Strategic Thinking
February 24, 2010 : Filed under Mentoring, Women in Leadership
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed [Luke 5:16]
Sometimes the noise and confusion of this 21st century is so great we don’t even know what questions to ask and, without the right questions, we never get the right answer. Just when you think you have the answer, the question changes. Maybe this will help.
In their excellent book on leadership, Hope is Not a Method, General G. Sullivan and Michael Harper tell a remarkable story about Lt. H. Moore in Vietnam. Lt. Moore’s battalion was surrounded by the Viet Cong and was outnumbered five to one. Moore’s troops fought with remarkable bravery for 4 or 5 straight days. Eventually, both sides claimed victory.
In the extensive debriefing after the battle, it was reported that from time to time Moore seemed to just withdraw—blocking everything and everyone out. When his concerned superiors questioned him about his behavior, Moore replied that he was in fact trying to block everything out so that he could ask himself the following three questions: 1) What is happening? 2) What is not happening? 3) What can I do to influence this action? These three questions went on to become a simple but effective grid for the U.S. Army’s strategic thinking. Obviously, Jesus had the same problem and solution at times–to withdraw. As a soldier in the army of God, this is good strategic thinking for us to follow whenever the battle rages.
Remember if the battle is on and you are struggling: 1) Draw aside with Jesus. 2) Block out everything and everyone. 3) Ask these three questions and you will be amazed at the wisdom and clarity of decisions you make.
Related Reading: James 1:5 Proverbs 22:17-19.
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Diane Hale
For the past 30 years, Diane has served as evangelist, trainer, teacher, mentor, and consultant for churches of many denominations.
http://dianehale.net/
You’ve Got Mail
January 14, 2010 : Filed under Mentoring, Women in Leadership, Workplace
Is your inbox overflowing?
How does a busy woman stay on top of email without falling beneath its weight and volume? Here are a few quick and fast rules to control inbox clutter instead of it controlling you.
* Delete all junk email without opening. Do not waste your time.
* Touch an email only once if possible. Do you recall this tip from snail mail organization? It works the same for cyber mail too. If the email requires thought or additional time to gather information, respond with a quick reply. Some advise closing the email and letting it sit with no response until you are ready. This is ignoring the issue and while not professional, it will just result in further problems down the road. Even if it involves a difficult situation, a quick response can be as simple as:
“Thank you for your email. Let me think on this issue and get back with you in _______.”
Be honest and state your response time in terms of hours, days, or months. Save the email as new and move on to the next one. The sender will appreciate your courtesy and you will have the time you need.
* When composing a difficult email never, ever put any address in the Send To box other than your own. How many horror stories have we heard of entire address books receiving private correspondence or someone receiving an email that was more about letting off steam than finding a solution? By placing your email address in the Send To box you will safeguard against any slip. It will allow you the time to compose, edit, and tweak priority emails without worry. Any slip will find the email back in your inbox and not everyone else’s.
* When time is tight, save all blog and newsletter emails to folder called To Read. This will clean out your email box and place reading material in one location for easy retrieval.
* If email requires the input of others who are in the information loop, save time by copying your reply to those involved instead composing numerous separate emails.
By responding quickly and using the delete button liberally, you will bring order to a overflowing inbox and put yourself back in charge.
Practice is Over–It’s Time to Start Leading
August 19, 2009 : Filed under Mentoring, Women in Leadership
When I worked for a printing company I was asked to learn a new part of the business–stripping. No, not that kind of stripping. This is the process of taking artwork, making a negative, and preparing it to be made into a metal plate for the printing press.
During my training period my supervisor would say, ‘Here Kellie, practice on this negative and I’ll check it.’ Slowly she gave me more and more work, but continued to use the word practice. As a result I did not see myself as having mastered the skill–I was in a perpetual state of learning. One day a frustrated co-worker (who wanted to relinquish this pre-press job to me) said, ‘Well when’s practice work going to be over?’ I was embarrassed and I think my supervisor was too. She had failed to move me from practicing to taking full
responsibility for the job.
In the arena of leadership it is easy to fall into a continual state of learning without fully stepping into the responsibility. There comes a time to close the leadership books and pull back on conference attendance to concentrate on actually leading. Whether it is ministry or marketplace endeavors, the key to leadership is leading.
Practice happens on the job with success and failure. It’s easy to depend too heavily on others or even put off taking the full reins of leadership when we are new and uncertain. A period of acclimating to a new position is understandable but as leaders our eyes must be on the big picture of full leadership. The longer a leader avoids full responsibility, the more discouraged and even frustrated those in our organization will become. Whether in the ministry or marketplace, the Lord has given us the power of His Holy Spirit to direct and lead us. All too often in the early days of leadership, it is easy to depend on the seminars and books for direction. The problem is the more we depend on learning about leadership in place of on-the-job training, we can easily replace the Lord’s voice with the drive to mimic others who have realized leadership success.
To avoid falling into the busyness trap of always learning and never leading, keep these points in mind.
Keep God first. God is our supreme authority. He has given us His Word to guide us daily. Prayer is the most important thing a leader can do. If God is not directing, then do not do it. And do not move until He does. Study the life of Daniel who would serve no other God.
Despise God’s Word and find yourself in trouble. Obey it and succeed. Proverbs 13:13 (NLB)
Be humble. Probably the number one stumbling block for leaders is pride. It is deadly in leadership. The godly characteristic to have is humbleness. True leaders are those who do not trumpet themselves. Study the life of Joseph. As a young man he was a prideful tattle-tell. Start out with humbleness!
Pride leads to arguments; be humble, take advice and become wise. Proverbs 13:10 (NLB)
Work. Nehemiah is an excellent example of godly leadership. Not only did God give him the strategy for rebuilding the wall, but Nehemiah rolled up his sleeves and worked along-side the people. In the marketplace or church ministry, people will only follow leaders who lead by example. Setting yourself apart from the people you lead will cause them to remove you as their leader emotionally or physically in the long run.
Do you know a hard-working man? He shall be successful and stand before kings!
Proverbs 22:29 (NLB)
Avoid yes people. The natural inclination is to surround ourselves with those who will cheer us on at all costs. There is a place for those people in our lives, but when it comes to leadership the qualifications for an inner circle must be honesty and accountability. I learned this the hard way early on when I overheard a team member say they could get me to do what they wanted in a situation because I always listened to them. Yes people have underlying motives such as pride, control issues, deception, flattery, or maybe their own agenda. If you only get high fives and pats-on-the-back, it’s probably time to find a new inner circle. Seek the wisdom of those who are older, wiser, and have already walked the road you are on. If you are married, listen to your spouse. Our spouses will tell us the truth–whether we like it or not–that can protect us and help us to avoid problems.
If you profit from constructive criticism you will be elected to the wise men’s hall of fame. But to reject criticism is to harm yourself and your own best interests. Humility and reverence for the Lord will make you both wise and honored. Proverbs 15:31-33 (NLB)
Know who you are leading. Pretending your group is a different set of people does not work. The Lord placed those we lead with us for a reason. Get to know them and petition the Lord on their behalf. As leaders we should be their biggest cheerleader and intercessor. In the marketplace this could be a sales team of 10 to 12, in the ministry it could be a women’s group of several hundred. Get to know them all. The old adage is true: people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
A true friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. Proverbs 17:17 (NLB)
Kind words are like honey–enjoyable and healthful. Proverbs 16:24 (NLB)
Leadership is both a marvelous gift and awesome responsibility. As leaders our focus must be on doing God’s work and not dragging ourselves or our organization down by not stepping fully into our role as leaders.
From Distraction to Order
August 6, 2009 : Filed under Mentoring, Women in Leadership
Beba Schlottmann
Some years ago I wrote a poem about distractions. At the time I was in the middle of a busy schedule and felt as if I was going to lose my mind. Instead of lashing out at those around me out of frustration or having a breakdown, I put my thoughts to ink and paper. Journaling has proven to be a helpful approach for me during times of stress over the years.
It is amazing how much you can encourage yourself by simply taking time to organize the thoughts and emotions that could easily influence how you deal with life. When you have order in your life things seem to fall into place and God’s voice is clearer. But let’s be honest, order does not come easily for those of us who are constantly on the go.
I do not claim to have a magical prescription for a stress-free life, but here are my top five suggestions for a more stress-free daily routine:
Do not neglect your devotional time. You can do all things through Christ and He is more than willing to help you get through everything but you need to spend time with Him for guidance, direction, and order. I cannot think of a more peaceful time than when I am at the feet of the Master enjoying His presence.
Work on a personal schedule. If you work on getting yourself on a schedule, you will find things will slowly become less chaotic in every aspect of your life. There are many ways to develop a schedule. Choose a system such as a calendar, day planner, cell phone (many cell phones now have calendar and organizational software), among others. I meet regularly with my family to schedule chores and important dates. I thoroughly go through the calendar in order for everyone to understand what my time limitations will be at specific times, and it helps keep everyone on task.
Ask for help. One thing we fail to do many times is simply to ask for help. If you have older children living at home, have them help younger ones in order to free you up for other things that need to get done. Train your older children to cook, wash, and do things that usually super mom is expected to do. Ask friends to come and help with one-time big projects (you will be surprised how much people enjoy helping out each other). Ask your husband to help lighten the load without adding more stress to his own schedule. Remember, the point is to have order not chaos.
Take regular time-outs. Do not just take a time out when you feel upset or overwhelmed, but make it a habit. Take time out just to be by yourself for the purpose of doing absolutely nothing but relaxing.
Have fun! Who says your daily schedule has to be all work and no play? When I do my least favorite chore (laundry), I put on rocking music and sing along. I even throw in a few dancing moves here and there! You could put in your ear piece and make phone calls while you clean house–that is the hitting two birds with one stone approach.
Meditate on these scriptures as you develop your schedule:
Psalm 18:32
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
Psalm 22:19
But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.
Psalm 28:8
The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
Distractions
Beba Schlottmann
Distractions, distractions, distractions
Just like yesterday, they are here again
No matter the time of day, shape or form
They’ll drag me out of my comfort zone
A needy friend that just couldn’t wait
A pile of bills that must be paid
Loud sounds from my neighbor’s stereo
My children starving for my attention
Distractions, distractions, distractions
Today I’m lacking compassion
Throughout the day and in the night
I’m yelling quietly in my mind
Should I disappear while doing errands?
Seems unfair to give in to daily demands
What if there’s something lacking in me?
If I sift through the chaos, what would I see?
Distractions, distractions, distractions
Is the static a reminder to take action?
What if by giving my time away
I’m helping someone on the way?
Though there are things I can’t control
Those I can, I must
I’m learning to stand still and know
To recognize the voice that calms my storms
Keeping the Tongue in Check
June 29, 2009 : Filed under Seasons of Life, Women in Leadership, Workplace
Beba Schlottmann
Nothing will tarnish your testimony more than engaging in back-stabbing gossip and slander with co-workers. I recall one of my husband’s assignments to minister at a church–we had just been hired and were having lunch with the staff. The pastor could not come with us so for the entire meal we listened to the staff members talk about their pastor. It was the most uncomfortable experience I’ve had.
My husband and I could not get up and leave because we had ridden with some of those attending so we were at their mercy. However, after a while of complete silence from both of us it finally dawned on them what was happening. They changed the subject and we finished our meal. I tell you though, the damage was done. We felt detached from this group of people for the first few years of our ministry at that location. It took a long time for them to gain our trust.
A word of advice, don’t gossip! It affects the people you talk about, but it also affects those around you and your image and testimony. Most of all, it brings shame to the gospel of Christ.
Politics in the Workplace
June 9, 2009 : Filed under Seasons of Life, Women in Leadership, Workplace
Beba Schlottmann
Avoiding office discussions on politics these days can be hard to do with all the attention our government is getting. Politics is one of those discussions that can lead to arguments which can cause bad blood between co-workers and make the workplace a dreadful place each day. Try to focus conversations on subjects that will encourage and inspire people. There is nothing wrong with having challenging discussions among colleagues, but know how far you need to take your conversations and when to draw the line.
