Anything for a Golf Ball

 

Issue No. 412 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Aug. 24, 2019) features a laugh-out-loud Kindle book on how to find lost golf balls—and why “golf hawkers” are so passionate. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and, if you prefer, view this AI-generated podcast summary of this review at John Pearson's Buckets Podcast. Summer Reading List #5 Anything for a Golf Ball: The Art of Finding Lost Golf Balls Before summer evaporates here in the Northern Hemisphere and you’re overwhelmed with strategic plan deadlines, carpool juggling, and reattaching those winter storm windows, let’s squeeze in some golf. There are three ways to have fun with golf: #1. Q SCHOOL. Invest several thousand dollars in fees and enter the Professional Golf Association’s qualifying school. A few years back, I reviewed a fascinating book about the agony and the ecstasy of “Q School.” Read: Tales from Q School: Inside Golf's Fifth Major, by John Feinstein. #2. WIN THE PGA FEDEX CUP. If you’re one of the Top-30 golfers on this planet this weekend, you have a shot at pocketing the first place prize money of $15 million. Imagine! More info here. #3. OR…BECOME A GOLF BALL HAWKER.  What could be more fun and fulfilling than finding lost golf balls—and being officially declared a “Professional Golf Ball Hawker”? John Vawter shows you how in his laugh-out-loud Kindle book, Anything for a Golf Ball: The Art of Finding Lost Golf Balls. In introducing the “Fine Art of Golf Ball Hawking,” Vawter (author, pastor, coach to pastors, and very funny guy) reports that American golfers lose 300 million golf balls per year.  And noting that 75 percent of those balls are found, he asks, “Do you know how many that means are yet to be found? So why is there any question about why hawkers hawk?” He begins with important definitions: Nomenclature: “Hawking, ball hawking, fishing, golf ball hawking, retrieving… all these words are interchangeable. Rawker is the person who rides in the cart but does not golf; but they hawk. Rider plus hawker = rawker.” Ball hawking: “The fine art of finding a golf ball that the normal person cannot find or has no interest in finding. The Hawker Litmus Test: If you have bought a golf ball in the last two years you are not a real hawker.” Hawker Logic: “A form of logic known only to hawkers. It does not have to be consistent with other forms of logic. It is a logic known only to hawkers… but it is clear and it makes sense to the hawker.” Captain Ball Hawk: “The highest compliment a hawker can be paid is to be called, ‘Captain Ball Hawk.’ The hawker is motivated by these words: Anything for a golf ball.” John Vawter is no armchair hawker. He’s the real deal and finds about 2,000 balls a year as he, apparently, also golfs. (Read this Oregon newspaper’s interview with Vawter.)  His short book is a joy to read—whether you golf or just know someone who golfs. Examples: • “A gentleman hawker does not pick up a ball until it stops rolling.” • “A gentleman hawker—after slicing a ball into the living room of a house on the course—will always ring the doorbell and remove his shoes before entering the house to get the ball.” • “The same person who would criticize the ball hawker probably does not like professional wrestling.”  Vawter even invokes psychiatry to prove his point: “There is a certain amount of joy the hawker experiences when he sees a friend who used to ridicule his hawking but is now out in the rough looking for balls and yelling, ‘I found one’ when he makes the discovery of a ball in the wild.  “Ball hawking is the tonic for physical and mental deficiencies that preclude the ball from going straight down the fairway. The confident ball hawker is doing what all other golfers secretly want to do but are too shy, weak or cowardly to do. Any golfing psychiatrist knows this to be true.” Dare one hawk at exclusive golf courses? “New private clubs—still open to the public until membership is closed—are great places to find balls. Rich guys do not slow down to look for golf balls. If you are playing a public course and a guy from the exclusive private course you want to play happens to be put in your foursome, it is okay to downplay your hawking skills that day so as not to hurt your chances of his inviting you to his course.” Green golfers. “The ball hawker stands secure in the smug awareness that he is environmentally correct since the retrieval and reuse of lost golf balls is one of the planet's highest forms of recycling.” Brotherhood and sisterhood! “Turning off the highway to drive the road next to a fairway where you find lots of balls and seeing someone else already making the ‘hawking’ drive does not make the genuine hawker angry. He thinks to himself with great pride, ‘He ain't stealing, he's my brother.’” Nostalgia. “Great hawkers will fly home from a golf vacation in Hawaii and remember the great hawking holes more than their first time back-to-back birdies." Umm…who is demented? “Golf course designers who design the ponds with steep slopes so that balls hit into the water go to the deep bottom in the middle only to be found by scuba divers are a special breed of the demented.” Vawter (the Rev. Vawter) could not resist the temptation to justify his hawking ways—with fresh theological commentary: • “Pope John Paul the Second was not a ball hawker. This is not due, however, to Catholic theology. It has to do with the limitations and lack of versatility of the Popemobile on golf course terrain.” • “Billy Graham [was] a ball hawker. He says it is a direct practical carryover from his life's spiritual mission ‘to seek and save that which is lost.’” • “Those who believe in reincarnation actually make the best ball hawkers because they are not just looking for lost balls... they are looking for their lost uncle.”  • “New Agers do not make good ball hawkers because once they get in tall grass they lose sight of their mission of finding lost balls and start communing with the tall grass.” • “If Jesus were walking the earth today, He would add the parable of the golfer searching for his lost golf ball to the story of the poor widow searching for her lost coin, since both parables contain profound spiritual lessons.” “Hawkers are like priests... they know golfers' sins,” adds Vawter. “The golfing/hawking preacher is a fisher of men and of golf balls. Billy Graham told the story of a man with whom he golfed. The man had not had a good day hitting the ball or finding any balls in the weeds. At the end of the round Billy Graham asked if he could comment on the man’s golfing and hawking game. The man said yes. Billy Graham said, ‘All day long you have been asking God to damn your ball and all day long He has been answering your prayer.’” Conversion: “When a golfer who used to make fun of you for hawking says, ‘This course has so many places to find balls, I would walk it without clubs just to find balls,’ you know you have made a convert.” This is the perfect book when you need a break from your serious summer reading. Enjoy! To order from Amazon Kindle, click on the title for Anything for a Golf Ball: The Art of Finding Lost Golf Balls, by John Vawter. Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions: 1) What avocation are you so passionate about that—someday perhaps—you might write a book about it? 2) You are the PGA’s FedEx Cup 2019 winner and they just handed you a check for $15 million. After taxes are deducted, what will you do with the remaining funds?   Spontaneous Soaking! Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook  One of the big ideas in the Hoopla! Bucket, Chapter 10, in Mastering the Management Buckets, is to create spontaneous hoopla! for your team. One year I set up an 8-foot golf putting green in my office and invited team members to drop by anytime to practice their putting skills. The big idea: take a break to reduce the stress. Then at our next weekly staff meeting, I gave every team member $5.00 to buy their own stress-reduction devices for their own cubicles. "So when we drop by, you've got something whimsical or fun to distract us for a moment."  The creativity was mind-boggling! One guy installed a Nerf basketball hoop. Others featured twirly gizmos on their desks and dart boards on their walls. Someone else had a Slinky®. (When was the last time you chased a Slinky down the stairs?)  The hoopla! prize went to Jimmy Mellado, now president of Compassion International. Feigning disinterest and procrastination, he waited for two weeks and then at the end of a staff meeting, asked people to remain for one more agenda item. "I completed my assignment," he smiled, and then sprayed every surprised team member in the room with his bright orange Super Soaker® squirt gun! For more resources from the Hoopla! Bucket, including links to more books and resources on team spontaneity and affirmation ideas, visit the Hoopla! Bucket webpage here.                   JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. Are you leveraging the extraordinary power of visual media to inspire your members, clients, or customers? And are you working with a partner that adds hoopla! to the mix? Check out the innovative work from Jason Pearson at Pearpod Media (branding, digital, print, and video).     VIEW A PODCAST SUMMARY of John Pearson's review of Anything for a Golf Ball. (Note: AI-generated, but it's even better than Pearson's review!) Click here. MORE RESOURCES: • BLOG: Pails in Comparison • SUBSCRIBE: Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews • JOHN'S BOOK REVIEWS: on Amazon  • WEBSITE: Management Buckets • BLOG: Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations Back Off the Ledge! Click here to read "Golf Hawker" John Vawter's recent post, "Back Off the Ledge of Dysfunctional Mayhem," in the Lessons From the Church Boardroom blog.  NOTICE! Effective Oct. 1, 2025, all 657 eNews issues, previously archived on Typepad.com are slowly (!) being moved to a new website here. New book reviews will also be archived at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. Or, click here for John’s recent book reviews on Amazon.

The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger

 

Issue No. 585 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Nov. 29, 2023) features my second review of In-N-Out Burger’s 75-year history. And yes, I did serious research! And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies). Prefer podcasts to reading? View the AI-generated summary of my book review. Enter your name in our drawing for a chance to win a FREE In-N-Out Burger 75th anniversary t-shirt! (Note: contest is over!)   These Burgers Check All 20 Buckets! READER CONTEST! Share your feedback in this short reader survey and enter your name in the drawing for a chance to win a FREE 75th anniversary IN-N-OUT BURGER t-shirt! Click here. (Deadline: Monday, Dec. 4, 2023.) How remarkable is this book? I reviewed this book three weeks ago on my Pails in Comparison Blog, but the book is so helpful, it mandates two reviews! Leaders and managers, especially, will find dozens of practical management nuggets, a short course in core values and measurable results—all packaged around a stunning focus on the customer. Peter Drucker (1909-2005) would be ecstatic! Take time to read: . The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger:  The Inside Story of California's First Drive-Through  and How it Became a Beloved Cultural Icon by Lynsi Snyder   You would certainly agree that any book reviewer worth his salt should do extensive research, right? And so it was mandatory that I visit my local In-N-Out Burger multiple times—purely for research, OK? (And speaking of salt—not too much on my fries, please. And per their “not-so-secret” menu, I’d like my fries extra crispy, aka “well-done.” Hmmmm. So good!) If you live in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Utah, you may be close to an In-N-Out Burger location. With 391 stores in 279 cities, this 75-year-old company is still privately owned and continues to innovate in remarkable ways. In my first review, I promised a second review noting In-N-Out Burger’s alignment with the 20 core competencies in my Management Buckets filing system. Here goes: OUR CAUSE #1. The Results Bucket. In-N-Out Burger’s team members are masters in hoopla! and results (that’s a winning combination!). Stores compete in 11 categories and they measure: burger volume increase, lowest associate turnover, excellence in food safety, and best trainer. The latter category measures “highest performing managers in training and development of their teams.” #2. The Customer Bucket. While this entire In-N-Out Burger book is customer-centric, you’ll find numerous insights and practical ways to prioritize your customer. Example: “…printed on the signature line on every check we issue, it says, ‘This check was made possible by the customer.’” #3. The Strategy Bucket. How do you scale from one store in 1948 to almost 400 In-N-Out Burger locations today? Here’s a clue. They build a regional warehouse first to ensure freshness. Next stop: New Mexico. The company also has growth plans in the east with a warehouse and store in Middle Tennessee. For more on strategy, read Scaling Up, my 2018 book-of-the-year. #4. The Drucker Bucket. Package Peter Drucker’s long-acclaimed management wisdom with the spunk of Lynsi Synder’s grandmother—and you’ll begin to understand the success of In-N-Out Burger. Must-read: the Wall Street Journal obituary of Esther Snyder. “After the death of her second son in 1999, Mrs. Snyder herself became president, though she was then 79 and in poor health." She died in 2006 at age 85. I can only imagine the conversations now between Esther Snyder (a person of strong faith) and Peter Drucker! (Bonus: enjoy reading this mention of In-N-Out when business gurus honored Drucker at what would have been his 100th birthday.) #5. The Book Bucket. As a child, Lynsi Snyder discovered that “playing office” at the corporate office was one of her favorite games. Her Uncle Rich’s office had “shelves upon shelves of books. Rich was a big reader.” (Note: Snyder’s book is very, very transparent—and she plans to write another book on life lessons learned from failed marriages and becoming president in 2010 at age 27.) #6. The Program Bucket. Who names products, programs, and services in your organization? LOL! Read how “Animal Style” burgers and fries got their names. OUR COMMUNITY #7. The People Bucket. Wait. What? This corporate president has time to be in a rock and roll band (and race cars?). Taught by her husband to play the bass, Lynsi Snyder has added other team members to the In-N-Out band, “.48 Special”—an homage to the year the company began. “Each year we produce a big concert called Rock2Freedom to raise funds for our Slave2Nothing foundation.” As you read the book, try to affix one of the four social styles (see Book #7 in second article) to each Snyder family member: Harry (grandfather/co-founder), Esther (grandmother/co-founder), Uncle Rich (who became president), Guy (Lynsi’s dad and vice president), and Lynsi (now president). #8. The Culture Bucket. “One thing I’m particularly proud of,” writes Lynsi Snyder, “is that I believe we’ve mastered what we call a ‘culture of yes.’” The author also notes she transformed their workplace from a “top-down” culture to an environment of servant leadership.  #9. The Team Bucket. Employees were originally called “helpers,” but when Rich (Lynsi’s uncle) became president in 1976, he upgraded the title to “associates” and a year later, established the training department. Are the job titles for your team members intentional or outdated? #10. The Hoopla! Bucket. Not surprising, In-N-Out Burger’s team members are masters in hoopla! In addition to the “friendly competition” between stores in 11 categories, each store also completes against other stores in softball, golf, volleyball, a trivia “Burger Bowl,” and more. Plus, one of many “Fun Facts” throughout the book notes this “insider tip” that kids under 12 enjoy free hot cocoa on rainy days! #11. The Donor Bucket. Generosity is a central theme. In-N-Out Burger Foundation and Slave 2 Nothing Foundation help communities “become stronger, safer and better places to live.” Read more. #12. The Volunteer Bucket. At just age 10, Lynsi Snyder was drafted into volunteer service for In-N-Out Burger. Uncle Rich valued her opinion and gave her business cards that read, “Lynsi Snyder, Children’s Affairs.” #13. The Crisis Bucket. Oh, my. Eighteen months after Rich Snyder became president, a devastating fire ravaged the Baldwin Park, Calif., warehouse and corporate office space. Amazingly, with the help of faithful vendors, they kept every store supplied and open. Sadly, another crisis slammed the team in 1993. President Rich Snyder, two pilots, and another company executive, plus a fifth person, Jack Sims, lost their lives in a private plane crash. (I had connected several times with Jack. In 1986, he led a national convention seminar for CCCA, the association I led at the time.) Do you have a Crisis Bucket contingency plan?  OUR CORPORATION #14. The Board Bucket. In-N-Out Burger is privately owned and has no franchisees. But when I think of the Board Bucket, I’d suggest that if your organization holds board meetings in any of the states where In-N-Out has Cookout Trucks, you should certainly ask them to cater your next board dinner or event. “You plan the event. We’ll cook the burgers. Whether it’s a corporate picnic, birthday or wedding, our Cookout Trucks are a great way for your guests to enjoy a hamburger, cheeseburger or Double-Double® without leaving the party.” More info. #15. The Budget Bucket. On opening day, Oct. 22, 1948, prices at the first store featured 25-cent hamburgers, 30-cent cheeseburgers, and 10-cent bottles of pop. They sold 57 hamburgers that day. Now in 2023, many stores easily sell 2,000 or more burgers per day! #16. The Delegation Bucket. You can’t micro-manage almost 400 stores from the corporate offices, so In-N-Out invests in training store managers who, in turn, train team members. Somehow, their company philosophy, mission statement, and “Cornerstones” have remained firm for 75 years. Did you know that they include chapter and verse references from the Bible on In-N-Out packaging?    • Milkshake Cups (Proverbs 3:5)    • Beverage Cups (John 3:16)    • Holiday Beverage Cups (Isaiah 9:6)    • Hamburger Bag (Revelation 3:20)    • Fry Boat (Proverbs 24:16) #17. The Operations Bucket. Oh, my. This book is an MBA course in operations. You’ll underline dozens of insights in every chapter. Fun Fact: In-N-Out pioneered the drive-thru speaker concept in 1949. The concept was so new that “…Harry had to introduce his customers to it and explain how to use it, or else they might get out of their car and start messing with the switches.” So Lynsi’s grandfather posted a sign in red letters that read: #18. The Systems Bucket. Co-founder Harry Snyder trained new managers by giving them “a small leather notebook with tabs for use as a manual. The notebook was blank inside, but Harry would instruct the new manager to copy a series of detailed instructions into the notebook. He believed that hearing a message, then writing it down, would give every manager an extra advantage.” #19. The Printing Bucket (aka The Communications Bucket). Three cheers for all the innovative vendors who expedite our printed rush jobs! In-N-Out Burger’s printer (also a customer!) suggested printing messages on what were then blank lap mats. “The earliest printed lap mats featured maps noting the eight In-N-Out locations…plus the managers' names.” #20. The Meetings Bucket. Imagine all the meetings (training, strategy, performance reviews, and more) that executives have logged over 75 years. One meeting location that recently took on greater prominence is the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. In 2023, In-N-Out Burger acquired the naming rights. You’ll enjoy reading more about the Snyder family’s avid connection to racing. How about your organization? Are these 20 core competencies from Mastering the Management Buckets alive and well? To order from Amazon, click on the title for The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger: The Inside Story of California's First Drive-Through and How it Became a Beloved Cultural Icon, by Lynsi Snyder. Listen on Libro (6 hours, 52 minutes). And thanks to the publisher, Thomas Nelson, for sending me a review copy. YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) Lynsi Snyder writes about the “iconic palm trees” that are In-N-Out Burger’s symbol. Most stores have two 20-foot palm trees that cross each other at 10 feet. You’ll also see the distinctive palm tree symbol on their packaging. What’s your symbol? Do your customers associate it with your programs, products, and services?    2) Another fascinating book also checks all 20 Management Buckets boxes. Read my review of Becoming Trader Joe: How I Did Business My Way and Still Beat the Big Guys. Of the 20 core competencies (buckets), which one do we excel at? Which bucket needs major improvement?         Mastering 100 Must-Read Books Part 9: Five Powerful Assessments Book #55 of 100: Born to Build For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #55 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.  Born to Build:  How to Build a Thriving Startup, a Winning Team,  New Customers and Your Best Life Imaginable  by Jim Clifton and Sangeeta Badal, Ph.D. Books #51 through #55 spotlight five team-building books I’ve labeled “Five Powerful Assessments.” Jim Clifton, chairman of Gallup, writes: “People will ask you throughout your life, ‘Where do you work?’ and ‘What do you do?’ They never ask you, ‘What are you building?’ When conversations change to ‘What are you building?’ the world will change.”    • Read my review.    • Order from Amazon: Born to Build    • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson). One of the 10 talents in Gallup’s online assessment is DISRUPTER, an entrepreneur who can “think outside the box” and “imagine possible futures.” That will enable your enterprise to move in a new direction with “market disruption.” The other nine talents: Confidence, Delegator, Determination, Independence, Knowledge (“you constantly search for information that is relevant to growing your business”), Profitability, Relationship, Risk, and Selling. The selling talent includes people who are “ambassadors and evangelists,” who can “persuade others easily,” and “communicate clearly.”                     PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. Communicating your story succinctly takes more than a catchy slogan and a charismatic spokesperson. All the elements in your Cause, Community, and Corporation must align so there is coherence. (Read "The Coherence Premium" from HBR.) What do you do best? Do your customers know that? Call me: Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social).  NOTICE! Effective Oct. 1, 2025, all 657 eNews issues, previously archived on Typepad.com are slowly (!) being moved to a new website here. New book reviews will also be archived at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. Or, click here for John’s recent book reviews on Amazon.   Peter Drucker on Tools! Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, wrote, “At least once every five years, every form should be put on trial for its life.” Do your tools and templates need a refresh? Check out the monthly report forms, board recruitment tools, and templates for trend-spotting exercises. Read ECFA Tools and Templates for Effective Board Governance: Time-Saving Solutions for Your Board, by Dan Busby and John Pearson. Click here for 22 blogs (one per tool).   PODCAST #04:  "In-N-Out Master Class" View the AI-generated summary of my review of The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger. Click here. MORE RESOURCES: • BLOG: Pails in Comparison • SUBSCRIBE: Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews • JOHN'S BOOK REVIEWS: on Amazon  • WEBSITE: Management Buckets • BLOG: Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations

4 Books & 48 Niche Chapters

 

Issue No. 624 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Oct. 10, 2024) hopes to inspire you to mentor your team members with niche chapters from four leadership books. Plus, click here to see book recommendations in all 20 management buckets (core competencies). (Prefer listening to reading? View the podcast.) Really! The bylaws of Your Weekly Staff Meeting require us to feature this cartoon at least once a year. 4 Books & 48 Niche Chapters! Shocker! You don’t need to read every chapter of every book! Instead, mentor your team members with niche books and leverage their strengths with thoughtfully selected chapters. The late Zig Ziglar wrote, “People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing—that’s why we recommend it daily.” Ditto—leadership books! As Dick Daniels urges, “Recalibrate your calling every day.” Or…as then 99-year-old Charlie Munger (1924-2023) told the WSJ last year, “I don’t know how to get smart without reading a lot.”   Your leadership and management challenges never plateau. The obstacles and thorny issues change and grow constantly. And learning leadership is not a one-and-done seminar. The leadership book you read last year may not address those keep-you-up-all-night issues that crowded your inbox yesterday.  So here you go—4 leadership books with niche chapters for what may be coming around the bend. Delegate your reading to your direct reports. Ask them to report on a “niche chapter” relevant to their biggest challenges this quarter.  #1. The Journey of Leadership: How CEOs Learn to Lead from the Inside Out, by Dana Maor, Hans-Werner Kaas, Kurt Strovink, and Ramesh Srinivasan (Senior Partners at McKinsey & Company, Sept. 10, 2024). Order from Amazon. Listen on Libro (7 hours, 51 minutes). And thanks to the publisher for sending a review copy. Best Niche Chapter: “Everyone Keeps Things From the Boss.” Using in-the-trenches examples from McKinsey’s Bower Forum, the authors mention a CEO who “complained that the people in his organization no longer told him what was really going on. Since he became the boss, he no longer had any peers, and those frank conversations he used to have with his colleagues disappeared. He felt lost and worried that some bad news would eventually blindside him.” To “Encourage Truth Telling,” the authors give very specific and practical suggestions including how to “foster dissent by actively seeking it.” They mention the classic example from 2006 when Alan Mulally became Ford’s new CEO. He introduced a weekly meeting with red/yellow/green scorecards. In the first meeting, 16 execs reported that every project was green! “Incredulous, Mulally challenged the executives, asking how all the projects could be going well if the company was losing money” (more than $17 billion!). What happened? View “Alan Mulally: The Ford Traffic Light” (7 minutes). The authors pack wisdom and wit into this chapter. “After one executive retired, she said the best thing about retirement was she no longer had to walk down the halls and when someone said good morning have to think about what they really meant.” LOL! Bonus Niche Chapter: “Practice Making Mistakes.” What team member needs to read Chapter 11 on adopting fearless learning? “Teams that avoid failure miss the point, because people learn as much, if not more, from mistakes as from successes.” (Amen!) Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired), author of Make Your Bed, is mentioned in this chapter, as is the “Plan B” culture of Navy Seals. Example: the raid on Osama bin Ladin’s compound—and why you sometimes need to “fall out of love with the primary plan and shift to a backup plan or develop a new one.”  #2. Leading People from the Middle: The Universal Mission of Heart and Mind, by William P. Robinson (Jan. 20, 2010). Order from Amazon. And thanks to Jim Canning for recommending this book. Best Niche Chapter: “Driven and Rhythmic Leadership.” (Oh, my. This assignment I gave myself is hard work! There are way too many “best niche chapters” in Bill Robinson’s powerful book.) Chapter 7 begins, “Leading is hard work—a lot harder than just being in charge.” I’ve never read such a compelling chapter on the leader’s rhythm. The author was the president of Whitworth University (1993 to 2010) and concludes his seven-page chapter with this: “I’m not all that sappy, but once in a while the smallest thing will just overwhelm me.” He adds, “Sometimes I wonder if God made me for the singular purpose of hanging around with collegians. I don’t know, but here’s what I do know beyond any doubt: our students have made me a better leader than I was every meant to be.” Bonus! Honest—the preface and introduction are meaty. Learn why this 2010 update of his 2000 book is both shorter and better. He defines “leading from the middle” and uses a memorable three-point outline: “Can’t, Can, Must.” He writes, “First, you can’t lead the way I lead. You wouldn’t want to and the people you lead wouldn’t want you to either. The best leaders lead from their strengths.” #3. Lead Bigger: The Transformative Power of Inclusion, by Anne Chow (Sept. 10, 2024). Order from Amazon. Listen on Libro (7 hours, 56 minutes). And thanks to the publisher for sending a review copy. Best Niche Chapter: Check out the three “Bigger Conversations." • Gen. Stanley McChrystal: “If You Want to Win” • Arianna Huffington: “Taking a Whole-Human Approach to Well-Being” • Adam Grant: “If You’re Not Inclusive, You’re Not a Leader” With endorsements from Stephen M. R. Covey and Liz Wiseman, this book has niche chapters on “Beyond the Daily Grind,” “Deliver Results and Impact,” and “Dimensionality: Expand Your Understanding of People.” In the author’s conversation with Gen. McChrystal, author of Leaders: Myth and Reality and Team of Teams, McChrystal said that, as a major, he had three different U.S. Army bosses in three years. Boss #1: fairly inclusive. Boss #2: more elitist. When the “cool guys” were in the room, McChrystal was not invited. Boss #3: “incredibly inclusive.” McChrystal notes that those three years were a “…whipsaw effect, but it was a great way to remind me how someone in my role feels when it’s good and when it’s not good. That variable changed my outlook on the job completely.” #4. Attentive Church Leadership: Listening and Leading in a World We've Never Known, by Kevin G. Ford and Jim Singleton (Foreword by Ed Stetzer, April 2, 2024). Order from Amazon. Listen on Libro (10 hours, 6 minutes). And thanks to the publisher for sending a review copy. Best Niche Chapter: “How Do We Create Community in a Narcissistic World?” If the co-pastors of our home church asked me to recommend one chapter from this important book—I’d urge them to read the whole book, but affirm that they are doing many things well, especially: 1) creating community, and 2) serving with humility. Yet this reminder:  The authors quote Tom Nelson, author of The Flourishing Pastor. “The crowd need not be big nor the stage prominent for the celebrity pastor to emerge. Celebrity is not necessarily tied to the size of the audience, but rather the size of the ego to be stroked.” Ford and Singleton add, “An inflated ego is not only found in megachurch contexts; it can reside in any human heart.” (See also The Leader’s Palette and Let Us Prey.) By the way, my “Page 25 Rule-of-Thumb” played out again. Jim Singleton describes on page 25 the insurmountable barrier that faced Whitworth University in 1991-1992. Then he relates how the “identify of Whitworth was revived” when Bill Robinson arrived (see Book #2 above). 4 BOOKS…and 48 niche chapters. Watch for additional reviews of these four books and more of my favorite niche chapters.   YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) What’s the most helpful leadership or management book you’ve ever read? Why? 2) What are two or three of your “Reading 101 Principles” for getting the most out of a book? 3) Name a “niche chapter” you have recently recommended to someone. Why? Note: These questions are included in “The Book Bucket” chapter of Mastering the Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Nonprofit.        Mastering 100 Must-Read Books Part 17: “Nonprofit” Is a Tax Designation, Not a Management Philosophy! Book #94 of 100: Mastering the Management Buckets For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #94 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.  Mastering the Management Buckets:  20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Nonprofit by John Pearson   Books #92 through #96 spotlight five helpful books for nonprofit CEOs, senior staff, and board members. Shocker! You don’t need to read every chapter of every book! Instead, mentor your team members with niche books and leverage their strengths with thoughtfully selected chapters.     • Read reviews from others here and here.     • Order from Amazon.     • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson). OK, I’ll confess again to hyping one of my books—but please keep reading. How would you coach a team member on the following? • A rookie manager needs to learn the importance of affirming team members. • A senior leader has a faulty “sequential” view of priorities (God first, family second, church third, career fourth). • Due to continued workplace dysfunction, trust has been broken in the finance department. • A board member has workaholic tendencies and an imbalanced life. • A department head is a “reader,” but her direct reports are all “listeners.” Read the core competency in Chapter 5,“The Book Bucket,” and then explore how to mentor team members with niche books and niche chapters. (You do have a massive management library and purposeful book culture, right?) See also: Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook: Management Tools, Templates and Tips from John Pearson, with commentary by Jason Pearson (2nd Edition, 2018) - Order from Amazon.   Join John Pearson on Oct. 18, 2024 The 4 Big Mistakes to Avoid With Your Nonprofit Board While space remains, The Barnabas Group/Orange County invites nonprofit CEOs and board members to their board governance seminar, led by John Pearson, Oct. 18, 2024 (Friday 7:30 - 11:30 a.m.) in Irvine, Calif. The complimentary seminar includes a continental breakfast and the 100-page workbook, The 4 Big Mistakes to Avoid With Your Nonprofit Board (3rd Edition): How Leaders Enrich Their Ministry Results Through God-Honoring Governance. More info here.   CLICK HERE FOR BOOKS BY JOHN         NOTICE! Effective Oct. 1, 2025, all 657 eNews issues, previously archived on Typepad.com are slowly (!) being moved to a new website here. New book reviews will also be archived at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. Or, click here for John’s recent book reviews on Amazon. VIEW THE PODCAST, "Niche Chapter Playbook," a summary of John's review of "4 Leadership Books and 48 Niche Chapters." Click here. (Note: AI-generated.) MORE RESOURCES: • BLOG: Pails in Comparison • SUBSCRIBE: Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews • JOHN'S BOOK REVIEWS: on Amazon  • WEBSITE: Management Buckets • BLOG: Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations 12 Niche Chapters on Influence Good luck landing on your favorite niche chapter in this book. It's impossible. Bill Butterworth delivers 12 nominees on the theme of "The Secret Sauce for Greater Influential Effectiveness." Perfect topics for your next 12 weekly staff meetings. Read my review. And for more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog.

Ancient Secrets to Project Management

 

Issue No. 684 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (June 24, 2026) spotlights a stunning combination of project management savvy and soul care wisdom—based on the Book of Proverbs. Plus, click here for back issues posted at the new location for John Pearson’s Buckets Blog, including my recent reviews of books on two U.S. presidents: Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President and The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey. And this reminder: download four lists of books I’ve reviewed here. PLAN A: Write a business book and then “crowbar” a few Bible verses into it. PLAN B: Start with Scripture and then align the business book with ancient wisdom. (Graphic: ChatGPT)   No Crowbar Theology Yikes! Is this a brilliant book on project management (comprehensive, yet even I could understand it)? Or is this a wake-up call on soul care—and matters of the heart—by a humble and accomplished executive who shares how to avoid the pitfalls and snares of success? YES. This gem is so worth your time: Ancient Secrets to Project Management:  How to Lead and Thrive in Your Professional and Personal Life by Robert M. Schraeder (Aug. 17, 2025) Sure…you’re pretty good at project management. (I thought I was too. Then I read Schraeder’s book.) Oh, my. We still have a lot to learn. And thanks to the author—who has managed projects totaling more than $4 billion—this step-by-step guide will be a lifesaver for you and your organization (no matter your size). But get this! He’s a leader in the construction and design industry and the former president of the American Society of Civil Engineers Construction Institute (ASCE CI). His projects: huge! His empathy for project managers: also huge. He’s been there: behind schedule, over budget, huge conflicts—and no sleep. “Years ago,” Schraeder confesses, “I took over as project manager on a $600 million transit project, which was behind schedule and had cost overruns and turmoil with the client. I was commuting by train to downtown Los Angeles and had to arrive at the train station every morning by 6:10 to get a parking spot. I slept an average of five hours a night and gained thirty-five pounds. While working to get the project back on track, I was living an out-of-balance life and unknowingly putting my health at risk.” (It gets worse—much worse.) Wait. What? This overworked licensed professional engineer, with degrees in civil engineering and applied mathematics—clearly a lifelong learner—also allocated time to pick up a master of divinity degree? Why? And now he’s a professional leadership coach and integrates project management with Biblical wisdom? (This I gotta see.)  But before I tell you about the step-by-step project management process of coordinating huge construction projects (huge!), let’s go back a few years. “When I was 26, I was dating a beautiful woman way above my class and trying to decide if I should ask her to marry me. I had heard some long-married couples confess that at least once in their lives they had questioned whether they married the right person. I didn't want to have regrets. I wanted my decision to be sound and not based solely on love and desire. So I did what engineers do: I made a matrix of the pros and cons to marrying this amazing woman. I analyzed my list, prayed about it, and then realized I was being an idiot. It all came down to one simple question: ‘Could I imagine life without her?’ The answer was a resounding, ‘No.’ So I proposed, and we've been happily married for over thirty years.” That’s from “Part 2: Vibrant Personal Life,” a very practical and transparent look at pitfalls and snares of success, long-term success, and instructions to your heart. And if you’re wondering—how does an engineer connect the dots from “Part 1: Successful Project Management” to the second half of the book? And why even try? (It’s brilliantly done and I’ve not read a book quite like it. Note: he mentions his discerning wife, Nancy, often.) NO CROWBARS! You know those “business/management” books, written by people of “faith,” that you sense had zero biblical principles in the first draft? They you’re guessing that—perhaps—an editor with the help of ChatGPT “crowbars” into the book a dozen or more Bible verses. (“AI thought these might be good fillers.”) Arrrrgh!  GOOD NEWS! There are no crowbarred Bible verses in Ancient Secrets to Project Management. Instead—you’ll be amazed at the depth and width of Robert Schraeder’s understanding and use of Scripture (especially Proverbs). What’s different? I sense that the author starts with Scripture as the foundation and the guardrails—thus allowing the content to flow out of this ancient wisdom leadership: dozens and dozens of perfectly positioned verses, such as Proverbs 27:23-24, at the beginning of Chapter 7, “Track Your Performance.” “Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?” (This guy knows his Bible—and that informs his approach to project management. Schraeder could teach a master class on integrating Scripture with your nine-to-five life. Maybe he already does? And if you currently have a 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. work life—help is available—he’s also a leadership coach.) PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES Schraeder warns about destructive behavior patterns that may get the project done—but will torpedo your personal life. “It is rare to meet an extremely successful manager who also has a vibrant personal life.” So, on the project management side, you’ll learn about his time-tested processes (as well as his mistakes) that contribute to that work-life balance goal. My favorites: 7 Interview Questions. In the chapter, “Leading Your Team,” Schraeder shares “good questions to ask in an interview that help reveal a person’s character, motives, dreams, and personality.” Wow—I should have used these back-in-the-day: • “What specifically did you do to prepare for today’s interview?” • “What top three things annoy you about coworkers?” 5 Rules for the Care and Feeding of Monkeys. The author reminds us about the HBR bestseller reprint, “Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey,” with the five rules for monkeys (tasks), including Rule 2: “The monkey population should be kept below the maximum number the manager has time to feed. It shouldn’t take more than fifteen minutes to feed a properly maintained monkey.” (Read the book by Ken Blanchard, William Oncken, Jr., and Hal Burrows. See also the Delegation Bucket.) Plus: see Proverbs 14:4, 24:17, and 26:10. “Never Fall in Love With Your Own Argument!” That’s one of the pull-quote graphics in the very practical chapter, “Protect Your Scope and Margin.” And by the way, I counted 65 pull-quotes from page 1 to 175. Really…it’s impossible to read this book like you’re supposed to. I couldn’t help myself. I skimmed the entire book first looking for those 65 juicy and memorable quotes! Like this one, on the inevitability of mission creep: After mentioning Proverbs 9:4-6, the author pokes another rib: “Being wise means anticipating that your project will face external problems, some quite complex. They shouldn’t surprise you. If your project were easy, the client wouldn’t need you.” “Relationships Are Your Biggest Asset” is Chapter 5’s theme and launches with wisdom from Proverbs 22:11 and 11:17, “A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.” You read that right—Schraeder (an engineer) invests significant pages on the relationship side of project management. He admits early mistakes. He learns from Proverbs. And if you're like me, you’ll read many of his one-liners to your spouse or colleagues.    • “You have the great privilege of working with incredibly talented, dysfunctional people. The sheer entertainment value is worth the price of admission.”    • “An inspector in the field once told me, ‘Let’s admit it, Bob. I’m a [*&!%] and so are you.’ I replied, ‘Oh, Dave, give me a hug.’ From this interaction, we learned how to work together even though we had disagreements.” Read why the author once walked out of his own meeting! “If you can’t control angry words from coming out of your mouth, put yourself in time-out.” Similar to putting children in time-out, “This also works for adults who have no emotional reserves left to deal with idiots.” (LOL! Schrader then adds, “I shouldn’t have said idiots.”) $5 Million Dirt! Read how—because of a strong relationship—Schrader once saved a client $5 million in trucking and disposal fees by offering an alternative plan. Maybe Proverbs 12:18 (be winsome) is not only wise, but cost-effective? Are You a 2026 World Cup Fan? View this short video—and imagine the project management expertise that was required to prepare L.A.’s SoFi Stadium for the 2026 games! Click here. (I wonder if anyone read Schraeder’s book first?) View “SoFi Stadium's massive transformation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup” (2.5 minutes).  “SoFi Stadium VP Juan Carrero and Clark Construction executive Rick Solomon broke down the months-long transformation that turned the Inglewood venue into a FIFA World Cup pitch, including natural grass grown 1,600 miles away in Washington and a playing field elevated higher than any NFL game ever played there.”  CLICK HERE. 5 Conflict Handling Modes. You’ll photocopy the chart on page 89, “Five Conflict Handling Modes.” The four corners: Competing, Collaborating, Avoiding, and Accommodating—with two continuums of Assertiveness and Cooperativeness. (Read more about the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. But only click on this link if you’ve ever mishandled conflict on the job or at home!)   1 Chapter in Proverbs Each Day. Schraeder reads one chapter of Proverbs each morning (31 chapters: one per day). He also reads five chapters each day from Psalms. That habit prompted me to return to that enriching Proverbs practice. One recurring theme I’m noticing: “The Lord is near.” Too Much to Share! There’s not space to share another dozen gems—so I hope you read this book and learn what fuels this modern-day Nehemiah:    • Why Schrader supported rescue missions in the neighborhoods where he managed a project.    • His pick for the best book on negotiating and why a former FBI agent used his “FM DJ voice—deep and reassuring” when negotiating with terrorists.    • Why the author sometimes “mutters” to God when he can’t sleep! Morning Meditations. Some of my readers will remember that in Issue No. 666 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Dec. 17, 2025), I highlighted “12 Inspirational Resources” (one per month in 2026) for your daily inspirational times. You might be surprised to learn that Ancient Secrets to Project Management was one of those 12 books. Over the past few weeks, I’ve enjoyed spending early mornings in this meaty book. The inspiration was expected, but the insights and wisdom on project management—a big bonus. I love this book and you will too. TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for Ancient Secrets to Project Management: How to Lead and Thrive in Your Professional and Personal Life, by Robert M. Schraeder. (And thanks to the author for gifting me with a review copy.)   YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) Raise your hand if you are responsible for project management on our team (any size, any type). Now…raise your hand if you’ve ever read ONE book on project management.  2) Ancient Secrets to Project Management is one book of a “baker’s dozen” list of books recommended in Issue No. 666, last December. If you’d didn’t launch your inspirational reading on January 1, 2026—you can start fresh on July 1, 2026, with the very short daily readings in Reconstructing Faith: 365 Days to Reconsider Jesus, by Dick Daniels. (Watch for my review.) What fuels your soul every morning?       SECOND READS: Fresh Solutions From Classic Books You have changed—and your problems have changed—since you read this the first time! Book #52 of 99: Halftime For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #52 of 99 in our series, “Second Reads.” The big idea: REREAD TO LEAD! Discover how your favorite books (and articles) still have more to teach you and the people you’re coaching and mentoring. Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance by Bob P. Buford (foreword by Jim Collins)   Bob Buford (1939-2018) wrote, “I truly believe that God uses people in their areas of strength and is unlikely to send us into areas in which we are likely to be amateurs and incompetents.”    • Read my review (Issue No. 34, April 27, 2007).     • Order from Amazon  (20th anniversary edition).    • Management Bucket #12 of 20: The Volunteer Bucket Bob Buford suggested that people in “Halftime” ask the following questions: What am I really good at? What do I want to do? What is most important to me? What do I want to be remembered for? If my life were absolutely perfect, what would it look like? My question for you: How effective is your organization, or church, in helping people in the second half of their lives move “from success to significance?” Bob Buford’s life coach asked him a life-changing question, “What’s in the box?” Read Bob’s response. (See the second article in Issue No. 383.)   CLICK HERE FOR BOOKS BY JOHN      For more on the Volunteer Bucket, read Chapter 12 in Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook, and also read Lesson 6 (the Board Hat, the Volunteer Hat, and the Participant Hat) in Lessons From the Church Boardroom. (Read the blog.) NOTICE! Effective Oct. 1, 2025, all 657 eNews issues, previously archived on Typepad.com are slowly (!) being moved to a new website here. New book reviews will also be archived at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. Or, click here for John’s recent book reviews on Amazon. Oops! Oops! Your new board member’s not working out? You shoulda read my blog, “We Failed to ‘Date’ a Board Prospect and Now We Have a Loose Cannon!” Read more at ECFA’s “Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations” blog.  250 Years of USA Books! See the list of books about U.S. presidents and American history, “250 Years of USA Books.” You’ll read at least one book on America during our Semiquincentennial, right? See more book reviews at the Pails in Comparison Blog.