is a manager’s job to address and handle the problem appropriately. That can be hard for some managers (ahem, the Friend Boss), but when a higher up completely passes over wins, you have another issue.
No one wants to work for someone who never notices the good work that comes off of his or her desk. Engagement will take a massive hit if employees don’t believe they can do anything right from the start. Managers should be able to not only handle issues, but also hand out earned compliments.

This article was contributed by Maren Hogan
Maren Hogan is a seasoned marketer and community builder in the HR and recruiting industry. She leads Red Branch Media, an agency offering marketing strategy and content development.

BENEFITS OF CRYING & SHEDDING TEARS

Human beings have the tendency to offload their sorrows and frustrations through crying and shedding of tears. Crying is a common human experience and has been a part of every culture and civilization throughout history. Traumatic events, loneliness, prolonged stress, loss of life and property, pain, and daily hassles of life often trigger the process of crying. Many times, people drop tears of joy, happiness, and relief. Although crying occurs due to feelings of sorrow and distress, but once the process of crying is over, they experience a good feeling of releasing unpleasant emotions. Research done on the effects of crying indicates that in most instances, crying is quite beneficial to the human minds and body.

Crying is one of the people’s most effective emotional outlets. People can easily express how they feel, whether they are happy or sad by bursting into tears. Crying is really an effective way to let it all out. At times, it is even better than laughing because when you express yourself through letting your emotions go, you are helping yourself to face the pain and move on. There are some instances when people cry because of extreme happiness or what they call “tears of joy.”
One of the most common misconceptions of people is that crying shows and symbolizes weakness. You are not weak when you cry. On the contrary, crying makes you more human because you are not afraid to show your emotions.
When people cry, they are helping themselves to clear their minds and emotions. However, we should all know that crying is just one of the stages in resolving our problems. It is not an overnight solution. In fact it is not an actual solution. Tears can only help you feel better and ease your burden.
The action of crying itself releases stress relieving hormones which make us feel better. That also kind of explains why people feel more calm and refreshed after shedding some tears. Crying opens the lungs, cleans and exercises the eyes and softens the temper. Crying releases emotional tensions and has a beneficial effect on both the mind and body. Females do seem to produce psychic tears more frequently than men possibly due to habits and a greater level of emotions. Crying is perhaps the easiest and fastest way to release emotional pain.

The many benefits of crying include:
1. Removes toxins form the body.
Crying helps the body to get rid of waste material, toxins and other harmful substances from the body. These substances would otherwise remain inside and might cause harm to the internal system. Though it may sound odd, yes, it is definitely true. Crying is one of the best ways to clear and clean the eyes. If you let tears flow, you will also remove dirt that cannot be removed by just washing the eyes from the outside.

2. Preventing the occurrence of depression.
Most people get depressed because their emotions could not be expressed at the right time and got suppressed inside their minds. Crying prevents the suppression of personal emotions and is one of the healthiest ways to come out of them. Crying also improves the state of people who are already depressed and make them feel better. Crying is the best outlet of pain. Instead of doing negative things, you can just cry to ease your pain and to save your heart and mind from unending sorrow and misunderstanding.

3. Lifts your mood:
If your mood is low due to physical or emotional pain, crying stimulates the release of endorphins. These are hormones which help to elevate mood and also act as pain killers. Due to the release of these hormones people usually feel better after crying.

4. Beneficial for the eyes.
The tear glands present in the eyes continuously produce tears in small quantities. Blinking of the eyes spread these tears evenly over the surface of eyes. This helps in cleaning and lubrication of the eyes.

5. Prevents bacterial growth.
Tears contain a chemical component known as Lysozyme. This chemical inhibits the growth of bacteria on the surface of the eyes. Some portions of tears that come out of the eyes evaporate, but remaining tears through the tear duct drain into the nose. These help to keep the nose moist and lysozyme present in the tears inhibits the growth of bacteria inside the nose.

6. Helps in relaxation.
Once a person stops crying, the body shifts from a high arousal state to state of relaxation. Heart rate and breathing slows down, sweating decreases and person feels more relaxed. The state of relaxation lasts for a longer duration than the moments spent in crying.
So next time when you are unhappy stressed or depressed, find a friend’s shoulder and cry for some time. It will not only reduce your unhappiness and stress, but also make you positive towards solving the issue.

How to Win the Spiritual Jackpot

 

How do you take hold of your own spiritual jackpot?

Everybody wants to win a jackpot, right? When PowerBall numbers start to soar, even the most skeptical of us consider going out to buy a ticket. “What would we do with a million or a multimillion dollar jackpot?” we ask ourselves.

But what if I told you that a jackpot was possible for you—not a financial jackpot, necessarily, but a spiritual jackpot? It’s possible and accessible for you right now, today.

Would you believe me?

Abram is an example from the scriptures of someone who embraced his spiritual jackpot. God chose Abram to be the father of his people, to lead and shepherd them in a specific way, and the way Abram responded to this call on his life made him the recipient of what I would call a spiritual jackpot.

How do you take hold of your own spiritual jackpot?

There are four things Abram did really well, and I think we have a lot to learn from his example.

1. Listen to God’s promises.

The first thing Abram did was listen to the promises of God.

Check out Genesis 12:1-4 and you’ll see how God promised to make Abram into a great nation, to bless him, and that he would make him “a blessing.” These are some pretty huge promises! Yet Abram doesn’t question God.

He doesn’t worry or fret.

He accepts the promise and expects it to come to fruition.

How often does God promise us something, and we refuse to accept it? Has this ever happened to you? Maybe you sense God is promising you something, but it doesn’t seem logical, or it doesn’t seem to line up with your current circumstances, so you dismiss it as nonsense.

The first step to receiving God’s blessing is accepting his promises as true. No logic or reason necessary.

It doesn’t matter if you think you “deserve” it. He is able to do far beyond what we could ask or imagine.

2. Respond to God’s promises (without question).

In response to God’s promise, Abram leaves his father and family and goes out, just like the Lord tells him to, in the exact direction he was instructed.
Genesis 13 tells us that God blessed his family as they went, which is always a happy benefit; but notice Abram doesn’t second-guess what God has asked him to do.
He doesn’t try to figure out all the details ahead of time.
He simply trusts that, if God has called him in this direction, God will provide.
This is so hard for us, don’t you think?
When God calls us to do something, it’s so easy to let fear get in the way. We fear a tainted reputation; we fear an empty bank account; we fear the pain we’ll encounter along the way. But what if we just trusted? What if we counted on God to provide?

3. Trust in God’s promises.

It’s not enough to listen to God’s promises, or to act on them. We have to trust in God’s promises.
If you read the rest of Genesis 14, you’ll see how Abram’s trust in God didn’t falter, even when things didn’t seem to go as planned. At one point, Abram turns down what would seem like a huge blessing from the King of Sodom.
He doesn’t need the blessing from Sodom.
He’s expecting a blessing from God.
How many of us are willing to turn down what seems like a huge, earthly blessing in exchange for the heavenly blessing we know is coming?
Is our trust really in God’s promises, or is it in the financial or material “blessings”

4. Give the credit to God.

At the end of the day, when Abram receives his blessing, he doesn’t take the credit for himself.

Scripture says, “Abraham believed the Lord and he credited to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)

Abram didn’t need to take any credit for the blessings he had received.

He had hit the jackpot.

How many of you feel like you’ve hit the jackpot simply by being in a relationship with Jesus?

Is it possible you’re missing the power and blessing possible in your life because you’re looking for them in the wrong place?

Maybe the “jackpot” you really want has been right in front of you this whole time. 

This article was contributed by Scott Wilson

Scott Wilson is the Senior Pastor of The Oaks Fellowship, ministering to about 3,000 people every week in Dallas, TX. He is a frequent conference speaker, and provides mentorship for dozens of pastors and church leaders through Scott Wilson Consulting. Scott is a loving husband and proud father. Scott and his wife, Jenni, have three boys: Dillon, Hunter, and Dakota.