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4 steps to effective evaluation

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Much has been written about the process of evaluation. In fact, some people make a pretty good living off of evaluation and the piles of data that it can produce. Because ministry doesn’t move in slow motion, I don’t always have the time to dig into everything as deep as I may like so I’m always looking for clear, simple, and functional tools for effective evaluation. Below are four simple steps you can use to evaluate just about anything, including a weekend service, an event, a meeting or even a team member.

Step #1: Celebrate

Celebration is often overlooked when it comes to the evaluation process. Our tendency is to dive into what didn’t go right and what can be improved upon. However it’s just as important to know what went right, as it is to know what went wrong.  After all, if you want it to go right again you’ve got to identify what went well, because what gets celebrated gets repeated.

Step #2: Correct

We don’t grow without correction. But correction can range anywhere on the scale from “minor improvements” to something was a “complete failure.” During this part of the process it’s important to be as candid as possible in measuring what happened against what you actually set out to accomplish. You can’t speak “ministerially” when participating in evaluation and get anywhere. Great evaluation is hard to come by without a culture of openness, safety, and candor.

Step #3: Clarify

What was confusing and needs clarification? Maybe you had an incredibly creative element planned into your weekend worship service. It was a great idea but it didn’t fit where you put it and it came off feeling awkward or worse, didn’t align with the message. Maybe communication was confusing in a meeting and it resulted in people walking out with competing agendas. What is the one message, action, or idea that you are trying to align everything to and clearly articulate?

Step #4: Create

This is the one all of the creatives were waiting for. At some point in the process you’ve got to ask yourself, “Was there anything missing?” Is there something that needs to be created and built to make whatever it is you’re evaluating more effective? This is where you’ve come full circle in the evaluative process. You’ve gotten on the solution side of things and you’re now working on implementing the next thing that’s going to be evaluated.

This article first appeared as a guest post I wrote for Creative Junket a Creative Arts Blog run by Rick Calcutt.

Posted in Creative Arts, Leadership

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leadership lessons i was reminded of on vacation

Sunday, October 14, 2012

This past week I took some time off to come up for air and hang with the kids while they were on their fall break. We had a great time watching movies, wrestling, playing games, doing yard work (yes I love doing yard work), sleeping in, having fires, fishing, hiking and camping (yes for real tent camping). Below are a couple of leadership lessons I was reminded of while I was relaxing with the family!

A Change of Scenery can Change Your Perspective

It was great getting out of the desert for a bit and hanging out in the trees up at Woods Canyon Lake! It’s funny how many times we forget this simple lesson as leaders but it’s essential to remain healthy and creative as a leader to put ourselves in different environments to keep us looking at things from a fresh perspective.

Enjoy the Journey

It was eerie being woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of elk bugling in the distance (they sound like whales). But that morning when I came out of the tent to get the fire going I was met by 3 elk about 50 yards from our tent. I quickly got the kids out of the tent and we just sat there taking it in for a few minutes before breakfast. If you can’t enjoy the scenery along the journey, you’ll never enjoy the destination once you get there (if you do).

The Right Work can be Refreshing and Gratifying

I know it’s weird, but I love doing yard work. I got to trim the pygmy date palms, overseed the yard and get rid of the weeds in the decomposed granite (all of my friends in the desert understand). When you’re playing the role on the team that you were created for all of the sudden your work becomes satisfying, refreshing, and meaningful.

Always have a Plan-B (and C, D, E, & F)

We ended up leaving the campground a day early due to the weather report; I actually had 1 bar (big shout out to Verizon). Good thing we did because our friends who stayed up there in a RV said they woke up to hail and ice on the ground. Sometimes as a leader you’ve got to know when to go to plan-B, be flexible, and sometimes even call it quits.

Posted in Family, Leadership

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5 keys that can make all the difference when speaking up to your boss

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

For many people talking to their boss can be incredibly intimidating. Especially when they don’t agree with a decision that their boss has made. So, how do you speak to your boss when you don’t agree with them? These 5 keys can make all the difference when you’re speaking up to your boss.

1. Setting

If you disagree with your boss or you’ve got constructive criticism to offer up, then you need to go and discuss it in private with them. Not supporting your boss publicly is the quickest way to lose private influence with them.

2. Commitment

Few supervisors will entertain criticism or disagreement if they question your loyalty. Remember even scriptures talk about the value of the wounds of a friend. Proven commitment over time can earn you the right to be heard.

3. Attitude

The last thing you want is to come across combative, critical, or un-supportive. The attitude you approach your supervisor with can make all the difference. Always “lead with a yes.” Yes we can do “X” but it is going to take “Y.”

4. Timing

When is the right time to approach your boss? Make sure you take into consideration what’s going on in the organization. Are you winning or losing? What is the stress level of the team? What pressure is the team facing? The right thing, at the wrong time, is always the wrong thing.

5. Relational Equity

Simply put, you can’t spend what you don’t have. Go into the “red” too far and you’ll end up with a debt that you won’t be able to repay. If you haven’t earned the right to say it, then don’t.

What have you seen be successful when speaking up to your boss? Leave a comment!

Posted in Leadership

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training with larry osborne part-2 “why some teams win and most lose”

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Yesterday I mentioned that we recently had Larry Osborne come in and spend some time with the Sun Valley Staff. In doing so we intentionally broke the time up into three focuses: time with our Executive team, time with our Elders, and time with our Staff from all 3 campuses. Below is Part-2 of some thoughts and take aways from our time together. Click here if you missed Part-1.

Why Some Teams Win and Most Lose

1. Winning Teams have Winning Players while Losing Teams have Good Players

  • The Top 2 Determining factors of people who look like they’re going to succeed but actually fail:
    • #1 Poor Relationships Skills (they don’t play well in the sandbox with others)
    • #2 Inability to adapt (they could not handle midcourse correction and change)
  • Top 2 Determining factors of successful people:
    • #1 The ability to adapt (experts at midcourse corrections)
    • #2 Strong Relationship Skills

2. Winning Teams Guard the Gate while Losing Teams let Anyone In

  • Never ignore a lack of character because of an abundance of giftedness
  • Never ignore a lack of people skills due to an abundance of bible skills
  • It is not loving to kill the flock while you’re trying to be nice to one lamb
  • Be careful of people of Christian “watch dogs”

3. Winning Teams make Unity a Priority while Losing Teams Treat it as an Afterthought

  • Winning teams deliberately work on chemistry, they don’t take it for granted or assume it will happen
  • Create fun in your team

4. Wining Teams Focus on their Mission while Losing Teams Focus on their Successes

  • Mission Creep = You started with one mission and you are slowly seduced to chase after other missions because some sub-ministries become successful.
  • When it comes to stopping ministries don’t just kill them, you go to jail for killing people. Starve them and let them die a natural death. There is an art to this.

5. Winning Teams Focus on Empowerment while Losing Teams Focus on Tenure

  • Winning teams always have a farms system
  • Losing teams chase excellence (perfectionism)
  • Don’t ask who’s the best, ask who will be the best
  • When tenure rules there’s never room for the young
  • The Freshmen Always get Smaller Principle

6. Winning Teams Adapt for the Future while Losing Teams Long for the Past

  • The good old days aren’t as good as they used to be
  • What worked in the good old days won’t work in the current reality
  • Winning teams embrace the present and pursue the future

7. Winning Teams have a Heart for the Little Guy while Losing Teams Expect Everyone to be a Leader

  • Discipling people is not about making them leaders its about making followers of Jesus
  • When you lose your hear for the little people you begin to use people
  • Jesus didn’t hang around pagans, he hung around “consumer back of the line Christians”
Posted in Leadership

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training with larry osborne part-1 “leadership lids of complexity and competency”

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Like most of you I’ve been a part of churches that have invested large sums of money and time to send their staff to a conference together. I love the fact that many churches are willing to invest in their staff and I love how inspiring conferences can be! In fact I usually walk away with my thinking challenged and a few new ideas to implement. However, I’ve actually found it more economical and effective to bring an expert in to spend more intimate time with our team. The training you get is more personal, customized to your situation, and conversational (you can actually get your specific questions answered). Recently we had Larry Osborne come in to spend time with the Staff at Sun Valley. We intentionally designed for him to invest in our Executive Team, our Elders, as well as a day of training with all of our staff from all three of our campuses. By the way it was great to be able to have a couple of guys from my current Coaching Network sit in on the day of training with our staff! Below are some of my thoughts and take aways from our time together:

Ceilings of Complexity and Competency

1. Every Leader and Every Organization hits a Leadership Ceiling at some point

  • We outgrow our leadership skills
  • We outgrow our organizational structures
  • We can be blindsided by a major cultural shift

2. How to Recognizing Ceilings

  • Any ministry that has stagnant or declining attendance
  • Marked increase in conflict
  • Protecting the Past trumps Creating the Future
  • Revolving Door Syndrome
  • Long term personal spiritual stagnation
  • Mission Creep

3. How to Break through Ceilings

  • These 3 things come natural and are actually a trap:
    • Effort: work harder
    • Efficiency: work smarter
    • Quality: work better
  • What happens when these 3 things don’t work?
    • New Advisors:
      • You have to get outside of your tribe
      • We first go to “me” then we go to “my team” and then we go to “my tribe”
      • All of the solutions to your biggest problems are going to be found outside of your tribe
    • New Expectations:
      • Expectations are really about 3 things you have to give up: Power, Prestige, and Position
    • New Organizational Structures:
      • Address whatever counter productive organizational structures you have (traditions, how you make decisions, etc.)

I’ll post the rest of the notes tomorrow: Part 2 “Why Some Teams Win and Most Lose”

Posted in Leadership
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