Three Things, New, Improved and Improving!
We have to do something new, we have to tweek it, and then sustain mometum by constantly improving. In church world, significant improvement is expensive. But it is better to shut down 5 mediocre programmes to initiate one very good programme. Those mediocre programmes are not bringing about momentum, they are SAFE. And safe is NOT significant!! Why pour resources into mediocre things if it means we are robbing resources that will actually bring momentum. Momentum is essential in penetrating cultures and making a difference in communities. NEW triggers momentum and improvement allows momentum to be sustain. Even significant improvement has a shelf life.
In the church world, we leave things going way too long. How many versions of the ipod is there? Why do we as Christians leaders settle for "okay". Seems like everyone in the in the world knows this but the church. There are 9 versions of Colgate toothpaste. Why? Because they want people to know that if people buy into their product, they should not have a reason to leave. Variety, so that there is something for someone. So if there is a breakthrough in the world of toothpaste then Colgate is there.
As long as cost is the lense that we see an opportunity, then we wont have the courage to move forward. Everything should always be on the table when progress is key. We need to step back and see what is our vision, what we are doing, what is our preferred future, what is our mission in the community, and be honest about what is best to reach the goal. And if we are really honest, we will see the fog. Need to think steps, not programmes. Ask the question, where do we want people to be, where are they now? How do we get them there? Is it an easy step, a strategic step. Is what you are doing going anywhere? Do people know of what you are doing. Disregard things not because its not effective or people are not attending but because its no longer a step that will get people where they want to be.
This is the same with volunteers as well. Which is the bulk of the church. Confident people want to know they are doing important things. Strategic minded people want to know that the hours they are putting in is strategic and is actually going somewhere. We have people in the parking lots directing traffic who SHOULD understand that what they are doing is strategic.
Even significant improvement has a a shelf life. We as church people run programmes and leave them on the shelf far too long. Know that even a breakthrough has a shelf life. Be honest. Even if we have fallen in love with it, even if our reputation is on it, even if we made a name for ourselves on it. Its all about re-branding. Its not changing much but just giving the appearance of improvement. Even if its a name change of the children's ministry lessons. Continuous improvement requires systematic evaluation. In church setting its easy to fall into "evaluation by story". So our programme is great because someone said it was great, or that we heard people enjoyed it. We need to have systematic evaluation. So get the leaders together and work it together. These evalution has to be built into the system of the organization.
It is brings the perception that we are on the cutting edge of our industry. But at some point it wont be perception, but a reality. When we rebrand we give the opportunity to make things better. The reason we do it is for the people, not ourselves. So we need to keep improving, keep pushing momentum and sustain momentum!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
My Fears Part 1.
Okay okay. Shock and horror, you werent expecting the Mighty Miri to have any fears but yes, I am human and thus I do have a couple of them! Defeating them shows just how mighty I am but gosh....it is hard! What is most tragic is that fears destroy ones life, and they limit ones ability to grow and mature so I am truly hoping to conquer these....soon!!
1. Becoming pregnant. Even though I think children are awesome, and it would be great to have a couple of troopers running around, probably more than anyone that I know, I’m terrified! Although I keep my legs together and I know that an Immaculate Conception was a one-time deal, sometimes I have nightmares (during the day!) about suddenly being pregnant! Part of it is the possibility of dying during child birth, part of it is just not being equipped to take care of them and im STUCK and part of it is seeing how difficult it is for children whose parents divorce, or dies or something..
2. Mediocrity. Ironically, this is how im feeling like all that I can achieve as of late. It seems that if you’re a total success or a total failure, you either get what you want or get some help. I feel like im stuck somewhere in the middle, and I don’t like that. AT ALL!! I’m afraid that I’ll just be mediocre for the rest of my life. Never doing anything worth living for, never being remembered for the impact I made on people's lives, never doing anything worthy of praise. I guess it is true, we are haunted by the vastness of eternity. Will my actions echo across the centuries, will people wonder long after I am gone, who I was, how bravely I fought and how fiercely I loved?
3. Heights. I get extreme height vertigo sometimes. Plane rides get me woozy. I am up there and I am praying the entire trip, like "God, Man...you know how I am feeling up here. Please make sure we get to land safely!!" My mind is always considering the fall, even if I have something solid under my feet and a barrier in front of my face, belt buckled....I just cant handle it. But then again, from the words of Sheldon Cooper, "fear of heights is illogical, fear of falling however is prudent and evolutionary!"
1. Becoming pregnant. Even though I think children are awesome, and it would be great to have a couple of troopers running around, probably more than anyone that I know, I’m terrified! Although I keep my legs together and I know that an Immaculate Conception was a one-time deal, sometimes I have nightmares (during the day!) about suddenly being pregnant! Part of it is the possibility of dying during child birth, part of it is just not being equipped to take care of them and im STUCK and part of it is seeing how difficult it is for children whose parents divorce, or dies or something..
2. Mediocrity. Ironically, this is how im feeling like all that I can achieve as of late. It seems that if you’re a total success or a total failure, you either get what you want or get some help. I feel like im stuck somewhere in the middle, and I don’t like that. AT ALL!! I’m afraid that I’ll just be mediocre for the rest of my life. Never doing anything worth living for, never being remembered for the impact I made on people's lives, never doing anything worthy of praise. I guess it is true, we are haunted by the vastness of eternity. Will my actions echo across the centuries, will people wonder long after I am gone, who I was, how bravely I fought and how fiercely I loved?
3. Heights. I get extreme height vertigo sometimes. Plane rides get me woozy. I am up there and I am praying the entire trip, like "God, Man...you know how I am feeling up here. Please make sure we get to land safely!!" My mind is always considering the fall, even if I have something solid under my feet and a barrier in front of my face, belt buckled....I just cant handle it. But then again, from the words of Sheldon Cooper, "fear of heights is illogical, fear of falling however is prudent and evolutionary!"
It's not right, but it's okay
It’s been one hell of a year. I am sure I am not the only person thinking this way, if so then something is definately wrong with me. As I sit and ponder the joys of the upcoming blessings of 2011 I feel the need to reflect on 300-or-so days that have certainly set the bar at all all-time new high (or shall I say LOW).
While this blogging platform is not really the right opportunity to give you a blow-by-blow account of my year (as much as my mild self-obsession would appreciate), I thought I would just run through the highlights, or lowlights:
1. 2010, Year of Bad Bosses: You name it, I have been through it this year. From my hellish CEO who could not keep track of her diary which I printed onto paper and left on her desk, added to her outlook and kindly updated her blackberry (which even had an alarm! not to mention she had a PA who didnt do her work!), to a self-combusting, menopausal cigarette addict who incidentally kept "forgetting" to pay my salary. There is only TWO OF US, how difficult is it to pay salaries on time?! And the single most annoying boss ever: Das Dragon, who believed holidays were for slackers and thus ensured we all worked from his home during public holidays to catch up on work which was NOT URGENT!! Bring on 2011 and no more Boss-drama.
2. 2010, Year of the Bad Debt Written: My life is no longer my own (wondering if it ever was). I sadly schedule things around time & finances. Nothing like explaining to friends that I can’t make sundowners because it doesn’t coincide with my empty pocket’s evening ritual. Or that Saturday morning breakfast catch-ups need to kick off at 11am sharp or we risk the mid morning financial index slump. Its hell. I found that people around me are very confortable to be in debt. But it makes my skin crawl. Knowing I owe someone money gives me pains everywhere. I wonder if there is a long complicated phobia name for that. (note to self..create a name for the fear of debt!) As I write off all those many people who owe me money, I wonder if 2011 will teach me more patience, more compromise and less control. It’s the only way you’ll get by with uncertainty.
3. 2010, Year of Financial Crisis: There really is nothing like a financial crisis to put things into perspective. When you’re faced with the reality that the little creature I call "Comfort" who came into your life when financial stability settled in could potentially (and suddenly) leave just as easily, you start asking yourself all those questions that I would imagine you ask when you’re nearing the end of your days. What truly matters? Is this really important? Can someone else handle this? Who do I need most now? And perhaps a bit unfairly, you translate this perspective into everything around you. There are casualties naturally; a few extra gripes and groans, a bit more procrastination and a lot more pressure. But you know what, it’s worth it. If no one is dead or has a terminal illness, it simply isn’t a crisis...its just a valley to be gotten out of!
4. 2010, Year of Possibilities: The biggest take out for 2010 (and it’s a positive one! If you can’t wake up every morning thinking you can truly make a difference, do something cool, try something new, surprise someone or – as I have found – spend ten minutes every night on all fours while your children (in my case niece's & nephew) insists on riding you like a donkey (knee pain & carpet burn not counting), then you really shouldn’t be doing it. Case Closed!
Make the change, be the change and all that stereotypical stuff you pretend you didnt hear on God Channel. Whatever, just frikken do something. It’s OK to act stupid, childish (or childlike), naïve, innocent, out-of-control or crazy if it means its filling that gaping hole that suggests you’re missing something in your life. In fact, I truly recommend it. Dance like a possessed person. Practise your Idols audition out loud (not just the shower). Spin till you fall over. Have a breakdown. Whatever. If you feel really stupid doing it, pop over to my house and we’ll saddle up the munchkins and make you feel like a real ass!
While this blogging platform is not really the right opportunity to give you a blow-by-blow account of my year (as much as my mild self-obsession would appreciate), I thought I would just run through the highlights, or lowlights:
1. 2010, Year of Bad Bosses: You name it, I have been through it this year. From my hellish CEO who could not keep track of her diary which I printed onto paper and left on her desk, added to her outlook and kindly updated her blackberry (which even had an alarm! not to mention she had a PA who didnt do her work!), to a self-combusting, menopausal cigarette addict who incidentally kept "forgetting" to pay my salary. There is only TWO OF US, how difficult is it to pay salaries on time?! And the single most annoying boss ever: Das Dragon, who believed holidays were for slackers and thus ensured we all worked from his home during public holidays to catch up on work which was NOT URGENT!! Bring on 2011 and no more Boss-drama.
2. 2010, Year of the Bad Debt Written: My life is no longer my own (wondering if it ever was). I sadly schedule things around time & finances. Nothing like explaining to friends that I can’t make sundowners because it doesn’t coincide with my empty pocket’s evening ritual. Or that Saturday morning breakfast catch-ups need to kick off at 11am sharp or we risk the mid morning financial index slump. Its hell. I found that people around me are very confortable to be in debt. But it makes my skin crawl. Knowing I owe someone money gives me pains everywhere. I wonder if there is a long complicated phobia name for that. (note to self..create a name for the fear of debt!) As I write off all those many people who owe me money, I wonder if 2011 will teach me more patience, more compromise and less control. It’s the only way you’ll get by with uncertainty.
3. 2010, Year of Financial Crisis: There really is nothing like a financial crisis to put things into perspective. When you’re faced with the reality that the little creature I call "Comfort" who came into your life when financial stability settled in could potentially (and suddenly) leave just as easily, you start asking yourself all those questions that I would imagine you ask when you’re nearing the end of your days. What truly matters? Is this really important? Can someone else handle this? Who do I need most now? And perhaps a bit unfairly, you translate this perspective into everything around you. There are casualties naturally; a few extra gripes and groans, a bit more procrastination and a lot more pressure. But you know what, it’s worth it. If no one is dead or has a terminal illness, it simply isn’t a crisis...its just a valley to be gotten out of!
4. 2010, Year of Possibilities: The biggest take out for 2010 (and it’s a positive one! If you can’t wake up every morning thinking you can truly make a difference, do something cool, try something new, surprise someone or – as I have found – spend ten minutes every night on all fours while your children (in my case niece's & nephew) insists on riding you like a donkey (knee pain & carpet burn not counting), then you really shouldn’t be doing it. Case Closed!
Make the change, be the change and all that stereotypical stuff you pretend you didnt hear on God Channel. Whatever, just frikken do something. It’s OK to act stupid, childish (or childlike), naïve, innocent, out-of-control or crazy if it means its filling that gaping hole that suggests you’re missing something in your life. In fact, I truly recommend it. Dance like a possessed person. Practise your Idols audition out loud (not just the shower). Spin till you fall over. Have a breakdown. Whatever. If you feel really stupid doing it, pop over to my house and we’ll saddle up the munchkins and make you feel like a real ass!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)