Teamnet Ministries Blog Changes

I've made a few minor changes to the Teamnet Ministries blog page. I've removed the ads below each post, so now the ads from adSense appear only on the sidebar. Also, there is now a "share" bar attached to each post, so a reader can share a specific post by email, twitter, facebook, or blogger. (Just in case anyone out there is actually reading the blog! :))

Teamnet Ministries Featured in Oregon Conference eCommunique Newsletter

Teamnet Ministries was recently featured in the electronic newsletter "eCommunique" from Oregon Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The article by Chuck Burkeen tells how Teamnet Ministries has made a major difference in member involvement in the Canyonville, Oregon Adventist Church over the six+ years it has been in place. You can read the entire article here:

Teamnet Ministries at Canyonville Church article in Oregon Conference eCommunique

Thanks, Chuck! And thanks also to Krissy Barber, Administrative Assistant in the OC Communications Dept. Blessings to you both!

Wall Street Journal Article on Effective Leadership

Well, the WSJ article isn't directly about leadership, but reading it provides an invaluable picture of the true and best relationship between a leader and subordinate. Please read this piece all the way through. It will make you a better leader of those within your circle of influence, even in a volunteer organization such as a church. This philosophy of leadership is exactly on target for what Teamnet Ministries is all about.

Here is the link: Yes, Everyone Really Does Hate Performance Reviews

Enjoy

Buy In

I've been impressed again recently how critically important it is for leaders of change to do everything they can to create "buy in" by the people who are affected by the changes they implement *BEFORE THE CHANGES ARE PUT IN PLACE*. Without "buy in," those who are forced out of their comfort zone by whatever changes are made are going to experience mild irritation at the least and bitter resentment at the worst. Any degree of confusion or dissatisfaction will make the job of the change agent more difficult.

So, how do you create "buy in"?

First, include as many people as possible in the change process. If people don't understand something they are usually against it! You might explain the changes a hundred times, but if the people don't want to hear it, they won't listen!

Second (related to the first point), people own what they help create. So give opportunities for a broad spectrum of people to give input or express their opinions about a particular project. Let people feel like they actually can have an influence on the final outcome.

Third, if a small group is assigned to make certain changes they need to take their proposals back to the larger group for approval or ratification before going forward. For instance, if a team needs ideas for an advertising brochure to promote an upcoming event and they assign the development of the brochure to a small committee, the committee needs to bring back their ideas to the rest of the team before they trot off to the press! Get "buy in" by the team members, and life will be much more pleasant!

Here's to full and open communication everywhere!

The Most Challenging Element in Teamnet Ministries

In my experience of working with Teamnet Ministries in several congregations, I have observed that the idea of a Human Resources Council (a standing personnel committee) is both the most promising within the system, and simultaneously the one that gives the most grief. Some congregations simply cannot escape the paradigms of the past to make the leap from an annually elected Nominating Committee to the idea of a standing personnel committee.

Other congregations, even though they may accept the HRC, tend to quickly slide into routine management mode, focusing more on going through the motions of ministry than on visioning and empowering effective ministry for every member.

In such cases, for Teamnet Ministries to succeed, the model must be modified to fit the needs of the local congregation. It is virtually impossible to simply adopt the entire Teamnet Ministries model and make it work in any given church. Flexibility and adaptability are mandatory attitudes for would-be Teamnet Ministries leaders.

Here is a short video on teamwork. I love it!

Book Report: The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, by Patrick Lencioni

Well, I might as well admit it. I'm a sucker for this genre. The novella has proved to be a powerful medium for business writers. I love the stories, but beyond that I love the lessons they teach. All the way from Ken Blanchard's The One Minute Manager to the latest, hot off the press volume I find the management and relationship principles conveyed through these little books both fascinating and inspiring.

Now, if I could just learn to apply all this inspiration . . . .

The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, by Patrick Lencioni doesn't disappoint. The storyline takes some unexpected twists along the way, but the underlying lessons are framed and focused. The four principles Lencioni teaches in this book are:

1. Build and Maintain a Cohesive Leadership Team


2. Create Organizational Clarity


3. Over-Communicate Organizational Clarity


4. Reinforce Organizational Clarity Through Human Services

Of course, this is all written with the business community in mind. I read these books through the lenses of a church pastor thinking, "How can this be applied to church organizations, and specifically to MY church?" I'm thinking, that shouldn't be so hard, but inevitably it turns out to be much more difficult in real life than on paper.

If anybody actually reads this note, how about it? Give me some brainstorm ideas of applying those four principles of a healthy organization to a local church. I would really be interested in your thoughts.

Loren