::Leading With A Limp::

Do What You Love To Do*

My father was with me for the first 21 years of my life, then he died.  During those 21 years together he gave me some bad advice and some good advice.  One of the very best pearls that he sent my way was "Do what you love to do".  He was talking about work, a profession.  He had been stuck in a couple of jobs that he hated before landing in one he loved.

I think this is stellar advice, although as I grow on in my years (and arguably my cynicism), I have to put an asterisk on that statement.  If this were a legal document you would look down at the bottom of the paper and see this:

*But do what you need to do first

In Los Angeles I'm surrounded by people with two paths before them: what they want to do and what they have to do.  Go to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch and ask your waiter what he does.  His answer will be "I'm an actor" 96.5% of the time.  If he were being perfectly honest, his answer would be, "I would love to be an actor, but so far I've only landed a walk-on spot in a Cheerios commercial.  I'm the guy that gets hit by the tennis ball then laughs about it, like getting hit with a tennis ball is hilarious.  I have to work here to pay for my 175 square foot loft that I share with my roomate and our three dogs".

I'm a strong, strong believer in doing what you love.  I also believe in hard work.  You need to do what you need to do so you can do what you love to do. Say that three times fast.

Are you working your fingers to the bone in a job you hate?  That sucks.  Do you have to answer to a Machiavellian narcicist that just doesn't get it? What are you going to do about it?  You can sit at your desk, day after day, dreaming about the building burning down, or you can start to do what you love.  Tonight.  Just start. Pick up the pen and write, pull out the video camera and start shooting.  Read about other people that have done what you love, and have succeeded.  Study them.  Mimic them.  Then come up with your own way of doing it.

It's never too late to start doing what you love, but don't quit your day job just yet.  You need to pay the bills too.

Do what you need to do so that you can do what you love.

Things I Have Learned About Business & Life

The number of books written just about business philosophy and best practices could fill a large library, so to think that my humble list is the end-all of business advice would be a little silly.  However, there are a few things that I have learned and tried to keep in mind as I advance through the business world.  Not too surprisingly, they do a pretty nice job of getting me through life as well.  Feel free to add to the list in the comments.

1. It's not what you know, it's who you know- This has proved true time and time again.  A lot of people don't like to acknowledge the truth in this statement, or they want to put it into the category of "that's not fair!".  Fair or not, it's true.  All other things equal, if you are better connected than the person you are competing against for a job or consulting position, you will usually get it.  Of course there are some obvious exception, like when your job is very skill specific (brain surgeons, microbiologists), but it probably stands true in those fields as well, if you are better at networking than the other person, you'll probably get the job.  If you can learn a lesson out of this first category it is this: don't burn bridges.  Pretty soon you will have nothing else to burn, and you will always be losing out to the person that is connected.l
2. It's all about timing- I have learned this by doing it very well and very poorly.  Let's say you are going to pitch an idea to somebody and you need them to approve it.  The idea could be a proposal for a job or you could be pitching yourself...a job interview.  It's all about timing.  Try to avoid talking to people when they are tired, hungry or busy.  My favorite time to approach people?  Tuesday or Wednesday between 10am and 2pm.  Yes, I'm serious.  That's when I have my highest success rate, probably because their mind isn't on either weekend (the one they just came from or the one they are about to go to), and generally they have accomplished what they need to do for the week in terms of catch up.  Salespeople, let me give you some free advice: don't pitch your products or services to me anytime after noon on Friday.  You have a 0% chance of success.
3. Live within the integrity of your conscience - I referred to this line when I resigned from my last job.  Simply put, you must be you, and you need to be guided by the moral boundaries that are within you.  Don't compromise.  Don't allow your character to be bent, even a little.  If you start to toe the line of compromise, eventually you will step over it, and then you will no longer be the person that you should be.  You won't be able to sleep, you will look in the mirror with disgust.  Make your decisions with the highest integrity possible.
4. It takes 10 cans of peas to sell a can of green beans-It took me about two years to figure this out after a crusty old grocery store owner shared this gem with me.  He was talking in a very literal sense, and that is he discovered over time that when his shelves are full and stocked, people will buy more.  If your store looks understocked and disheveled people won't buy as much.  At the time I owned a cigar company and we were to keep his humidor stocked with fresh cigars all the time.  When the supply got low he got upset; he wanted a fully stocked, fully faced humidor at all times.  He was right about this sales concept, and I have carried this through every business that I have been a part of, even if we didn't have physical objects to sell. Make sure your service portfolio is stocked.  Make sure your website is stocked.  Make sure your house is in order.
5. Never wrestle with a pig, you'll both get dirty but the pig will like it- I heard this many years ago, but it's come up again recently.  The idea is pretty clear: don't engage with slime balls.  I have worked with plenty of people that are all about themselves...they are more than happy to smear other people with words, with sabotage, with underhanded means.  These are the worst kind of people to be around.  When you come across these people, stay away.  It's not always easy, sometimes you have to work closely with them, but be cautious. It's okay to defend yourself, but don't get caught up in office politics or name calling.  These sorts of people live for this sort of thing, and they are good at getting you to take your eye off the ball.  Don't engage...they will be doing what they love the most, and you're going to come out looking bad.

There you go...15 years of business experience wrapped into one little blog post.  Have you employed any of these philosophies in some form?  Are there things that are glaringly absent from the list?  Let us know!

Easter Operations Manual

Easter is upon us, and this year Bel Air Pres is hosting Easter at The Hollywood Bowl.  With up to 17,000 people coming together for one fantastic hour of worship and community, there is a lot of work that goes into things ahead of time.

I continuously thank God for the staff that is here at the church.  Everybody I work with is so good at their jobs, it makes a huge project like this a joy to put together.

This year I am building and Ops Manual for The Bowl.  What is it?  A 3 ring binder with timelines, checklists, contracts, contact information and everything else a person would need to get this thing off the ground.  When it is finished, I could hand this book to a stranger on the street and they could put the entire thing together next year.

I think things like this are important for operations.  Redundancy and knowledge that can be passed along is invaluable.  I learned this years ago from a book called The eMyth, and it changed out I run operations.

So logistics aside....Easter is upon us!  I can't wait to celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!  I put a little sign up in my office to remind me of something important:  God would have us do "The Bowl" all for one person.

New Name, New Feel (Part 1 of 2)

Leading with a limp...

Let me explain the title.  It has to do with my philosophy of management as well as ministry, and it has a personal connection to me on a very deep level. For my RSS readers you should pop over to my blog and see the change so you know what I'm talking about.

First the management and ministry stuff.  I have interacted with leaders of all calibers, backgrounds, statures and vocations in my jobs at church as well as with my previous two companies.  There are as many leadership styles as there are leaders, and if you ask any of them the best way to manage people, they always have an opinion.  Welcome to my little corner of the internet, this is my opinion.

I believe that management, when integrated with ministry, should produce fantastic, excellent and wildly transparent leaders.  This goes against many management styles of the latter part of last century which would tell you that you must appear invincible and somewhat removed from your workers.  But of course, since you are reading a blog (something that has not even existed until very recently), you know that the world has changed since this style was born.  In a world of incredible information and reach, transparency is the new invincibility.  Gone are the days of steadfast separation from the staff and instead we live in times where  management must have a new and intimate awareness of the staff which they serve.  Yes, I said that correctly...the staff which they serve.

I believe that with the Next Generation and with the New Media comes an acute awareness between what is genuine and what stinks.  I am not in this generation, I'm afraid I'm too old now, but those that come behind me are amazing with the ability to sense genuine relationships and intentions.

Which brings us to my philosophy of management: I believe that with this acuteness comes acceptance as well.  Although many are quick to separate the wheat from the chaff, when they do determine that somebody (a person or an organization) is true to what they say, not just in word but in action, they will accept a great amount of variation from the traditional leadership role.  In other words, they will not only accept but actually expect vulnerability in their leaders.  Paradoxically, this usually creates a greater sense of loyalty and faithfulness.

That is not to say that leaders should be faulty or incompetent.  No!  Quite the opposite...leaders should be held to very high standards, and should be excellent and what they do.  It would be a big mistake to confuse vulnerability and transparency with incompetence and ineptitude.  This is where many leaders fail to make the leap, they equate sharing their struggles with their staff to weakness.

I'm proud to say that I work for a man that is not afraid to share himself with his staff or his congregation.  The result is a passion for his vision that people want to carry out, they want to be a part of it!  I believe that as we move through these days of social networking, 24/7 information and sometimes scary intrusion by the New Media, we must change the way we interact.  The rules of society and work are quickly changing, and we must be the leaders that carve the path to great things through transparency, brokenness and inspiration.

In part 2 I will discuss why "leading with a limp" means so much to me personally, and describe briefly the pain associated with this phrase.  So for those of you that like to see me in pain, come back soon. ;)

From the Mailbag: Accepting Criticism

I received a message on Facebook today from somebody that I have never met.  I love the global community that social networks have created!  Her note said:

I viewed your information on the web about criticism and it is a great help. I teach a life skills class so the information is quite useful.

What she was referring to was a post I wrote all the way back in April of 2006 called "Accepting Criticism".  I lays out a premise that I believed in then, and believe in more so today.  So from the archives, here is the post in it's entirety. (Note: When I refer to "Sunset" that is the church that I was working for at the time of this post)

An observation of church staff culture: people are very slow to accept honest criticism.  This applies to all staff, both paid and unpaid (that is...lay leaders and other volunteer directors).  It's an interesting issue that I think is worth the time to address.

"If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept criticism, you will be honored", Proverbs 13:18 (NLT).  This can be some difficult instruction for anybody, inside a church or out.  Criticism, when presented honestly and without an agenda, can be very helpful in streamlining any organization.  Over the past 10 months, I have noticed that some accept criticism well, learn from it, adjust their thinking and move on better than before.  Others appear to be wounded by any criticism, and end up limping through their tasks; either resenting the person that shared with them or adopting an indignant attitude.  I recognize that some of the varied responses are a result of personality, but I do think that there are some steps that can be taken to foster an environment where criticism is a good thing. The Proverbs offer excellent advice about this:

1. A good leader will listen to those that are under their charge. "Good leaders cultivate honest speech; they love advisers who tell them the truth", Proverbs 16:13 (The Message).  As a leader we have many great responsibilities.  One of those is to surround ourselves with people that are honest so that we can trust them.  If you have succeeded in this as a leader, then you should be able to accept not only praise from your direct reports, but also criticism.
2. A good leader will  have the ability to learn and to adapt to new ideas and direction. "A wise man will hear and increase learning", Proverbs 1:5a (KJV).  Many times we, as leaders, have exceptional ideas of vision and direction.  Often times that ideas need to be tweaked ever so slightly, and those around us can help us with those tweaks.  If we are unable to flex at all, the criticism will be bitter and we will create an unhealthy work place. Don't be so arrogant so as to think that your ideas are perfect every time!
3. The giver of criticism should choose their words carefully. "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing", Proverbs 12:18 (NIV).  When we go to somebody with criticism, what is our motivation?  If it is to further our own agenda, to cover our tracks for our own mistakes or simply out of anger, then that criticism will probably not be received well, and rightfully so.  Those words will "pierce like a sword" and the receiver will immediately become defensive.  You've got a battle on your hands!  Conversely, if your motivation is pure and your criticism is constructive, not destructive, you will have a greater chance of being viewed as wise, and these words will bring healing.
4. Set the stage for honest conversation far in advance. "Good-tempered leaders invigorate lives; they're like spring rain and sunshine", Proverbs 16:15 (The Message). Develop relationships with those around you!  You are far more likely to be able to give criticism to and take criticism from a person (above, beside or below you) that you have an honest and sincere relationship with.  At Sunset I have worked hard to get to know all of the members of the staff, and many of the lay leaders.  This has really helped my communication with all departments at all levels.  I certainly have a deeper relationship with some over others, but at least I have a relationship of some flavor with all the people that work with me.  This is incredibly helpful.  I witnessed a confrontation two days ago between two members of staff that don't know each other very well, they work in different departments.  When a problem became common to the two of them, the communication was strained as they had very opposing views.  Although both have been on staff for about the same amount of time, presumably they haven't made the effort to really get to know each other.  This was damaging to the way they communicated, and ultimately the criticism from one to the other was not received (or given) well. 

There are many other points that can be made, but I think these four punctuate the essence of what I am try to convey.  Criticism is not a bad thing if done properly!  Of course before you even utter your first word, you need to have taken this to The Lord in prayer and petition.  Pray for a gentle spirit, pray for guidance and pray for humility.  Be extremely cautious about praying with others about this, because very often gossip and slander are veiled as "prayer requests".  Don't be one of those people that talks about others under the guise of prayer! If you love The Lord and want His will to prevail, confrontation and criticism, even at church, can be an excellent tool for growth.

Do Fewer Things, But Do Them With Excellence

Over the years I think (I hope) that I've sounded like a broken record in this area.  I believe to my core that the best ministry happens when you do less, but do it with everything you have in you. 

I have had many conversations in the last few days with people that boiled down to a key question they wondered:  how can I do my job with all of this work ahead?  My answer:  do fewer things, but do them with excellence.

I thought that it was nice timing that Tony Morgan wrote a very good post about this today, but with a slight twist.  He thinks that we should offer people fewer choices within our ministry, and I tend to agree with him.

It's so counter-intuitive, because it seems that if you work harder you will get more done.  Not so.  Work smarter.  Narrow your scope of focus.  Don't approach things with a shotgun mentality, approach them with a laser beam focus.

This is quite nebulous and you have, no-doubt, thought of 10 reason why this will never work for you.  "Good enough for others", you think,"but certainly Matt doesn't understand my job."

I want to challenge you to figure out how to do fewer things but do them with excellence, even if it sounds like an impossible task in your situation.  Pray about it, talk about it with your co-workers (including your boss) and put it into practice.

The road ahead may look impossibly demanding, but I know you can get through it, not just as a survivor but as a victor! You may even find joy along the way.

Staff Christmas Party

Today our entire staff went to Fogo de Chao for our annual staff Christmas party.  Aside from riding the bus, it was a great time! Okay, ,the bus was actually a nice time to talk to people, I just get sick when I ride them.

Fogo is a Brazilian restaurant that serves up endless amounts of beef, pork, lamb and chicken.  You get a little coaster at your plate, one side is green and the other is red.  If you have the red side up the servers leave you alone...but if you put the green side up watch out!  A hailstorm of meat is heading your way.  Server after server comes to your plate and gives you a slice of lamb chop, a piece of bacon-wrapped chicken or a choice cut of Pichana (a Brazilian specialty).  As you can imagine, you can only get so far into the meal before the meat sweats take over.

After our meal we had a lot of fun with a white elephant gift exchange.  Some of the more popular items were a rubber taco, a deck of Pastor Mark Brewer playing cards and a stuffed cat.  There were a lot of laughs, and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves.

All in all, it's a great tradition and I was glad to be a part of it for my first year here at Bel Air Presbyterian Church. The staff that I am working with...they are amazing people.

So...has your workplace done anything cool for you this year?

Christmas: Close the Office or Business as Usual?

For me the decision is easy, we will be closed on Christmas.  We don't have to deal with diversity a whole lot in terms of religious views as we are a Christian church and a Christ following staff.  When December 25th rolls around, we will be closed.

Penelope Trunk, author of the very popular Brazen Careerist blog (to which I subscribe), has posted quite a rant today.  She is angry that Christians impose their religious beliefs on others and shut down the country on Christmas day.  She lays out her case in five clear points.

No matter your religious bent this is a good read.  The comments are lighting up with a lot of passion, I'm sure this one will hit 100 comments before the day is out. Give it a read and comment.  You should also subscribe to Penelope's blog, she has some great articles.

**UPDATE: Penelope herself dropped in to my little corner of the blogging world and left a note in the comments.  What a nice thing to do!  Glad to have her here.**

Communism and Capitalism Meet at the Church

On Tuesday of this week we had Chapel for the staff, just like we do every week.  Usually one of the pastors or seminarians that is on staff teaches something from the Bible, but this week we had a pastor visiting us from Brazil.  We support his church in many ways, both with prayer, time and financial resources, and he was in town to visit. 

He spoke on several things, and the thick Brazilian accent made his talk all the more intriguing.  What really stuck with me though was his answer to a question that Pastor Mark asked him.  After he spoke, Mark asked, "what is the greatest obstacle facing the church in South America?"  His answer surprised me.

He told us about thee communist men that he knows of that came to South America to pursue business.  After a time of thinking what direction to take, they all agreed to start churches.  The result?  A house of worship that gives you everything you would expect...Sunday service, Bible studies, children's classes...but is run by an atheist communist.  Wow.  I was stunned.

This pastor continued by saying that this is a real problem in South America; people are starting churches as industry, not to bring people to The Lord.  Many of these "church plants" are not even started by believers. 

It is no wonder that the unbelieving world has such a hard time with our faith, there are wolves among the sheep.

Boost Productivity...Take A Break!

There is an illness that has been spreading like a fungus through the workforce for the last several years.  It's an illness that affects many people, most who do not even suspect that they could ever become victims to such a problem.  I'm referring to the thought that never, ever leaving one's desk, office or cubicle will result in a higher rate of productivity.  I think the very nature of this problem is feeding itself.

The rate of work and demand in the workplace these days is greater than it has ever been.  With increased demands and increased competition, people are working harder than ever to get their job done.  Since I work in ministry I see this first and foremost in the church, but of course it affects all industries.

Here is the scenario: a person has a crazy amount of work to do and they have to complete it on an accelerated time line.  What to do?  The modern worker will opt for staring at their computer monitor for hours at a time, eating lunch at their desk and working far past normal work hours.  I think this is contrary to what is actually productive.

There is plenty of research that shows that this kind of work flow is destructive.  Look at this recent article, it states quite plainly that taking a lunch break actually make you more productive.  That is, if you take a rest, get away from your desk, eat some food and try to get your mind off of work for a while you will actually get more done.

Personally, if I wait for everything to be finished before I get up from my desk I will never leave.  I could potentially work for 24 hours a day.  Do you feel this way from time to time?  I'll bet you do.  I make a point of standing up and walking around at least one an hour.  I go outside, I walk around the office and briefly chat with others that may be taking a walk about, and I try to focus on something other than work for a few minutes.  The result?  I come back to my desk focussed and ready to take on the challenges before me.

What do you do to break up the work flow?