Issue No. 9 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting features a book on management and a bucket on hoopla. The authors of the book quote Charles Kettering with this poignant reminder for churches and organizations, "If you have always done it that way, it is probably wrong." Ouch!
It's Not an M.B.A. for Dummies, It's a Toolbox for Ministry Success
Most of my readers are long past the so-called divide between sacred and secular (which is not biblical), especially as it relates to ensuring effectiveness in ministry. Should churches use "Madison Avenue" techniques to "market" to their communities? This week’s book quotes A.W. Tozer, "It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it. The motive is everything."
The Minister’s MBA: Essential Business Tools for Maximum Ministry Success, by George S. Babbes and Michael Zigarelli, is long overdue. The book features 12 "courses" (chapters) including: your mission, creating a high performance DNA, retaining great people, leading with shrewd stewardship, and how to use the balanced scorecard for measuring strategy."
The "Strategy Map" chapter is excellent and every pastor, staff member and key church volunteer must read it. You'll learn how to get beyond lagging indicators (past performance) and onto leading indicators like member satisfaction (where you’re headed).
Bucket Idea. Every Sunday afternoon, email 100 church members (a different group each week) and ask them to complete an anonymous three-minute online feedback survey about the service, the sermon and their faith journey. SurveyMonkey is an easy and excellent online survey tool.
Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions:
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1. In endorsing this book, Jack Hayford writes, "there are two keys to effective church leadership: Keeping your heart straight with God and your focus straight on your task." Rate your church or organization, on a scale of 1 to 10, for each of these two keys.
2. Introduce your team to the 12 "courses" in The Minister's MBA. Then make this assignment, "Identify three strengths and three areas for improvement in your professional development."
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Insights from the Management Buckets Workshop Experience
Fun at work is not a high priority for each of the four social styles (see last week's book). But if you rarely (or never push) the hoopla button, you're missing the opportunity to engage your team members on a relational level. If you're the leader and you're shy on creativity, appoint a team member as your "International Executive V.P. of Hoopla."
Give your V.P. a budget, a calendar and a just-for-fun business card (www.FreeChurchPrinting.com) and inspire her or him to plan the hoopla. Here are some ideas for small teams or departments:
1) Schedule a staff meeting and when everyone shows up, cancel it, and take them to Starbucks or 31 Flavors. 2) Celebrate the 500th phone call answered this week (or this month) by your receptionist. 3) Challenge another department to a whiffle ball world series. 4) Order pizza and watch a 30-minute episode of NBC's sitcom, The Office.
More HOOPLA ideas: Hundreds of ideas from Barbara Glanz
In our Management Buckets Workshop Experience, we share the best of the best hoopla ideas from each participant. The top vote getter earns a Starbucks card and a Hoopla Award (suitable for framing!).
Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions:
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1. What's the most memorable "hoopla experience" you’ve had in any company or organization? Why?
2. OK…Susan, Mark, Dirk and Bob—here's $100. Plan some hoopla for our department for next Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
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Download the Management Buckets brochure
