It’s Monday!

May 6, 2012 in Monday Posts - 0 Comments

- Great weekend and we got a lot of stuff done around the house. Specifically my wife did an awesome job with our flower beds!
- My brother is graduating this weekend and I’ll be flying out to Huntington. Can’t wait to hang out with my family but to also spend some time with some old friends.
- Every now and then I look for some fun things to lighten up my day…most recently that has been through the blog “Texts From Dog”. If you haven’t been to this site yet, and you have a dog, you have to go. It’s worth it.
- If you like action movies, you should see the Avengers. I you like Marvel comics, you NEED to see the Avengers. One of my favorite movies in a while. The Marvel movies keep getting better and better.
- This weekend we hosted two churches at LCBC for something we call Saturdays @ LCBC. We do our best to share the “why” behind what we do. I got to hear the debrief session for the one church called Living Waters. They are in the middle of tweaking and changing some things at their church. Keep an eye on them, they have some solid staff and volunteers and a passion like I haven’t seen in a long time. They are going to be brining their best, I can just tell.

What’s new in your world?

The “C” Word…

May 3, 2012 in Leadership - 1 Comment

Culture. It’s this word that I’ve been obsessed with since high school. In college I tried to figure out how it worked on one campus (with so many cultures coming together). Now at an organization I’m trying to figure out how to influence it.

It’s hard to describe, but you have it.

 

About a month ago I came across an opportunity  to be a part of a WCA LIFT course. Check out the link for more info, but essentially these courses are 7 week intensives for ministry leaders. Online classes for them to take while “in the trenches” doing work, learning, discussing with others who are doing the same or similar things, and then bringing it to your context.

So far from my experience, it works, and the content is rich.

I decided to take the Shaping Culture course and it has been extremely challenging and stretching for me. I’m currently in the middle of it and have a few more weeks yet. So, back to culture.

One thing that has stuck out to me more then anything over the past few weeks is that I’m responsible. I’m responsible for the culture. You are responsible for the culture where you work. And, it’s something that’s there now. It’s always there. It can be healthy, it can be sick, or somewhere in between.

Here are a couple things that might be helpful for you. 

I came across this quote last week.

Brand is simply a lagging indicator of the culture – @DHMovementCEO

Are you taking the time to look at your organizational/staff culture and not just your “brand” or perceived culture?

Are you doing anything to influence your organizational culture in a positive direction

Try to create some space in your schedule, step away for part of the day, bring your team, and evaluate. Ask good questions. Start the discussion.

Here are some discussion starters:

  • What does your organization value?
  • How does it add to or take away from the organizations mission?
  • Is your staff healthy? Is there trust in your organization?
  • Do you have honest, open relationships with people throughout the organization (think different levels in chain of command) to know what the culture feels like from the top to the bottom of your organization?

What’s your organization’s culture like?

(Photo Props)

It’s Monday!

April 29, 2012 in Monday Posts - 1 Comment

It’s another week! Here we go!

  • This week was pretty eventful for us, our puppy got fixed. It was quite the experience as we learned how to care for her. But she’s back to her normal crazy self.
  • I love it when my friends or those I work with succeed!
  • I need to get back on my work out schedule and may need you to help keep me accountable. Any ideas?
  • We are about to jump into May this week and I have something big going on each weekend! It’s always a challenge to take time off in those busy weeks. I’m finding that learning how to manipulate my schedule and adapt is key to not burning out.
  • You know how I mentioned Jack White’s new album last week…yeah, it’s good. You should at least check it out and give it a try.

Here’s a question, I’d love to hear how you get your new music. iTunes? Spotify? Amazon? Let me know below!

What’s new in your world?

Resource Dump #3

April 25, 2012 in Creativity, Leadership, Social Media - 0 Comments

Hey, it’s a Wednesday post as promised! Thanks for being gracious as I work out a new blog schedule for myself and continue to try to write the best stuff for you to read! Usually in the resource dump posts I try to have different “mediums” of resources to share. Today they are all the same! Today’s posts contain three blogs that I HAVE to read. I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of blog I subscribe to. When things get busy I just skip over some of them. These three I will always read. Since they are that good, I want to share them with you!

JustinWise.net – I’ve been following Justin’s content (Blog/Twitter/Facebook) for a few years now. I’ve always found it challenging and filled with quality stuff. I don’t believe Justin would post or write about something that 1) he didn’t believe or 2) he felt shouldn’t be asked. I’ve certainly learned a lot about Social Media through Justin and also have really rearranged the way I do things because of him sharing the way he does his things. (Productivity for the Win!) Also, he finds the best stats!

History In The Making (Ben Arment) – Ben is a producer of people. He see’s things or hears of things that people are doing and figures out how to help them be better at what they are doing, or help others through what this person is doing. That’s just a personal commentary from what I’ve noticed afar. I like his blog. Simple, short and sweet. He shares things that he comes across in life and I find those things inspire me in what I’m doing. Also, check out a great conference he runs called Story and his “coaching” program called Dream Year.

Stephen Brewster – I’ve just started following Stephen’s blog in the past year. He’s the Creative Arts pastor at Crosspoint.tv. They put out killer stuff. So naturally, I want to know what he’s learning and sharing with his team. If you are involved in a creative process (anywhere) check out his blog. He shares some great tips and questions that help stimulate creativity or get you out of that rut.

These are just three of my must read blogs, I actually have a couple others to share down the road. What blogs are on your must read list?

It’s Monday!

April 22, 2012 in Monday Posts - 0 Comments

Here’s what’s new and fun in my world….

  • Lights has been my go to music lately. I love listening to her while driving, working, sleeping… ok, just kidding about sleeping.
  • Her album may get bumped soon, because I pre-ordered Jack White’s album and I’m very excited about it. (Also you can stream it on iTunes)
  • This series of videos from Irving Bible Church on the story of Hosea are incredible. Extremely moving with just music and acting, no words.
  • I’ve been pretty much stretched to new limits when it comes to leading lately. Mostly, I’m trying to continue learning how to influence an organization and mindsets while not being in the meetings where big decisions are made. I’m also learning how to focus on strengths when leading and pulling them out instead of weaknesses.
  • Along that thought, how many meetings do you usually have in a weeks time?
  • I’ve been in a season of re-organizing my schedule and I’m starting to wonder if I should be doing this quarterly, annually, etc.
  • If you are looking for a quick jump into some Bible passages, or want to learn more about praying, you should check out LCBC’s A.C.T.S. Bible Reading Plan on YouVersion. It’s real short, daily prayer’s and reflections.

What’s new in your world? I’d love to hear an answer to my question above. How many meetings are you usually in during the weeks time?

It’s Monday!

April 15, 2012 in Monday Posts - 2 Comments

Well, here we are at the start of another week! I hope you had a good weekend and hope even more that this is the start of a great week and maybe something new. Here’s what’s been going on around my neck of the woods.

  • This weekend I ate Taco Bell for the first time in 6 years. See you at the border in another 6!
  • On Saturday I changed my power steering fluid and reservoir in my truck. It took me about 1.5hrs and maybe saved me $150?
  • In other news, I have a new found appreciation for mechanics.
  • If you haven’t heard about or seen Cain’s Arcade yet, check out the video below. It’s worth the time and will inspire to you to create something. (HT: Creatives)
  • Make sure you follow SlickDeals on Twitter. You never know when something will pop up that you’ve been waiting for. Last week I ordered a ZaggMate Keyboard Case for my iPad. Usually $99 and I got it for $25! Boom!
  • Last week we took out puppy Lola for her first haircut. We went to Kathy Bair at Pampered Pups and she did a great job. If you follow me on Instagram you’ve probably seen plenty of pictures of Lola and her new haircut.
  • Last week I started the Shaping Culture course through the LIFT online classes that Willow Creek Association offers. One week into it and lots to think about already. Check out their class options here.
  • The weather has been getting a little bit warmer around here and it’s been nice to spend sometime outside. Can’t wait for us to bust out the patio furniture and have our first porch party of the year. When it gets nice out what’s your favorite thing to do outside?

What’s new in your world?

It’s Monday!

April 10, 2012 in Monday Posts - 0 Comments

Except, it’s Tuesday. I would have posted this on Monday but a lot of people were off and probably wouldn’t have caught this post. ANYWAYS… I’m going to be tinkering around with a new blog post idea here on Mondays and have the normal content for my blog post on Wednesdays. So, I won’t be changing content wise what my blog is about, but Monday will be more of a run down of 8-10 things from the weekend or past week. Also, the name might change for the Monday posts.

So, here’s the first It’s Monday! post!

 

  • Easter was this past Sunday. I put in a lot of hours at work and I’m beat.
  • Speaking about work, I recently added another role to my job. Director of Campus Producers. I’ll probably explain more of the down the road. (Or you can ask me if you see me)
  • Facebook bought Instagram. Yeah???!!!
  • Our cute puppy has loved gnawing on my hands. I’m hoping it’s a teething phase.
  • I tried to do a home improvement project on our patio this weekend and failed miserably.
  • My friend Rene was telling me about Skrillex. I downloaded it and love it! Maybe I’ll learn how to dub-step next.
  • I think Tweetbot is becoming my new iOS Twitter client of choice.
  • It’s a four day week! (For some people)

What’s new in your Monday (Tuesday) World?

What’s Your Map?

March 26, 2012 in Social Media - 6 Comments

What’s your map? Do you even own a map anymore? That’s the question I should be asking! Most likely you have a smart phone or some type of mobile device that you use to help you get places. A GPS, Google Maps, Mapquest, etc…they are all tools and structures to help us get somewhere.

All the new tools do the thinking automatically for us, which can be a good thing, but I do think we miss out on something too. Back in the day (whenever that was) it was probably more common to find someone who had multiple maps in their car. Maybe a county map, state map, probably a map of the country. If you had one of those maps, you probably sat down before you went on a trip and picked your starting point, picked your destination, and then plotted your course. You had your plan. You had a course of steps and pre-determined decisions to help you get to where you were going.

I think this concept of plans, or mapping your course, can sometimes be a lost one for us. I believe it’s essential to have plans for the things we engage in daily. For the sake of this post I’m talking about Social Media. What’s your plan? Do you have a personal plan in how you engage online? Does your business have a strategy for social media?

Often times we start these journeys without a real destination in mind. Maybe you do have a destination but you are relying on a GPS to get you there, which they don’t make for social media by the way.

So what do you do? Where do you start? Take a few minutes today and ask yourself, “what’s my goal for engaging online?”. Ask it for yourself or the organization you represent. Once you have that down, start plotting your course. Make the pre-determined decisions for where you are going.

To get an idea on what a personal social media strategy looks like, check out this one here from Justin Wise.

I’d love to hear if you already are doing this. What’s your strategy? What’s your goal?

(Photo Props)

A To-Do List (Of Sorts)

March 19, 2012 in Creativity - 0 Comments

Creating, ideas, getting and things done need to have structure. It can be simple or it can be very complex. It works best on your own terms. But most times it centers around to-do lists. To-do lists range from the simple lined sheet of paper to some complex web app that shares tasks with a whole team. Today I thought I’d share with you some to-do list options that have lots of potential depending on your work environment and your personal way of doing things.

1) Paper – One of the oldest ways of doing to-do lists is writing it down on paper. This has morphed over the years to more trendy forms of to-do lists like using a Moleskine, but all the same. Depending on your style paper can be a great way to dive into To-Do lists. If it’s something you keep with you all the time (like a moleskine) then even better.

2) Action Method – Action Method is a method (obviously) of managing a to-do list. Created by the genius’s behind the Behance network it’s designed to be used in a way that suits you best. It’s flexible and has “rules”. You can use Action method via paper products the company sells, Action Method Online, or by using one of their Action Method Apps. Either way I find this to be one of the most helpful tools out there when it comes to getting things done. This method along with their book has helped me immensely.

3) Evernote – I’ve blogged about Evernote before but another great use for it is to use it as a to-do list. If you have a smartphone, and a computer or access to the internet you can always have access to Evernote (and your to-do list). Evernote actually has great check-box lists you can make to help it feel even more like a list. Again, Evernote can do much more then this, but it’s a good option if you already spend a lot of time in it.

4) Clear – Clear is one of the most simple to-do apps that I have ever come across. I’m more of a paper person when it comes to to-do lists but I use Clear often. Because of it’s simplicity I use it for quick lists. Grocery store lists or maybe a list of errands I have to run on a Saturday. I don’t usually recommend breaking up lists between mediums but Clear is perfect for it. You can also use it for more complex lists as well. You can have categories, sublists, etc. Check it out here.

5) Orchestra T0-Do – One of the last apps that I’ve been wowed by is Orchestra. This is another app that can be used personally or with a team or really any individual for that matter. It’s got a great user interface and has some great features like “speak your to-do” and chats with other people centered around items on your list. Again, if I was going to use an app I would strongly consider this one. They also have a great web app companion to use on your computer. Check out the App and Online versions here.

There are five options for you. (In case you were looking for something like this) I’d love to hear what you use. I know there are so many options out there. What kind of struggles have you had with to-do lists? 

(Photo Props)

The Questions To Lead You Forward

March 12, 2012 in Leadership - 2 Comments

Here’s a secret to leading well. Ask really good questions. Yup. I talking about well thought out, daring, courageous, silly, gut feeling questions. The ones you want to ask but chicken away from.

As leaders we can have this special ability to assume things. I consider it a sixth sense that we don’t want. Assumptions are, well, they are assumptions. We can’t lead based off assumptions.

The other trait leaders tend to have (and I’m including myself in all of these) is to think that we are the best communicators when it comes to our expectations. I’ve come to learn that we aren’t. You know when you explain an idea to someone you lead and they kinda shake their head like they are getting it. 90% of the time they probably aren’t, not because they are stupid, mostly because we think they know everything that’s in our head.

What can help with these two problems? Asking the right questions. Here are three questions to start asking today.

1) Where Are They? – One of the first things as leaders we should be finding out is where our people are. I’m talking about going all Location Services on them. (lame attempt at an iPhone joke). With GPS accuracy we should be able to know where those we lead stand on different ideas, new policies, projects, etc. We need to be asking them what they think. We need to ask them how an idea makes them feel. Once you know where they are, then you can lead from there.

2) Who Are Your Experts? – Who ARE your experts? Maybe you hired them. Maybe you are in charge of them. If you did a good job and hired people smarter then you, then you should be asking them questions. It’s a simple idea but not necessarily the default of a leader. Don’t assume you have the best ideas. You don’t. Ask those around you who are smarter and have different view points. Diversity in feedback can be a very helpful thing. Go to your experts.

3) What Are The Facts? – As leaders we have to deal with problems. It’s easy for someone to come into our offices and start going off on a problem and then we get worked up about it too. “Let’s deal with this problem now!” (Probably the thought going through our mind) Here’s the thing, much like Ogres and Onions, problems have layers. What are the facts about the problem? Ask that question and diffuse a potential bomb very quickly.

What are the questions you ask? Which questions have been invaluable to you? Which ones are you afraid to ask?

(Photo Props)

Page 1 of 712345»...Last »