Is progress happening for you, with your help or in spite of you? Deciding the balance/split for enabling versus blocking is a key metric to evaluate “mission readiness” for a team.
The deadlines, rate of task completion, and volume of work expectation comes from leadership. The success or failure comes from the work itself and the team’s effectiveness in achieving defined success criteria. Scope schedule and budget can and do change but it the individual contribution and mindset for the “work” that tells the true tale. In the results we see whether the story is mostly fiction or non-fiction. Team members MUST be accountable. Leadership MUST be flexible. How we get to the end of the story is a series of waterfall obstacles, rapids/burns, and a lot of rowing and steering. Just keep swimming was good part of Finding Nemo.
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“Culture eats strategy for lunch” is how the one liner reads. It’s true but neither of these is really a thing.
Culture is simply a collection of behaviors and choices made by individuals and groups. Strategy is simply a collection of tactics and choices made by individuals and groups. The whole game here is observing results and perspectives and calling out balls and strikes. Each of us makes choices. It is only by measuring and evolving those choices that our constantly changing culture can inform and support a winning strategy. The bottom line is: choices and behaviors make the winners and the losers. Yes, culture eats strategy for lunch, but I choose my tactics and results follow. The good the bad and the ugly are opportunities for different behaviors. That might just be a cultural strategy. There is no substitute for actual experience at scale and duration when results are required. While historical record is not a foolproof predictor,
it IS likely the best way to predict future outcomes. Youthful vigor and good intentions must be tempered in reality. With truly experienced leaders, the results tell the true tale. #1 Church growth Factor is...
not: Worship Music ( but style matters along with depth and feel...) not: Facilities ( but they matter both for function and look and feel.. not: Preaching (but skill, and practical cultural currency is critical... ) not: Technology (but it matters in rooms, in parking lots, on iPhones, and at home... it cannot be ignored or off the cuff) #1 -->> HOW we, the congregation, interact with PEOPLE matters most of all. Communications TO the people is just a piece of building COMMUNITY... with the PEOPLE. All tied up in circles of 5ths. -- contact me for more information ?? The Pandemic will be over when... (insert success criteria here) ??? The State of Emergency IN VA will be lifted when?(insert success criteria here) ???? The "emergency powers" granted to the supreme chancellor to restrict livelihoods, define essential business, tell us all how to best do what is for the greater good will be restored to the people when... (enquiring minds want to know) the decision teams know the answers, and they don't want to disclose their criteria for fear of being wrong, as they have been, again, and again, and again... Having the power to control makes everything easier, but it is NOT liberty, and it is barely legal.. if at all... What will life for a citizen of the United States, of Virginia, look like when the success criteria are met? the new normal... THAT IS THE REAL QUESTION that leaders are avoiding like the plague.. literally. If the answer is back to normal, then they would already be answering... Instead.. they are ducking and delaying... because their motives have morphed from safety for the greater good, to opportunity to control and "profit" from the crisis... Spreading fear is good for the business of government and it perpetuates dependency and disintermediates churches, family structures, and all of those freedom loving groups... WHEN WILL THINGS BE BACK TO NORMAL...? If the answer is when it is safe, then the real answer is never.. because living is not safe. It is living(right to choose risk, and act accordingly), and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is granted to the individual...not to be restricted by the government, as designated and protected by the Constitution of the United States of America. I sincerely hope that I am wrong. If I am wrong, I will take a full mea culpa lap. I do not believe I am wrong. The outcomes now are mired in a toxic brew of incompetence and malevolent intent... and we the people are losing over and over at every step. THAT is a system problem.. but it is rooted in principals, not principles... I saw this cartoon in local paper this am and it made me think. Pelosi and her cronies are expecting Biden/Harris to win the election. She knows that the 25th amendment is useless to her right now. Instead, I think that the Dem leadership is planning to remove Biden from office and effectively complete a coup for the radical left that the moderates can do nothing about.
solution: Vote Republican. We need to plan ahead. I rarely think that people are dumb or morally corrupt. I often think that they are wrong. There is a big difference.
Who is right is revealed over time with results at scale and duration. It is normal to be wrong, but it is dumb to know it and continue repeating the same decisions over and over and over. People are equal, but ideas and decisions are NOT. The presidential elections cycle has hit its final window of emotional insanity. If you believe that real world relationships are more important than elections, then now is the time to USE THE SNOOZE. Your friends and family are entitled to different views. They may even have radically different views. Your relationship with them is far more important than an election, and the only solution is to work together for a brighter future. Being right is not enough. Don't allow policy disagreements and governing decisions to permanently break the ties that bind. Social media monetization is built around getting US to engage and often fighting is the most profitable method. You can be part of the solution. Read, scroll on.. and when you decide.. USE THE SNOOZE. This is the way to circle back to smiles and fellowship.
How can we as business and community leaders change things in our capitalist system to be more equitable across demographic segments including race, nationality, education, and geography?
Access to capital and customers is the life blood of trade and progress. As trade increases, context is provided for relationships, and community is a natural outcome. Trade is the natural opposition to violence and conflict. Local businesses, owned by local people, buying and selling to local diversity is key. If you want to make a change, provide capital and customers to minority owned and operated businesses. We must STOP waiting for the government to use force to impose equality. Force requires using division to enforce a bureaucratic equity that is too rigid to evolve and succeed. It always fails. People working with people is how things get done and how change occurs. LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL x1000. Capital $ and Customers ;-) Big things are managed by little things. Big problems are solved by many little solutions. There is no easy button and there is no magic bullet. Do the work. Make good decisions. Good BIG things will happen. Keep your eyes on the right prize. This is a big thing.
Luke 16:8-18 MSG [8-9] … God Sees Behind Appearances [10-13] Jesus went on to make these comments: If you're honest in small things, you'll be honest in big things; If you're a crook in small things, you'll be a crook in big things. If you're not honest in small jobs, who will put you in charge of the store? No worker can serve two bosses: He'll either hate the first and love the second Or adore the first and despise the second. You can't serve both God and the Bank. [14-18] When the Pharisees, a money-obsessed bunch, heard him say these things, they rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch. So Jesus spoke to them: “You are masters at making yourselves look good in front of others, but God knows what’s behind the appearance. … Proud to have spent the day with such a fabulous team of Help4School volunteers. The collaboration and communication was astounding. Complex problems have complex solutions. Period. There is no middle ground and our problems with virtual schooling are far deeper than technology. The pain cut to the core of our culture and exposes priorities and choices with unprecedented ferocity. We the people must stand up and choose to change for our future. Everything has changed and the change is permanent. We are not going back. Where are we going exactly? That is a great question. I believe it is all about small group accountability in organic growth and education pods. MicroSchools built and supported by landing zones and central facilities. This fundamental shift is profound and will be costly in every sense. We can use this pop up model to support and encourage organic institutional flexibility from the bottom up. Top down is effectively dying. IMO.
Teaching and teachers are essential. What we are doing now is leaving too many behind. We can do education and inspiration differently. We must do education and inspiration differently. Our youngest generations lives are at stake and ours with them.
Quote of the day. “People in the bubble have no concept of what it is like to be poor.”
They literally can not conceive of the severity of the problems for internet usage and virtual schooling and the fear associated with feeding a family in the middle of this economic catastrophe. Poor people are not dumb. They have often made bad decisions and are in a bad spot. They are not dumb and they are not lazy. They do need some help, but not at the cost of their dignity. The Covid crisis has wrecked our traditional idea of church. We used to focus on massive buildings, and huge groups assembled all at one time in one place, sitting together, consuming together like a restaurant.
To succeed going forward, I believe we need to take some lessons from the past, adapt them at a core foundational level, and step out. In place of signs and huge buildings, we do need parking lots and drive through services. (As a concept). More service to more people is best managed by using our buildings as kitchens. Tools, supplies, appliances, and people are there but the goal is to take the actions out into the parking lot, and even do delivery. We MUST meet people where they are and live with them and consume life and God’s blessings with them. We can no longer expect them to walk through the door and take a seat. Our internet presence and communications capabilities must be primary and funded to help with real-time and non real time connections. We must invest and manage contacts and delivery at scale. We can use our personal experiences to simply answer the question... this is how i do it, no matter the question. No judgement. No question is off limits. Our example aligns with our words and our community sees us as we are. Broken and imperfect but loved and loving. Then they can see Jesus and not just us when they look through the windshield. Soon, they may come through the door and start serving with us. We can help with that and we must. Curb service was always cool. Roller skate and motorcycles and hot rods in the parking lot. It can be again and it can serve the Lord. I believe this is the way. Stuff to consider for voting for leaders - what is best for exactly who???
WHAT are the plans ahead… EXACTLY?
LOCKDOWNS
Every group, family, and relationship has cracks. Here is the thing. When that foundation stone is under intense pressure, it is NOT possible to repair the cracks. If nothing is done, then cracks will widen and eventually the foundations will crumble completely leaving a disaster zone for everything, and everyone connected. The problem to manage is repair, without driving wedges into the cracks and making the problem worse.
In our world today, our families, our churches, our institutions are under immense pressure. Cracks which have been present forever, are being stressed and widened. Many of these “institutions” will suffer catastrophic failures. As a leader in my family, in my church, it is my job to care for the entire system. I seek to repair the cracks, or at least fill them. HOW? First, I use time to remove pressure and then I find the strong pieces, and use them to carry the load for the weaker sections as we add strength. The mortar is love, but the solution requires more than simply loving and accepting. It is a balancing act of stress and relief, communication and care and accountability for change. Understanding the true pillars of the foundation is a required step. For me, that is faith and commitment to God. As a family comes apart, there are flex points.. fulcrums and pressure points. The process is the same for bring one together. We must accept the cracks, and seek to fill them so that we can lift one another and shore up the foundation. Disagreements must not be allowed to move to contempt. Actions and decisions affecting the “whole” must take into account the needs of the individuals. People are equal. Ideas and solutions are not. Decisions and actions separate but they also unite when connected to a shared purpose. Unity of purpose does not require uniformity of action, but it does require a shared understanding and direction. FAMILY. FAITH. These are flawed and cracked… but the foundations rooted in stone, rather than sand will stand the pressure… and by working together, we can find a way to avoid collapse. IF… we choose to do so. For me, it is unacceptable to see the coming failure and do nothing, but doing something must not spread divide and weaken the whole. We must agree on the definition of the whole. Tech and AudioVisual personnel are the new normal linchpins. EVERY institution needs competent, professional, execution and delivery architecture.
$$$ In the RONAreality of 2020+ leaders better pay them and love them and respect them. Period. The response and action plan for conservatives to make America greater.
Honor. Love. Faith. Sacrifice. Awareness and education of history. Reverence for sacrifice and service Respect for rule of law and authority Commitment to community Choice and Liberty coupled with consequences Family and Life in faith over fear. Singing and saying something serious. American lives matter. A hallmark of knowing something important is the ability and willingness to stand up for it in the face of withering criticism. Great change occurs from holding to principles and ideals above practice but a balance is required.
To accomplish change based on what I know, a platform is required. People, processes and tools that pass the test of scale and duration. All of this occurs under the great assault of normalcy coupled with mob insanity opposing. Information and knowledge are far apart in 2020 it seems. Age of service never ended. Only foolish inexperienced leaders treat their customers as commodities. Brand matters. Personal. Institutional. Vested people care. The volunteers in and organization are front line reps.
Not everyone has the ability to look ahead and see what is coming. Caution is appropriate but life is not fair or safe in reality. The sooner that each of us accepts and begins managing this reality mentally and physically, the better off we will be. World views matter. Money runs out and when it does, life becomes traumatic and dangerous.
2 Thessalonians 3:5-10 NLT [5] … An Exhortation to Proper Living [6] And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don't follow the tradition they received from us. [7] For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. [8] We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. [9] We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. [10] Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” … I am very concerned. The US government “gives” its citizenry money in a multi phased bailout strategy. This cannot continue unchecked.
The funds represent an exchange value. This means that products and services are the ACTUAL value. Opening the economy means opening the ability of a free society to trade and exchange value. The US GOVT has virtually NO inherent value. It can only facilitate commerce and control. It is redistributing both NOW. #WakeUpAmerica this fear response, and knee jerk to look for help from the government is NOT American in principle. We must stand up and be counted. We must build and trade actual value. Tax and spend ideology is bipartisan and it is TOXIC. Goal: Growth and spiritual development occur in community and context
"I am amazed again and again how the mastery of successive minute technical details releases floods of spiritual understanding." Robert Shaw in "Dear People" "Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow-creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other." - Mere Christianity CS Lewis Don’t I need to worry about keeping my church intact/alive/functioning?
The institution cannot be considered above the mission... Pharisees thought otherwise... The institution must serve and enable the mission of the one and the many. The institution must serve the one and the many or it must cease to exist. Choices persist and remain every day for each us. Do we choose to sustain the institutions and traditions or the mission? Balance is required of course. BUT, we must beware the call of institutional and collective power over the free will of individuals. Each of us must choose the mission and serve as we are enabled and made. Be. Love. Serve. Repeat. The idea that a meritocracy exists in academia and corporate America is largely fiction. There is a base level of information required and after that long term success is largely about relationships and resources. THAT is reality. #WakeUpAmerica.
Meritocracies only exists in small business and local local local and even then relationships and resources are key. Failure must be an option for merit to differentiate. Life is not fair. The sooner you learn to deal with this, the better off you will be. Doing more does not create successful outcomes. It isn’t enough.
Quality and focus are required for all activity. The assumption that every action is equal in results is a gigantic fallacy. Quality and Quantity are NOT the same thing. Every choice takes a toll and and every action requires resource expenditure. Grown Ups choose and focus. Children want everything and even attempt everything, and ultimately fail and diminish all. Knowing is not enough. Good intentions are not enough. Results are loud and clear markers. Doing the right things in the right amount with focus and excellence is how things change. Church. Family. Business : Strategy is same. QUALITY IS INDEED JOB#1 |
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