Happy People are Productive People
Disneyland has a slogan “The happiest place on earth.” Wouldn’t that be a great slogan for your team or company – that your place of work is the “happiest place on earth?” What do you think your fellow team members or staff feels about the work environment that has been created? Would they describe the climate of your company as the “happiest place on earth?”
Happy people are productive people. If you want to your people to be productive, creative, loyal, hard working and full of life and energy, then it is essential to create the healthiest, happiest environment possible. People work better under the right conditions. You win, your staff wins, and your customers win…everyone wins!
Here are a few tips to help you create “The happiest place on earth:”
• Be less inclined to give advice and more inclined to take it.
Create an environment that is receptive to advise from others, rather then so quick to give it out. By doing this you will develop individuals who desire to grow and value the voice of others.
• Identify great qualities in others.
This can be difficult especially with those who are difficult to get along with, but you can do it. Find the unique qualities with those in your circle. Applaud those qualities privately and publicly. Create an environment where people seek the best not the worst.
• Go out of your way to show appreciation.
Be gracious with your words. Say things like: “thank you,” “good job,” “I appreciate all you do,” “you make this a great place to work,” and “we couldn’t do it without you.” Think about it for a moment – words shape lives, add value to people, set the tone and, the greatest thing of all, words are free!
• Promise only what you can deliver
The environment must be one of trust and mutual respect. This kind of environment is difficult to create if you have people that don’t deliver on their promises. Be a person of your word… someone that others can count on.
• Have fun
Do something out of the ordinary and have fun. Shut down the office and take everyone bowling or miniature golfing. Take everyone out for an afternoon ice cream or to a movie. Do something fun and out of the ordinary 2-3 times a year and your people will begin to notice the difference.
If you want to create an environment of productivity and creativity, then you will need to make your place of work “the happiest place on earth.” Enjoy, get creative and think outside of the box. I promise that if you work hard at making a happy place, your staff will work even harder for you.
Until next time,
Chris Sonksen
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
- George Bernard Shaw
Filed under: Communication, Leadership, Relationships, Team, choices, recognition | Leave a Comment
Tags: Effective Leader, good work environment, Leadership, motivation, recognition, team building, Unlock Potential
Pitfalls to Avoid When Hiring
Take the time to hire the right person
I remember a time in my organization where we were looking to add to our staff. After reviewing many applicants we narrowed the field down to three. After more contemplation and grueling interviews, we made an offer to what we “thought” was our best choice. He accepted the position and we began moving forward. He seemed to everyone on the executive team as the person that would add the greatest value to our organization and he seemed to be a fit for all of us. WOW…where we wrong.
This individual wasn’t a fit at all. The value I hoped that he would add just wasn’t there. If I could do it all over again I would not hire that individual and I would have saved us money and time and even some hurt feelings. One of the greatest decisions a leader must make is hiring the right person. I have heard it said that “people are always the problem and they are always the solution.” If you want to move forward with your organization and you want to go to the top, it will be strongly dependent on the people you hire.
Here are some pitfalls to avoid in your hiring process:
Don’t hire out of desperation
Often we put the word out, go through the interviewing process and find that there isn’t much out there. So we are left to settle for the lesser of two evils. We end up throwing good judgment out the window and make a hire in desperation to fill the need. This move will, in the end, cost you more than if you had waited. Be careful not to make this fatal mistake.
Don’t ignore your personal feelings or gut reaction
If you don’t like a candidate in the initial interview – when the person should be at their best – chances are you won’t like the person later. I am not saying everything rises and falls on your first meeting, but don’t be afraid to go with your intuition.
Don’t hire someone who has the ability but lacks the people skills
I always say that you can teach someone to run a computer or to organize an event, but it is very difficult to teach someone people skills. I would rather have someone who needs a few weeks of training to get caught up, but is great with people, than someone who is technically advanced but socially unfit. Be careful not to let your good judgment be blinded by someone’s great ability. Their inability to connect with others may cost you more then they can achieve.
Don’t be vague
When you hire someone don’t be in such a hurry that you become vague about their roles and responsibilities. It is important that they know exactly what they are getting into and what is expected of them. If you are not clear about your expectations then you will be setting the relationship up for frustration. Be clear, put it in writing and hold them accountable to it.
Until next time,
Chris Sonksen
QUOTE FOR THE DAY
“You can buy a man’s time; you can even buy his physical presence at a given place, but you cannot buy enthusiasm…you cannot buy loyalty…you cannot buy devotion of hearts, minds or souls.”
Charles Frances
Filed under: Leadership, Team, choices | Leave a Comment
Tags: hiring, Human Relations, Leadership, loyalty, staff, team player, teram
Influence and clarity are vital to leadership
In parts one and two of, “How well am I leading the church” we addressed several of the areas needed to be a great leader in your church. In part one, I showed you that as a pastor/leader, having a consuming passion to build a thriving church should be the center of everything else. In part two, I pointed out that as the leader of your church you must have a commitment to personal growth and a commitment to add value to others. This time we will address the final two areas that you should consider when asking, “how well am I leading the church?” They are…
- Character that builds influence
- Clarity of heart and mission
First we will look at “character that builds influence”. It is a fact that if leadership is influence then you cannot successfully lead without it. In order to successfully lead you must have positive influence both with your staff and those who attend your church. How then do we have or increase influence? Below is an adaptation of an acrostic found in the book Becoming A Person of Influence by John Maxwell. These basic principles are a good starting point when seeking to increases your influence.
I ntegrity with people
N urtures other people
F aith in people
L istens to people
U nderstands people
E nlarges people
N avigates for other people
C onnects with people
E mpowers people
R eproduces people
Finally, in order to successfully lead your church, you need to have clarity of heart and mission. Ask yourself two questions…
- What has God called me to be?
- What has God called me to do?
When you have answered these questions, and you are convinced you are on the right path, it is time to evaluate the two sides to your life and how they relate to your team. The two sides of your life are…
- The Person
- The Pastor
As the PERSON the team needs to see in you:
- Confidence in the calling
- Single mindedness
- Clarity of purpose for your life
As the PASTOR the team needs to see in you:
- Unwavering commitment
- Clear Direction
- Heart, strength and ability to get it done
Remember, it is a CONSUMING PASSION TO BUILD A THRIVING CHURCH that will drive you. The desire to see your church growing by reaching your community, and to see your members drawing closer to Christ will fuel your fire to continually improve on your own leadership.
Until next time,
Chris Sonksen
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” John 10:11-14(NLT)
Filed under: Habits, Leadership, Personal Growth, church growth | Leave a Comment
Tags: church growth, clarity, Effective Leader, Human Relations, influence, Leadership, passion for church, Personal Growth, personal relationships
Have a commitment to Personal Growth and Adding Value to Your Team
Last time, I pointed out that the first step to being an effective leader in your church is having a consuming passion to build a thriving church. If a passion to have a thriving, growing church is your motivation, then a dedication to learning and to growing the various qualities of a good leader is a must. John F. Kennedy once said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”Let’s take a closer look at two of these areas of leadership.
I have observed that leaders are usually in one of the two places…A place of continual challenge or a place of continual comfort. You, and therefore your church, cannot move forward if you are continually comfortable. In order to grow as a leader, you must challenge yourself; you must have a commitment to personal growth. Here are some basic steps…
1. To challenge yourself you have to invest in yourself.
How to invest:
a) Read great books, blogs, newsletters, daily
b) Listen to motivational and/or teaching cd’s, or other audio sources daily
c) Take thinking moments -Set aside time each week where you step away and think about leadership and your personal growth. This is where you learn to journal.
d) Visit great places
e) Talk to great leaders
f) Be committed to life long coaching/mentoring
2. Create a plan and stick with it. I have heard it said, “The greatest obstacle to personal growth isn’t ignorance or lack of intelligence. It is a lack of a plan to get you there.”
Two main keys to creating a personal growth plan are:
• Identify what you need to do
• Place it in your calendar and live by it
Another area we need to focus on as leaders is having a Commitment to add value to others. In the setting of your church team, this includes church staff and volunteer leaders. Bob Nelson, author of 1001 Ways To Reward Employees did a survey on managers and employees. He had each group list on a scale from 1-10 what is most important to them.
The Managers Top 3 were…
1. Good wages
2. Job Security
3. Promotion/Growth opportunities
The Employees Top 3 were…
1. Appreciation
2. Sympathetic to personal problems
3. Feeling “IN” on things
NOTE: Managers only ranked Appreciation as #8
“How can you add value to those around you,
if you don’t know what they value?”
Here are some tips to help you better value your team.
1. Know their love language.
- What makes each team member feel valuable? (Gifts, Words, Notes, Public Affirmation, see The Five Love Languages, by Dr. Gary Chapman)
2. Put a “10” on each team members head and treat them that way.
3. Be genuinely interested in their lives.
4. Regularly invest in them as a leader.
a) Go through monthly leadership books with them.
b) Create leadership growth groups.
c) Send them to conferences.
d) Get them in front of great leaders.
e) When you have a great speaker in, have them spend time with the leaders before or after the services.
I will address the last two areas of effective church leadership (Character that builds influence and Clarity of heart and mission) in part 3 of “How well am I leading the church?
Until next time,
Chris Sonksen
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Every great man is always being helped by everybody; for his gift is to get good out of all things and all persons.”
– John Ruskin
Filed under: Habits, Leadership, Personal Growth, Team, church growth | Leave a Comment
Tags: church growth, Effective Leader, healthy relationships, Human Relations, Leadership, passion, Personal Growth, personal relationships, recognition, team building
The"size" of the leader is more important than the size of the project
It has been said, “It’s not the size of the project that determines its acceptance, support and success. It’s the size of the Leader.” My question to you is how are you doing as a leader of your church? Are you contributing to excitement, outreach and growth, or are you stuck and contributing to stagnancy and decline? I encourage you to take the following quiz to help you have a clear vision of how you are performing as a leader.
Use the rating system 1 2 3 4 5
KEY:
1 – Haven’t done it
2 – Just in the early stages
3 – Solidly in progress
4 – Nearly accomplished
5 – Fully accomplished
Please read the statement below and circle the number that best describes you:
I have communicated in such a way that our key leaders understand our purpose and process.
1 2 3 4 5
I have taken the steps necessary so that our church understands the purpose and process.
1 2 3 4 5
I have led the church to a place where our purpose and process is working.
1 2 3 4 5
I have put together the right team that will lead us to success.
1 2 3 4 5
I actively add value to my team by resourcing them for personal growth.
1 2 3 4 5
I have developed a team that “fits”.
1 2 3 4 5
I have helped each player on the team reach their potential.
1 2 3 4 5
I know the level of all my players on the team.
1 2 3 4 5
I model personal growth through reading leadership books, attending conferences, speaking to other great leaders and doing what is necessary to grow.
1 2 3 4 5
I am living with integrity before my team.
1 2 3 4 5
I have developed a deep bench of leaders.
1 2 3 4 5
I have helped to build a winning tradition at our church.
1 2 3 4 5
I have displayed a willingness to change.
1 2 3 4 5
I have developed clear expectations for each leader.
1 2 3 4 5
I have learned to give away authority.
1 2 3 4 5
I do only the tasks that cannot be delegated.
1 2 3 4 5
I have encouraged my team in such a way that they would say they are better leaders because I am in their life.
1 2 3 4 5
I have discovered and implemented ways to continually keep the purpose and process before they church.
1 2 3 4 5
I model living a balanced life to my team.
1 2 3 4 5
I have shown that I am willing to make the tough decisions without dragging my feet.
1 2 3 4 5
Please add the total from all statements: Total __________________________
The above quiz covers many areas of leadership, and it reveals these areas about ourselves…
1. Commitment to personal growth 2. Commitment to add value to others
5. Consuming passion to build a
thriving church
3. Character that builds influence 4. Clarity of heart and mission
Notice that “consuming passion to build a thriving church” is in the middle of the other categories. Do you have a consuming passion for your church? Do you want to see your church growing through evangelism and community outreach? Do you want to see those who are in your church drawing closer to God and growing stronger in their faith? If you do not yet have a burning desire to have a thriving church, discovering that passion is the first place to start. If you do have that passion, fantastic! Out of that passion will stem a desire to work on these other elements…personal growth, adding value to others, character, and clarity. I will take a closer look at some of these areas next time.
Until next time,
Chris Sonksen
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.”
John Maxwell
Filed under: Developing Healthy Churches, Habits, Leadership, Personal Growth, church growth | Leave a Comment
Tags: church growth, Effective Leader, Leadership, passion, Personal Growth
Get more done in less time.
Have you ever found yourself saying “If there was just more time during the day.” Or, “If I could just have 8 days in the week instead of 7.” I am sure you have felt this way more then once in your life. So much to do with what seems so little time.
The interesting thing about time is that we are all given the same amount. From the President of the United States to a factory worker in Wisconsin, everyone is given the same amount of time. It’s how you spend that time that will make all the difference. What separates the good from the great can often be found in how they spend their time.
Here is a list of things you can do that can help you to maximize your time:
1. Do easy jobs while on the phone
If you’re on hold for a descent length of time find something productive to do. Sign papers, organize your desk, and check your e-mail. However you should never do this while talking with someone otherwise you will fall into the habit of not giving people your full attention.
2. Develop a plan for screening calls
Most calls are not urgent. They can be handled by someone else just as good as they can be handled by you. Try to develop a plan that will help you take the calls that only you can handle and leave the rest to someone you designate.
3. Establish a phone call return time
Try to establish a time when you return calls. Maybe it is one hour during the day that all your calls will be dealt with. If you do this you will need someone to screen your calls. Someone that understands what your policy is and can inform the caller when they could expect a call back.
4. Make a to do list
Don’t just do the things that are easy to get done or are more fun to do. Get the things done that you may not like to do but you know you have to.
5. Handle paperwork properly
Try to handle a piece of paper on your desk only once. Once you have read it, do what needs to be done and remove it from your work area. This will help you avoid papers piling up on your desk and it will help you prevent letting issues slip by without any response.
6. Use waiting time wisely
If you are going to be waiting in a lobby area or waiting room sometime during your day, be prepared to use that time wisely. Read, plan, study, review or write, but find something productive to do.
7. Isolate yourself
When you are working on a major project find a place where you can be alone, possibly a restaurant or coffee house. Any place where you can spend uninterrupted time working on the project at hand.
These are just a few VERY PRACTICAL ideas that will help you maximize your time. Try one of them out this week and see how it will help you get more done in less time.
Until next time,
Chris Sonksen
QUOTE FOR THE WEEK
“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered,
you will never grow.”
Ronald E. Osborn
Filed under: Habits, Leadership, Personal Growth | Leave a Comment
Tags: Personal Growth, Planning for success, Time Management
Build Creative Teams
As I pointed out in part one of “Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing,” weekend services are where your vision comes to life, team efforts are seen, are catalysts to life change, and the a weekend service is usually a visitor’s first impression of the church. Creativity is often the missing piece in making predictable weekend services memorable, inspirational and impactful. I know this can seem like a huge overwhelming task…
DON’T DO THIS ALONE…BUILD CREATIVE TEAMS
Some of the benefits of creative teams are they:
a) Make you better than you are
b) Keep you from getting in a rut
c) Reduce stress
d) Reduce your work load
e) Multiply your talent base
f) Give you greater buy in
g) Expand your knowledge of the audience
Two teams you can build to help keep your services creative are:
Team #1 – Teaching Team
Purpose: To create the monthly themes for each weekend series and the
outlines for each week’s service. They assist in providing illustrations,
examples, scriptural insight and creativity.
Participants: Lead Pastor, few key staff/leaders – size of team can vary from 3-5
Step 1 – Mapping out the year
·3-4 months prior to the coming new year the team will meet for prayer and discussion on monthly themes for the following year.
·There will be several meetings before the themes are finally decided
·Various themes become staples for the following year. (Family Month, Spiritual Emphasis, Vision, etc…)
·The goal is not to create working titles, but general themes.
Step 2 – Mapping out the month
·The Teaching Team meets once a month, to create series titles. (including titles for overall series and weekend titles)
·The Team works approximately 2 months in advance (this is necessary to help programming team in creating elements for the service)
·These meetings include the Programming Director and the Graphics Director (this allows them to gain insight for the series which helps the Programming Director prepare and the Graphics Director for branding)
Step 3 – Mapping out the weekend
·The Teaching Team meets approximately 10-12 days prior to the weekend services
·The meetings last approximately 2 hours and are held weekly
·The purpose of these meetings are to create the actual outline of the weekend service.
·The team provides scriptural insight, creative illustrations for the message, quotes, examples or anything that will enhance the message for the person communicating that weekend.
Team # 2 – Programming Team
Purpose: The purpose of the Programming Team is to create and design the elements of the services. Their responsibility is to enhance the overall experience that the audience has when attending a weekend service.
Size of group: 6-10 (take caution in making it too big)
Programming Team process:
·The Programming Director takes notes from the “Mapping out the Month” meeting and distributes them to the Programming Team.
·Individuals from the Programming Team are asked to come with 2-3 ideas for the services based on the themes.
·The Programming Team will meet 6 weeks prior to the start of the new series for the purpose of creativity.
·Ideas from the teams will include: special songs, staging, branding, videos, dramas, life change videos, life change moments, and illustrations
·A white board is used a lot in these meetings. The 4-5 week series is divided on the board and the ideas are placed in each week as they are presented.
·After all ideas are given, the team begins to narrow down the best ideas.
·Assignments are given out and the Program Director follows up with each person as the weekends approach to assure completion of the assignment
Programming sub/review team:
·Smaller group of the programming team meets each week.
·Team reviews the elements and services from the week prior
·Programming director reviews plans for the upcoming 2-3 weeks to assure we are on schedule for the upcoming services.
Pre and Post service process:
·Programming Director meets with those involved in service (sound, lighting, stage hands, worship team, drama team, anyone speaking from the platform)
·Meeting lasts 5-7 minutes
·Purpose of the meeting is to review plans for the service that is about to happen to make sure all bases are covered.
·This meeting happens before the first weekend service
·Immediately following the first service of the weekend 4-6 people (Tech Director, Program Director, Drama Director, Stage Hand Director and anyone speaking from the microphone) meet to review the service and make any last minute changes for the upcoming services.
With minor adjustments, these teams can work for any size church. While some of the specifics may change the principle will remain the same. Here’s how:
a)Find the most creative people you can (it’s ok if 1-2 of them don’t go to your church)
b)Be flexible with the schedule (nights, mornings, weekends)
c)Be prepared (don’t waste their time)
d)Let the directors have ownership
e)Get the system in place (difficult up front, but will make life easier)
f)Start somewhere…but start
g)Have a lot of fun
Finally, you must remove your excuses. Excuses such as, “adding creative elements is too expensive.” “There are not enough creative people around me.” “I/we don’t have enough time.” I don’t work that far in advance.” “The facilities we are in won’t work for creativity.” Make a commitment to look for solutions to challenges and not give in to them. The ability to connect with your audience and have greater impact is too important to let these or any other excuses stand in the way of having creative, inspirational services.
Until next time,
Chris Sonksen
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Creativity, as has been said, consists largely of rearranging what we know in order to find out what we do not know. Hence, to think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted.”
— George Kneller
Filed under: Developing Healthy Churches, Team, church growth, weekend services | Leave a Comment
Tags: be resourceful, church growth, creative services, creative team, creative thinking, team building, Techniques of effective leaders
Always Keep Learning
Stop and think about it for a moment. “When you’re through learning you’re through.” Isn’t that true? I mean think about it for a moment. The minute you stop learning, the minute you stop growing, the minute you stop obtaining more knowledge and understanding, you’re through. You are making a conscious decision that this is the most I will know. You are making a choice that this is the best you will ever get. Once you make that decision your personal and professional future begins to plateau and often decline. How is that possible? Well let me explain it to you this way.
Imagine a Doctor saying “I am through learning, any new medicine or modern techniques; I don’t care to know about.” What is going to happen for that Doctor? Other doctors will begin to become greater in their field, they will know more and as a result be more effective. They will have a better chance of healing the sick, bringing relief to the hurting and possibly even saving lives. They will have this chance because they have continued to learn. The Doctor who chooses not to grow and learn will be left behind and ultimately he will suffer, his business will suffer and so will his patients, all because he did not heed to the powerful truth that says “when you’re through learning you’re through.”
Whether you are a Doctor, Salesperson, Accountant, Public servant, Pastor or Business owner the same is true for you “when you’re through learning you’re through.” Your personal and professional life will begin a plateau and even a decline. So how can you avoid this horrible pattern? Here are some things that you can do that will keep you moving forward:
1) Commit to grow
This is simply a choice that you must make. “I WILL GROW.” I will do whatever it takes to keep myself growing and learning every single day of my life. Make this choice right now. If you don’t chose to move forward with growth then you are ultimately making a choice to move backwards in your life.
2) Create a growth plan
Don’t make a choice to grow without a plan. I often ask people “do you have a growth plan?” and they usually answer “no.” If they don’t have a plan to get somewhere then how will they ever get there? You need to create a plan for growth. Here are some things you can do:
• Read books – Find books that will help you grow as a leader and as a person. Commit to reading one book a month. Imagine the difference that will make over a year.
• Attend seminars – Find some conferences and seminars that will inspire and challenge you. Sometimes these events can become costly but if you look hard enough you can keep the cost down. These types of events have a way of keeping you motivated and on track with your plans for growth.
• Audio learning – There are so many great teachings on audio. Imagine if you listened to teaching and training during your drive time, you could learn and grow so much just by changing what you listen to in the car.
3) Use every available resource to grow
There are so many resources out there that can help you grow and they don’t cost anything. Even this teaching that you are reading right now This blog and others like it are free. You don’t have to pay for them and yet you and your key leaders can grow as a result. There are numerous resources that are available to you through the internet that can help you grow. Use these resources, use every resource and watch yourself grow.
4) Help someone else grow
Zig Ziglar once said “If you help enough people be successful you will never lack success for yourself.” In other words, help other people grow and somehow you grow yourself. How can you help others grow? Give them materials that will make them better than they are. Forward a link to this blog to 10 friends and colleagues and let them know that you want to help them grow. Give them audio teachings, send them articles, and pay for them to go to a seminar. If you will help others grow you will never lack growth yourself.
Until next time,
Chris Sonksen
QUOTE FOR THE DAY:
“Today is the tomorrow that you said yesterday you would get it done.”
Filed under: Habits, Leadership, Personal Growth | Leave a Comment
Tags: continued learning, motivation, Personal Growth, Planning for success, take action, Techniques of effective leaders
Creativity is needed for a successful weekend service
In order for any church to be a healthy, thriving body, especially if your focus is church growth, you must keep “the main thing the main thing.” What is the main thing? In any church, the main “thing” is Weekend Services! Your weekend services are where your vision comes to life, team efforts are seen, and they are catalysts to life change. And in terms of evangelism a weekend service is usually a visitor’s first impression of the church. It has been said, “In the NFL there is one Super Bowl per year…in the church life there are 52 per year.” The problem is that we often treat the major thing as the minor thing. We think of the weekend services as business as usual. Therefore, there is often very little sermon prep. The planning is frequently last minute. The services often lack creativity, and are predictable. Following are some of the excuses I have been given for not having more creative and interesting services.
• I’m not very creative
• No one in our church is creative
• I don’t have a staff to work with
• Can’t afford to be creative
• Creative services inhibit the moving of the Holy Spirit
Now consider this… God made you as a creative being. God invented creativity. Jesus modeled creativity, and the Spirit empowers creativity. If this is true, what is the real reason why we don’t have creative services? Some of the reasons and/or excuses I have encountered are…
a) The planning takes too long
b) Brings us out of our comfort zone
c) Failure to see the value
d) Too much work
Now that you are beginning to embrace your creative side, here are a few general suggestions regarding how to increase your creativeness in various areas of your services.
1. Creative Worship
• Life Change video
• Baptism
• Reading of a life change story
• Video images
• Utilize special music with creativity
• Dance
FACT: Worship can be more than 3-5 songs week after week
2. Creative Communication – the sermon
• Always ask: “What does the listener need to know and what do they need to do?”
• Less is more (try to find one driving theme)
• Use creative illustrations
• Stay fresh
• Give a good balance (spiritual depth, Bible, relevancy)
“If better is possible then good is not enough”
3. Creative Elements
• Videos
• Special Song
• Interaction moments
• Drama
Before you start to feel overwhelmed, keep in mind that this is not and should not be all up to you. You will need a team to help you in this process. In part 2 we will discuss how to create that team and how to work with the team effectively.
Until next time,
Chris Sonksen
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
Maya Angelou
Filed under: Habits, vision | Leave a Comment
Tags: be resourceful, church growth, creative services, creative thinking, Out of the Box, passion, Planning for success, Techniques of effective leaders, weekend services
The hot dog vendor had committed himself to a principled life
A hot dog vendor was doing well in the city of New York. Sales were up, the business was expanding and he was making a comfortable living. One day as he was selling his hot dogs and a man approached him and said “Sir, how can you be expanding your business, don’t you know we are in the middle of a depression?” The hot dog vendor responded “I didn’t know we were in the middle of a depression, no one told me.”
This hot dog vendor had no idea that people were losing their jobs and suffering financially. He had committed himself to the principle of hard work and a positive attitude and not even a depression could slow him down. He lived by a set of principles that guided his life and you can do the same.
Let me take a moment to give you what I call “Ten Rules for Principle Based Living.” If you follow these rules they will outline your life for success.
1) Work hard
Don’t be lazy! Work hard at everything you do. Whatever your job is or whatever assignment you are given, do the job well and give it 100% of your effort.
2) Study hard
Knowledge allows you to know more, become more and accomplish more. Be someone who is committed to personal development. Study hard to gain all the knowledge you can.
3) Have initiative
Don’t wait for others to assign a task to you…find the need and fill it. Take the initiative in your marriage, career or organization.
4) Strive for excellence
You’ve heard the saying “If you’re going to do a job, do it right.” Don’t do things mediocre. Gain the reputation that when you do something you do it with excellence.
5) Have a Conquest spirit
Be someone who never gives up, who fights hard to accomplish the task at hand. Be someone who doesn’t allow difficulty to get in the way.
6) Be likable
Work hard at becoming a person that people want to be around. Being likable is an asset for anyone seeking success.
7) Invest in others
You should always be investing in someone. Finding people that you influence and bringing out the best in them. If you invest in other people’s success you will never lack success for yourself.
8) Love your work
You have to love what you do and if you don’t then maybe you need to find something else to do.
9) Cultivate right relationships
Keep things right between you and other people. Forgive quickly, communicate clearly, and always love through your words and actions. Life is made of relationships…so make them good.
10) Maintain the right attitude
A person is shaped by their thoughts. Maintain the right attitude and it will shape you for success, maintain the wrong attitude and it will shape you for failure!
Until next time,
Chris Sonksen
QUOTE FOR THE DAY
“Knowledge without enthusiasm is boring, but enthusiasm without
knowledge is chaos.”
- Author Unknown
Filed under: Habits, Personal Growth | Leave a Comment
Tags: Habits, integrity, Personal Growth, Planning for success, priciples
Chris Sonksen’s Church Growth and Leadership Blog-
Recent Comments
Karim on Building a climate of tru… Mike on Tips for coping with critical … Dave Benson on Leading your team to succ… Megan on About Chris Sonksen L. Paul Bernard on “Selecting the right players f… Stan Cornelis on About Chris Sonksen Dave Benson on Learning the art of commu… Chris Sonksen on About Chris Sonksen Tim Buttrey on About Chris Sonksen Robert on “Out of the box” thinking Part… Share This Blog
Recent Entries
- Creating a Pleasant Work Environment
- Pitfalls to Avoid When Hiring
- How well am I leading the church? – Part 3
- How well am I leading the church? – Part 2
- How well am I leading the church? – Part 1
- Simple Ways to Get More Done In Less Time
- Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing – part 2
- “When you’re through learning you’re through”
- Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing – Part 1
- Ten Rules for Principle Based Living
- Team Building for a Thriving Church
Categories
- choices (10)
- church growth (8)
- Communication (7)
- criticism (2)
- Developing Healthy Churches (6)
- goal setting (2)
- Habits (13)
- Leadership (46)
- Personal Growth (28)
- recognition (5)
- Relationships (12)
- Strengths (2)
- Team (16)
- Uncategorized (7)
- vision (5)
- weekend services (1)
