jameyjohnson.org

Fully Embraced

How many of your people buy-in to your vision?  This question if answered honestly can have an empowering or humbling affect on your leadership.  

How about another "could be" disturbing question, "How many on your team fully embrace the mission and intentionally, consistently, and passionately, make a contribution towards it's fulfillment?"  For some leaders they've answered this question with resounding excitement and confidence, and said, "YES!  My team and our people fully embrace the mission, and make huge contributions toward its fulfillment."  On the other hand, there are some of us who just say, "Crap!" (or something along those lines)

I don't where I pulled this quote from, however, its a good one,"write and publish what you want the only missions, values, and ethics that count in your company (church) are the ones that manifest themselves in the behavior (not in the words) in all the people all the time...particularly, with those with leadership responsibilities at every level...your key people have to embrace and contribute to the mission."

Our mission is what we build our ministry on, therefore, it is the foundation of ministry. 

Questions to think about:

• Have you communicated your mission clearly to your people?
• Have you communicated your mission consistently to your people?
• Have your communicated your mission creatively to your people?
• Are your people committed to your mission?
• Is your mission just to have a good crowd on Sunday morning?  Is your week a success based soley on church attendance? 
• How do you evaluate and measure success in your church?

  

Where is everyone?

I came across this quote last night, it read, "As a leader, your success is measured by your ability to actually take the people where you need to go."  Creating vision to action is a powerful thing.  Once a leader begins to cast vision to the people, it takes many things to actually turn vision into achievement.  Being able to motivate the ability of the people into action, and the action of the people into achievement requires leadership skill. 

John Maxwell says, "People buy-in to the leader, then the vision."  Therefore, our ability to take the people where they need to go depends much on how much they buy into us as the leader first.  Every word that the leader speaks forth about the vision to the people (no matter how good that vision is) is filtered through the massager who delivers it. How many leaders have tried to get people to act on their vision but were unable to make it happen? Has it happened to you?   

Some good questions to ask ourselves:

1. Is our leadership as compelling as our vision?
2. Would you follow you? 
3. Where are you going? Why would anyone want to go with you?
4. Are you the type of leader whom followers readily buy in to? 
5. Do you seem to have more people than you can handle trying to join your team or organization? 
6. Are you continually trying to convince people to follow your lead?
7. How much energy are you giving to increase your leadership?

Maxwell goes on to say, "Just because a person has vision and occupies a leadership position doesn't necessarily mean that people will follow.  Before they get on board they have to buy in.  And that doesn't happen in an instant.  Buy-in is an ongoing process." Paying attention to this "ONGOING PROCESS" is what some leader's fail to do, therefore, the vision they have never comes to fruition. 

It would be wise for leaders to pay attention to the ongoing process of development in their:

• Leadership - become a person of influence
• Character - it earns credibility
• Competency - it earns credibility
• Organizational insight
• Relationship skills - authenticity - trust
• Charisma - good connection/people skills
• Ability - people love competence
• Relationships with key influencer's
• Mentoring of younger leaders
• Positive team chemistry on their staff
• Communication skills / Vision casting skills

Question:

1. What is the level of buy-in for the people you lead? 

Going on a trip? Is anyone following?

The ability to cast vision as a leader is one thing, however, the ability to take people where you want to go can be something totally different.  People will not follow you as a leader just because you cast a vision.  It is this process that frustrates many leaders.  There are leaders who believe that just because they "say it" then the people should follow.  Life doesn't work that way, leading people is not a "hut-two-three-four" process.  Therefore, as leaders we must understand the connection between vision-casting and strategic planning (answering the "why" we do what we do).  Once again, "the ability to cast vision means your a good communicator, however, the ability to take people where you want to go means your a good leader, and there is a world of difference between the two." 

Vision-Casting/Strategic Planning Process:

*  Pre-determine your course of action - (this answers the question: "where do I want to go?")

*  Lay out your plans - (stepping stones to the objective).

*  Adjust your priorities - (streamline yourself).

*  Notify key personnel - (Share the vision w/ key personnel/get buy-in/get feedback from key influencers).

*  Allow Time for acceptance (be patient, connect-connect-connect w/ key influencers).

*  Head into action - (Movement is the key word).

*  Expect Problems - (Motion causes friction/connect w/ key personnel continuously).

*  Always point to your successes (be positive/try not to do a Moses and break the stones).

*  Dailey review the progress - (evaluate the progress/evaluate the plan/communicate and talk to key people).

P.L.A.N.  A.H.E.A.D. will help you connect the dots of vision-casting and strategic planning!  It's helping me!

Baby, where are we going?

I can't tell you how many times my wife has said to me while driving, "Baby, where are we GOING!?" I reply by saying something like, "I told you last week that I needed to stop by this place!" Then suddenly problems arises (have you been there?). The problem is not where we were going, the problem was my lack of communication.  Lack of communication remains a major problems in many marriages, however, it is also a problem leaders face in their organization (churches) as well - because the people are asking many of leaders, "Where are we GOING?!" 

The ability to cast and communicate the vision of the organization (churches) should be the leader's number one responsibility and priority. I'm sure most leaders would say that they do communicate the vision of the organization to their people. For example, many pastoral leaders have what is called a "vision-casting series." This is where the pastoral leader spends 2-4 weeks communicating the vision of their church on Sunday mornings (this kind of series usually takes place in September or January).  However, 2-4 weeks for 45 minutes on Sunday mornings is not enough time to vision cast effectively.  Leaders can't just spend 2-4 weeks a year on vision-casting and expect the people to know where the church is going (aka. "Baby, where are we going?" will be the norm from your people).  Effective vision-casting must take place at planned/strategic times throughout the year with great intentionality and care. Many pastors/leaders spend enormous amount of time and care planning, thinking, and strategizing their Sunday sermons/talks, however, that same kind of strategizing/planning is rarely done for vision-casting moments/talks.

Questions to think about:

* Which key leaders/influencer's in my organization do I need to take out to lunch and share the vision of the organization with in more detail?

* How often am I communicating vision with my spouse? My staff team?  With my key volunteers/leaders?

* How often do I communicate vision with our congregation?  Do I share the organizational "wins" with our people?  Do I share the organizational struggles with our people?  Am I transparent enough about the highs and lows of our organization's vision?

* Can you locate the key events in our organization (church) calendar in which sharing the vision would be beneficial?  How about in the community? 

* Am I being creative in the way I communicate the vision of our organization? 

Let me know how you communicate the vision for your organization?  How often? What do you do?   

Quote from Bill Hybels: VISION/VISION CASTING
How does a church that is existing at one level of reality ever get to a higher level? Somebody has to stand up in front of that group of people and say, “Hey gang, there is a better future out there. We’re here. The future God has for us is out there, and I believe that in His power and by His strength, we can move there!” That’s what vision casting is. It is absolutely critical toward helping a church reach its redemptive potential, and every leader has to learn how to do it. You have to be able to say, “Imagine the day when ...” and then paint a picture of the future that creates passion in people. If you do that well, peoples’ hearts get set a? re toward the achievement of that vision.