Yours Truly: An Obituary Writer's Guide to Telling Your Story

 

Issue No. 564 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (June 14, 2023) suggests that you and your family members start now to write your own obituaries and/or “life stories”—before someone else writes about a person you won’t recognize! (Happy Father's Day, anyway.) And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies). My son, Jason, jokes that instead of my photo on the screen at my memorial service, he’ll display a QR Code so attenders can order my latest book! LOL!   Happy Father’s Day! Please write your obituary!  In one of the 800 obituaries that James R. Hagerty has written for the Wall Street Journal, his April 16, 2020, piece on Earl Graves (1935-2020) was quite memorable. Graves and his wife launched Black Enterprise magazine and much more—but it was this entrepreneur’s description of his wife that made me laugh. Graves said his wife, Barbara, was “vice president in charge of shutting down the publisher’s bad ideas.”  Obituary? Laugh? Absolutely!  And you’ll laugh often and just maybe—when you’ve read this book—you’ll be inspired to write your own “life story,” a short and sweet obituary or a long and laugh-filled chronicle of what made you tick. If so, James R. Hagerty (“Bob”) has some great insights for you in his wonderful book: Yours Truly:  An Obituary Writer's Guide to Telling Your Story This may be my 2023 book-of-the-year. It’s that good and filled with promise. Just ask my wife, Joanne, who listened to dozens of paragraphs that I read to her last weekend, like these chuckles: Chapter 4—succinctly delivered in two pages—offers “What Not to Include” in your obituary: • Endorsements. “They waste space and weary the reader needlessly.” • Boasts. “Your life story is not a nomination for sainthood.” • Exaggerations. “If you attended a six-week course at Harvard, do not call yourself Harvard-educated.” • The Complete List of Every Public-Service Appointment and Club Membership. (Too bad. I had some very noteworthy leadership roles in third grade!) • Things You’re Not Sure About. “If readers find one error in your story, they may have trouble believing the rest.” • Things That Go Without Saying. “Don’t describe your spouse as loving unless you see a serious risk readers will doubt that.” Really, John? You think everyone should write their own obituary and/or “life story” just because the author wants to sell books on this topic? Full confession—I was skeptical. Not everyone enjoys the writing process or recording their thoughts into an iPhone. But, after reading this gem—absolutely. Write your story! I’m now a fully devoted zealot of the “write-your-own-obituary” club. This truly enjoyable book explains how and why. “Don’t leave it to family members, who are almost certain to make a hash of it.” Hagerty adds, “Don’t let anyone tell you that sharing your story is selfish, a sign of conceit or vanity. It’s an act of generosity.” He quotes poet Jim Harrison, “Death steals everything except our stories.”  The author notes, “This book is for anyone who wants their story to be fair, accurate, interesting, and maybe even inspiring. It explains how to make sure your story is told the way you want—and how thinking about and preparing that story can help you live a better life.” WHY? “…your story is likely to be written in haste by a friend or family member distracted by grief and the many urgent tasks of dealing with a death. And, I’m sorry to inform you, this well-meaning person will probably describe someone you would not recognize.” Writing your story, I’m now convinced, should be on everyone’s bucket list. “Many seem to find it therapeutic.” Reading the wide array of obituary examples in Yours Truly (many people you’ve never heard about) reminded me of more than 20 of my own life events that I had forgotten. I might include them in a longer version of my obituary. (I think my five grandkids and other family members and friends might even read my “bucket” stories.) In between innings at the Angels vs. Cubs baseball game last week (don’t ask who won), I told my son, Jason, about this fascinating book—and how it inspired me to write my obituary. • Me: “Here's an idea, Jason. At my memorial service, you could give everyone a copy of my yet-to-be-written book, John’s Obituary and Bucket Stories.” • Jason: “How about instead of your photo on the screen, I show a QR Code so they can order the book online?” • Me: LOL! Hagerty continues, “No, telling your story is not another irksome task, like making a will or clearing out the attic. Telling your story is less difficult than you may imagine. Telling your story can be amusing. It can pay off in unexpected ways.” As the only fulltime obituary writer for the WSJ, Haggerty suggests you ask yourself three questions:    • What were you trying to do with your life?    • Why?    • And how did it work out? You’ll strike gold as you read Yours Truly. Here are some of the treasures I found. When interviewing a living person to help them write their obituary: • If the answers are too generic, “Ask the same question 10 times in 10 different ways if need be.” (Eventually, the author learned one person had spent time in prison!) • “Bob Greene made a transcript of his father’s recordings so they would not be lost to future generations lacking cassette-tape players.” • “If an obituary can’t be fun, what’s the point of dying.” (Ask me about my favorite LOL memorial service!) This book inspired me to focus on the lead sentence in my obituary—abandoning generic templates and embracing vivid descriptions, such as: • A political cartoonist began his mother’s obituary with this: “Margaret Marilyn DeAdder, professional clipper of coupons, baker of cookies, terror behind the wheel, champion of the underdog, ruthless card player, and…” • “Harold met Jesus at 8:27 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019.” (Hagerty comments, “The specificity of this statement suggests to me that morning is a good time to die because, apparently, there is no line at the pearly gates at that hour.”) • The author gives us permission to use whatever verb or euphemism we prefer to describe our exit. “After all, it’s your obituary.” He lists options and I found my favorite: “John W. Pearson kicked the bucket on…” MODELS & MISFITS. Hagerty includes stunning examples of obituaries in Part Two, “Models and Misfits,” with profiles of heroes, characters, and more: • Harvard Business School’s Clayton Christensen (read my review of How Will You Measure Your Life?) was widely known for “offering his own life as a case study.” • The Seattle Seahawks owner, Ken Behring (1928-2019), whose mother told him, “You better develop a personality. You are not going to make it on your looks.” • Catherine Hamlin (1924-2020) who, with her husband, medically treated more than 60,000 Ethiopian women over 61 years.  • In the chapter, “Fishers of Men,” Hagerty highlights the “life story” told by Ron and Al Lindner in their book “that doubles as a memoir and devotional.” The founders of In-Fisherman magazine (and more) note how AA and a revival meeting changed the trajectory of Ron Lindner’s life. • My favorite profile (with the author’s hints on how to ask questions) featured Ceinwen King-Smith, who spoke Chinese, Russian, French, and other languages. She made 23 trips to China. (Born in Chicago in 1945, her parents were ministers and she was blind. Absolutely stunning.) In the chapter, “How Pros Cover Their Own Stories,” you’ll love TV anchorman Mort Crim’s story, who started out as the “Teenage Evangelist” in his Church of God denomination. His God-given chutzpah scored him one-on-one meetings with Paul Harvey, Walter Cronkite, and KFC founder Harland Sanders. (He was the inspiration for the Will Ferrell Anchorman movies!) And how did it work out? “Crim discovered he didn’t need a church or a pulpit to give sermons.” No surprise, Hagerty’s writing is superb. While “Brother Alvah” strummed an electric guitar on a Midwest church tour, “…young Mort squeezed gospel sounds out of his accordion.” The author is working on his own obituary and will likely include his hitchhiking adventure in 1975. He describes the truck driver who gave him a ride: “He had 25 tons of cement in the back and a pack of cigarettes up front.”  Hagerty confesses that when he was based in Hong Kong, he was unprepared for his father’s death in 1997. See Chapter 19, “How We Failed My Father.” Today, however, he’s more than ready for his mother’s tribute. Back in 2012, at 85, she was still writing five columns a week for her local newspaper when she “went viral” worldwide with her review of the Olive Garden restaurant that had just opened in Grand Forks, N.D. The snickering response worldwide landed her on the front page of the WSJ. (Must-read!) In Hagerty’s pre-written newspaper version of his own obituary, his humor flows. He will include this: “I write obituaries,” he often said. “If you get a phone call from me, it probably isn’t a good sign.” To order from Amazon, click on the title for Yours Truly: An Obituary Writer's Guide to Telling Your Story, by James R. Hagerty. Listen on Libro (6 hours, 16 minutes). Read more about the book here. And listen to this podcast interview of the author here (43 minutes). YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) James R. Hagerty mentions a James Thurber book about Thurber's boss at the New Yorker, Harold Ross. Thurber shuns chronology, and “somehow it works.” Hagerty adds, “For those who don’t want to be shackled by chronology, Thurber produced a model of chaotic brilliance.” The chapter, “Inspiring Memoirs,” may sink my book budget—but the examples gave me permission to write my own story in my own voice. What’s the most inspiring memoir you’ve ever read—and why? 2) Gary Hoag was thinking way outside the batter’s box when he announced, “Play Ball!” on Oct. 21, 2022, at the memorial service for our mutual friend, Dan Busby (1941-2022). Dan, the former president of ECFA, was also a researcher, writer, and expert on the history of baseball tickets. Hoag blessed Busby’s family and friends by streaming the memorial service from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. So are you inspired and ready now to write your own obituary and life story (short or long)? Hagerty warns, “Don’t leave it to family members, who are almost certain to make a hash of it.”         Mastering 100 Must-Read Books Part 5: The Mount Rushmore of Leadership Legends (Ken Blanchard) Book #35 of 100: Fit at Last For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #35 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.    Fit at Last:  Look and Feel Better Once and for All  by Ken Blanchard and Tim Kearin Books #22 through #40 spotlight 19 books I named to “The Mount Rushmore of Leadership Legends” group—featuring Patrick Lencioni, Jim Collins, Ken Blanchard, and Peter Drucker. Part 5 features five books by Blanchard, including this quick-reading and transparent get-fit motivational book by Blanchard and his coach. They reference a doctor’s question to a patient: “Would you rather exercise for 1 hour a day or be dead for 24 hours a day?”    • Read my review.    • Order from Amazon: Fit at Last    • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson). AND SPEAKING OF OBITUARIES! When Ken Blanchard’s son noticed that his dad was “gimping around and looking a lot like Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” Scott admonished him: “Dad, I’ve heard you kid around and say to Mom that when a tour bus unloads passengers at a hotel in Hawaii, 35 women will get off the bus and only 5 men, because the rest of the guys are dead.” This is a get-fit book like none you’ve ever read. Order now. Just do it!                      PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. Looking for a quick-and-easy “life story” option? Order THIS. 52 Ways to Share Your World With Those You Love, by Jason Pearson and Doug Fields. Beautifully designed as a tool (really a treasure) for parents and grandparents to think, write, and then pass along to each child or grandchild—you’ll be prompted to share meaningful messages on 52 topics in this fill-in-the-blanks journal. For more storytelling help, contact Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social). Really! Include Mistakes in Your Obituary! The WSJ’s obituary writer (see above) urges you to include “lessons learned from your mistakes” in your obit. So maybe my obituary is already written? In 2021, with my wife’s encouragement, and my son’s help, I wrote Mastering Mistake Making: My 25 Memorable Mistakes—and What I Learned (10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning Workbook). Bob Lonac, CEO at CRISTA Ministries from 2006 to 2019, recommends this book in a two-minute video. View here. Order here. Read more here. “Chapter 2 is my favorite mistake,” says Lonac. 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 Father’s Day Gift Idea! Yes…it’s very funny, but also tragic. Read Feherty: The Remarkably Funny and Tragic Journey of Golf's David Feherty. Author John Feinstein writes, “Feherty’s concern wasn’t so much whether he could stay sober when working but whether he could be funny when he was sober.” (Note: When this golf book was published in May, it was immediately ranked #1 in “alcoholism recovery” on Amazon.) IMPORTANT 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.

Culture Shock

 

Issue No. 562 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting  (June 2, 2023) offers a possible “Top-10” book for 2023 from Gallup. Warning! Employee disengagement impacts customers and cash! And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies). Leverage your team’s strengths with personalized coffee mugs! Gallup says employee engagement is the lowest in seven years. You can fix this!   Splitter or Blender: What’s Your Work Style? We once thought we were savvy leaders and managers—before COVID. We once thought that all team members working on-site was best—before COVID. We once thought that the five-day week was perfect—before COVID. BAD NEWS: Everything has changed and Bizarre World seems like the new normal. We all have strong opinions on what works in the workplace. GOOD NEWS: Gallup’s new book, Culture Shock (May 30, 2023), sets aside opinions and leverages their stunning research to propose seven “Recommendations for the New Workplace.” The book’s subtitle immediately teased me into the 30 short, but substantive chapters. From Gallup! CULTURE SHOCK:  An Unstoppable Force Has Changed How We Work and Live. Gallup's Solution to the Biggest Leadership Issue of Our Time by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter   What’s happening in this post-COVID era? The authors warn: • “Nothing is going back to normal. This is a moment of evolutionary change.” • “The danger is that a majority of employees will now operate more like independent contractors or gig workers than employees who are loyal and committed to your organization.” • “Employees are also now less likely to say that their organization delivers on its promises to customers.” • “Simply put, your employees and customers know each other. Many are best friends. All the good stuff in human nature and customers is at risk.” • “The real fallout isn’t here yet. The real fallout will come when the storm of declining employee engagement hits the customer.” There’s more bad news! “According to Gallup, a staggering 90% of U.S. employees with desk and office jobs aren’t longing for the old workplace to return. Only CEOs are.” And this: “…U.S. employee engagement has reached a seven-year low.” Co-author Jim Clifton is Gallup Chairman and co-author Jim Harter, Ph.D., is Gallup’s Chief Workplace Scientist. Research-based, their workplace insights are so, so important—if CEOs and managers will just stop and listen. Don’t skip this one from two insightful leaders. They’ve teamed up before to write It’s the Manager (read my review). And Clifton’s Born to Build, with Sangeeta Badal, Ph.D. (read my review), is a hopeful look at entrepreneurship.   TOP-10 BOOK. Culture Shock is already on my list of Top-10 Books of 2023. Someone on your team must read and report on this solution-filled path to our post-COVID dilemmas. Your employees and your customers will thank you. WHO KNEW? There will never be a return to “normal,” warn the authors. “Who knew that everyone in the whole world with an office or desk job could check into ‘Hotel Zoom International’ at the same time. A spectacular digital advancement for humankind came wrapped inside a global health catastrophe.” BRILLIANTLY PACKAGED into 30 single-topic chapters (about three pages each), the book runs just 158 pages, plus a robust appendix of another 100 pages, plus a tempting 20-page reference section. You’ll appreciate the deep research that helps you solve these pesky post-COVID issues: • Chapter 3: “The Business Problem.” The authors’ stunning opening: “You probably haven’t heard this: ‘Our employees and front-line managers control customer outcomes and daily cash flow more than any other single lever we can pull.’” • Chapter 4: “The Role Human Nature Plays in Business Outcomes.” Using the “Gallup Path®” graphic, the authors admonish: “Customer retention is the most critical metric on a CEO’s dashboard.” They add, “…your engaged employees create your engaged customers.” • Chapter 5: “The Most Important Habit of a Great Manager.” Why getting this wrong “is the root cause of burnout.” The habit? “One meaningful conversation per week with each team member.” CONFESSION! We all make mistakes and Gallup confesses this: “Over the years, Gallup missed asking why people who have desk jobs are required to travel miles from their home to sit in what is basically just a different chair. Like many things, we just assumed there was no better way.” So what’s the best way forward? In-person, work from home, or a hybrid model? Chapter 7 goes deeper on “Why the Commute?” and Chapter 8 delivers the latest surprising research on “Is In-Person Time That Valuable?” But two chapters jumped out at me: Chapter 10: “Splitters and Blenders: Two Different Relationships to Work.” Oh, my. I’ve built my management model around what I call “The 3 Powerful S’s: Strengths, Social Styles, and Spiritual Gifts.” Now…I’ll have to add a fourth “S” for “Splitters and Blenders!” A new question from Gallup: “In your best life imaginable, would you prefer a job that is 9 to 5 where work and life are separated, or one where work and life are more blended throughout the day?”  • “Splitters might work best at home or in the office but want to maintain a strict schedule of hours in each location.” • “Blenders might get their work done on weekends, evenings or early in the morning before the office opens.” But here’s the gut-check: • “Imagine managing someone and not knowing which type of employee they are.” • “Now imagine leading a team of people who don’t know who the splitters are and who the blenders are on the team.” And this is interesting: “Gen Z and young millennials are equally divided between splitters and blenders.” And “45% of working baby boomers prefer a work-life blend.” Plus, another warning! “Overall, blenders are more likely than splitters to be looking for another job (53% vs. 48% respectively). This presents a slightly greater challenge for retaining these employees.” Chapter 12: “Is the Four-Day Workweek a Good Idea?” Read the full chapter to understand the nuances for your organization, but note this: “Our data suggest that a four-day workweek may be advantageous for those who do not have the option to work remotely.” “THE REAL PROBLEM is that most employees are poorly managed.” In the U.S., almost seven in 10 employees are not engaged—or worse, disengaged—at work. “These people are spending their workday watching the clock, intentionally working against their employer or planning their escape—a symptom of an unhappy workplace.” ALERT! “If instead of shortening the workweek, employers focused on improving the quality of the work experience, they could nearly triple the positive influence on their employees’ lives.” There’s so much more here—so order this must-read book and discover… • …the six skill sets of great managers. “Managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement.” (Chapter 27) • …why “only 21% of employees strongly agree that they trust the leadership of their organization.” • …what matters more than the number of days an employee is at the office. “…80% of employees who said they received meaningful feedback in the past week were fully engaged—regardless of how many days they worked in the office.” • …why (gulp!) “only 16% said that the last conversation with their manager was extremely meaningful.” (See Chapter 29, “One Meaningful Conversation With Each Employee per Week.”) • …the 7 Recommendations for the New Workplace. (See Part 5: “Gallup’s CEO Playbook.”) WEEKLY CHAT! Chapter 29, based on a study of 2,354 teams, “How to Make Meaningful Conversations a Weekly Habit,” will require that your managers are coached so they’ll become competent coaches. And by the way, does your organization have a certified CliftonStrengths coach? (Note: See my two-page form from the Meetings Bucket, “Weekly Update to My Supervisor,” which outlines how to have a meaningful weekly conversation—and includes reminders about “The 3 Powerful S’s” for both the manager and the direct report.)  ONE MORE. I gotta add this! On disengaged employees and the coming customer crisis, the authors warn that board members “don’t pay attention to this stuff because they can’t see the connection.” Example: When the chief human resources officer (CHRO) convinces the board that employee engagement is at 80%, then the board claps, “and the CHRO leaves with the board believing 80% of their employees are engaged.” (Rarely true!) Here’s why: BAMBOOZLED BOARDS! You must read why only 5s on a 1 to 5 scale (5 = strongly agree) should be counted. (Many HR surveys count the 4s also.) Example: How many team members would strongly agree (a 5) with this statement: “There is someone at work who encourages my development.” (See Chapter 3 for more engagement questions.) In addition to several brilliant examples on how the CliftonStrengths assessment keeps square pegs out of round holes (read about Jenny, Deepak, and Giselle), the authors give this startling stat: Just one in 10 managers have been trained on how to manage in a hybrid environment! And…don’t skip the fascinating short profiles on three strengths pioneers: Peter Drucker, Abraham Maslow, and Don Clifton.  I know…you have a lot of work ahead. To order from Amazon, click on the title for Culture Shock: An Unstoppable Force Has Changed How We Work and Live. Gallup's Solution to the Biggest Leadership Issue of Our Time, by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter. And thanks to Gallup Press for sending me a review copy. YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) Does your weekly staff meeting need to change? According to Culture Shock, “Among hybrid employees, 32% indicate that virtual meetings are less effective than in-person meetings, compared with 17% who say virtual meetings are more effective. More than half (51%) say there is no difference.” So…which meeting formats are working for us—and what’s not working? Do we know everyone’s preferred style: Splitters or Blenders? 2) The world is changing! Read this WSJ article by Alexandra Samuel, “How Retailers Should Start Catering to Hybrid-Working Customers. A lot of us no longer work 9 to 5, or commute into the office. Yet retail businesses seem stuck in a different era.” Then ask your team members: “Has our organization made any significant changes in our products, programs, or services—that relate to hybrid-working customers?”          Mastering 100 Must-Read Books Part 5: The Mount Rushmore of Leadership Legends (Ken Blanchard) Book #33 of 100: Leadership Smarts  For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #33 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.    Leadership Smarts:  Inspiration and Wisdom from the Heart of a Leader by Ken Blanchard  Books #22 through #40 spotlight 19 books I named to “The Mount Rushmore of Leadership Legends” group—featuring Patrick Lencioni, Jim Collins, Ken Blanchard, and Peter Drucker. Part 5 features five books by Blanchard, including this tasty smorgasbord of leadership axioms and quotations.    • Read my review.    • Order from Amazon: Leadership Smarts    • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson) Blanchard delivers a one-liner (in big type) on each left-hand page and his color commentary (in 100 words or less) on the right-hand page. I counted 75 “leadership smarts” from the mind of the chief spiritual officer of the Ken Blanchard Companies. Here’s some brain food: • “The key to developing people is to catch them doing something right.”  • “Things not worth doing are not worth doing well.”  • “Success is not forever and failure isn’t fatal.”  • “What motivates people is what motivates people.”  • “People with humility don’t think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less.”  This is fresh: • “Trying is just a noisy way of not doing something.” Blanchard adds, “Many people are interested rather than committed. They talk about trying to do something, rather than actually doing it. They make lots of noise, but fail to follow-up.” Just open this book to almost any page—and inspire your people: • “Vision is a lot more than putting a plaque on the wall. A real vision is lived, not framed.” • “A river without banks is a large puddle.” (Blanchard on boundaries.) • “All empowerment exists in the present moment.” • “The cure of too much to do is solitude and silence.”                     PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. Whoa! Ken Blanchard writes, “This is the first time in the history of business that you can be great at what you’re doing today and be out of business tomorrow.” Gallup warns about “culture shock” (see above). Are you resting on your laurels—or strategizing on the story you’ll be communicating next week and next month? We can help. Contact Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social). Tent Cards & Tools for Leveraging Strengths Tool #20 in ECFA Tools and Templates for Effective Board Governance: Time-Saving Solutions for Your Board, by Dan Busby and John Pearson, includes suggestions on spotlighting the CliftonStrengths of your team members and board members. Just feature each person’s Top-5 strengths on a tent card (or a personalized coffee mug)—placed in front of each meeting participant. (My tent card reminds everyone that I want to stay FOCUSED!) Download Tool #20 here. Read more here. IMPORTANT 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. Not Just for Spiritual Giants! Honest. You don’t have to be a spiritual giant to read this fascinating biography, but—warning—you will ask yourself, “Do I exhibit any signs of spirituality in my comfortable life?” Whew. Read my review of Count Zinzendorf and the Spirit of the Moravians, by Paul Wemmer.  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

The One Year Book of Hymns

 

Issue No. 569 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (July 19, 2023) spotlights the unique hymn-a-day devotional, The One Year® Book of Hymns—and my short-lived attempt to write another book. (LOL.) And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies), and click here for my review of Finish Line: Dispelling Fear, Finding Peace, and Preparing for the End of Your Life, by Robert Wolgemuth.  Imagine singing an “awesome” hymn, led by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, with 10,000 others. The One Year® Book of Hymns and YouTube will enrich your mornings.   One Day. One Page. One Hymn. Need a good chuckle today? Beginning late last fall, on most mornings while enjoying a period of quiet reflection with my Bible and other books, I often lingered in my favorite chair until a hymn came to mind. Then with earbuds in, I searched YouTube for a suitable version of the hymn. I listened to the hymn and then emailed the YouTube link to myself. I would often sing or hum that hymn throughout the day. Most mornings, though sleepy-eyed, my first thought would be, “I wonder what my hymn of the day will be?” Sometimes, I’d visit Hymnary to learn more about the hymn writer. Often fascinating! (And speaking of “lingering in my favorite chair,” here’s a poignant follow-up from Robert Wolgemuth and my review of Finish Line. Read or listen to his thoughts on how “A red wingback chair became a holy place for me to find God after my wife's death.”) I’m loving this new daily practice and wanted to share it with you. Maybe it was the nostalgia and good memories of singing bass in school and church choirs. My hymn repertoire grew exponentially through required church attendance Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, and Wednesday nights. During college, I was our church’s choir director.  So…what made me chuckle? After collecting several months’ worth of YouTube hymns, I thought: “Hymmmn. Maybe there’s a market for a book of hymns—just the stanzas of old hymns (without the music). I could research hymns in the public domain (no copyright issues), plus a bit of history about the hymn writer. What a great book idea!”  As I was planning this new book—a cavalcade of worship—I was reminded of Bob Hisrich’s marketing principle #1: “If you have $10,000 to spend, invest $5,000 in researching and understanding your audience.” (See the book we co-authored.) Oops! Good idea, John—but Tyndale published this book in 2017! LOL! I may be six years late and a dollar short (the royalties would have been nice), but I do know when to throw in the towel. Besides, Tyndale’s book is wonderful: The One Year® Book of Hymns: 365 Devotions Based on Popular Hymns So now, most mornings, I turn to the hymn for the day’s date and enjoy reading: • All four verses of the daily hymn • A brief bio/inside story of the hymn writer (sometimes a devotional thought) • A related Scripture verse ONE DAY, ONE PAGE, ONE HYMN—and then I find a suitable hymn version on YouTube. For example, today is July 19 and today’s hymn is “Rock of Ages,” written by Augustus Toplady (1740-1778), and the Scripture is Psalm 62:5-7. (This morning, I listened to The Oak Ridge Boys.)   Augustus Toplady was converted under a Methodist evangelist during his university years, but “Though impressed with the spirit of Methodism, he strongly disagreed with the Wesleys’ Arminian theology and waged a running battle with them through tracts, sermons, and even hymns.”  We read further that Toplady “…died of tuberculosis and overwork at the age of thirty-eight, two years after he published his own hymnal, in which ‘Rock of Ages’ and Charles Wesley’s ‘Jesus, Lover of My Soul’ (July 17) were placed side by side.” (Listen to The Choir of Trinity College, Melbourne.) Browse the hymns and the short devotional readings and you’ll deeply appreciate those hymn writers who have already crossed the finish line—and enriched our journeys. • “Day by Day and with Each Passing Moment” (Feb. 26) profiles Carolina Sandell Berg (1832-1903), who at age 26, watched her father, a parish pastor, drown at sea. (Listen to Fountainview Academy.) • “According to Thy Gracious Word” (March 3) notes that James Montgomery (1771-1854), a fearless London newspaper editor, “was imprisoned twice for his strong editorials” on the abolition of slavery. (Listen to New Scottish Hymns Band.) • “Before Jehovah’s Awful [aka Awesome] Throne” (March 5), by Isaac Watts (1674-1748), includes a British Christian’s awesome experience in singing this hymn with nearly 10,000 others, while led in worship by Charles Haddon Spurgeon. (Listen to The Symphonials, Ghana.) “TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS” (March 15), written by Helen Howarth Lemmel (1864-1961), sent me down a holy rabbit hole! In 1918, this noted Christian singer who lived her final days in Seattle, was given a tract written by a missionary, Lilias Trotter, who served in Algeria. The tract, “Focussed,” stopped Lemmel in her tracks (no pun intended). View the movie trailer to learn why Lilias Trotter gave up a promising art career in Britain to minister in Algeria for 40 years. For more, visit the Lilias Trotter Legacy website. (Listen to Selah's version of the song.) • View this 11-minute “story behind the story.” • View the movie trailer. • View the "Many Beautiful Things" documentary (70 min.) on Amazon Prime. Learn more about Lilias Trotter, who inspired Helen Howarth Lemmel to write the hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”  View Many Beautiful Things: The Life and Vision of Lilias Trotter (movie trailer). • “Amazing Grace” (March 17) notes John Newton’s response to suggestions that because of poor health and fading memory, he should retire at age 82! He said, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great savior.” This former slave trader was born in 1725 and died in 1807 at age 82. (Listen to Andrea Bocelli and Alison Krauss.) • “Jesus Paid It All” (March 19), was written by Elvina Mabel Hall (1820-1889) in the choir loft of her Baltimore church—due to “the pastor rambling on too long!” With no paper to write on, she penned the verses in the flyleaf of her hymnal! (Listen to Hymns of Grace.) • Stunning! The background on the hymn, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus” (June 9), by George Duffield, Jr. (1818-1888), describes the 1858 Philadelphia citywide evangelistic morning and evening services. A 29-year-old Episcopalian preacher spoke to 5,000 men reaping 1,000 conversions, but four days later, Dudley Tyng died in an accident. His final words were “Tell them to stand up for Jesus,” so Duffield wrote the hymn. (Listen to the story and the hymn at Worship House Media.) “JUST AS I AM” (June 22), was written by Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871), who wanted to clean up her act before becoming a Christ-follower. A minister, however, invited Elliott to “Come just as you are.” You’ll recognize this hymn, sung at hundreds of Billy Graham Crusades—except one. Listen to Cliff Barrow’s stunning story about the London crusade in 1967: Sing along to “Just As I Am” with Cliff Barrows and others as Barrows describes an unusual absence of a hymn at the 1967 Billy Graham Crusade in London. ENVELOPES & INK POTS: • Charles Wesley (1707-1788) “wrote an average of two hymns a week for fifty years,” composing between 5,000 and 6,000 hymns in his lifetime. • William R. Newell (1868-1956), enroute to teach his class at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, envisioned the words to a hymn. He “scribbled the words on the back of any envelope” and gave them to Daniel B. Towner, MBI’s director of music. Within an hour, Towner returned with the hymn, “At Calvary” (March 25). (Listen to The Collinsworth Family.) • Fanny Crosby (1820-1915), at age 30 and blind, heard a revival choir sing “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed?”(April 14), written by Isaac Watts. She responded to her Savior’s call and went on to write more than 8,000 hymns, including “Blessed Assurance” (May 1). (Listen to Alan Jackson.) • Martin Luther (1483-1546) “…once felt Satan’s oppressive presence so keenly that he threw an inkpot at him.” Some believe that an ink spot still decorates the wall of his room in Wartburg Castle!” He wrote “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” (Oct. 31). (Listen to the hymn led by Tommy Bailey at the Grand Ole Opry House as part of the Sing! Global Conference 2020.) Hymmmn. I wonder what my hymn-of-the-day for tomorrow will be? I can hardly wait! To order from Amazon, click on the title for The One Year® Book of Hymns: 365 Devotions Based on Popular Hymns, compiled and edited by Robert K. Brown and Mark R. Norton; devotions written by William J. Petersen and Randy Petersen.   YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) What’s your favorite hymn? Why? 2) Have you ever written, or thought about writing, a hymn? You’ll need your Bible and a dictionary, or maybe ask AI: “Alexa! What rhymes with heaven?” For the background on the hymn, “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise” (July 2), by Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908), the great British hymnologist, Erik Routley, describes this hymn as “full of plump polysyllables!” (Listen to St. Paul's Cathedral Platinum Jubilee Service.)        Mastering 100 Must-Read Books Part 6: The Mount Rushmore of Leadership Legends (Peter Drucker) Book #40 of 100: The Practical Drucker For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #40 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.  The Practical Drucker:  Applying the Wisdom of the World’s Greatest Management Thinker by William A. Cohen Books #22 through #40 spotlight 19 books I named to “The Mount Rushmore of Leadership Legends” group—featuring Patrick Lencioni, Jim Collins, Ken Blanchard, and Peter Drucker (1909-2005). Part 6 features five books by/about Drucker, including this book with the revelation that Drucker skipped his weekly staff meetings!    • Read my review.    • Order from Amazon: The Practical Drucker    • Listen on Libro (8 hours, 17 minutes)    • Visit the blog: Drucker Mondays [will be reposted in 2026]     • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson). In my review, I listed 10 reasons why The Practical Drucker is must-read: 1) Drucker on Office Politics.  2) Drucker on Why You’re Usually Wrong. When the book arrived, I scanned the 40 chapter titles and circled 15 must-reads, starting with Chapter 9, “What Everyone Knows Is Usually Wrong.” 3) Drucker on Bribery. 4) Drucker on Market Research. 5) Drucker on 3 Rules When Hiring.  6) Drucker on Leadership as a “Marketing Job.” This will surprise you—maybe. “Famed marketing Professor Philip Kotler, who is often referred to as the ‘Father of Modern Marketing,’ said, ‘If I am the Father of Modern Marketing, then Drucker is the Grandfather of Modern Marketing.’” 7) Drucker: No Fan of the Peter Principle.  8) Druckerisms! If the 40 chapter titles don’t rev up your management motors, you may be in the wrong job. Here’s a taste: “The Seven Deadly Sins of Leadership,” “The Most Important Leadership Decision,” “Fear of Job Loss Is Incompatible With Good Management,” and “The Purpose of Your Business Is Not to Make a Profit.” 9) Drucker’s Favorite Leadership Book. (Read my review of the 2014 book-of-the-year.) 10) Drucker’s 7 Action Conclusions on Strengths.                     PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. Just guessing here…but was your logo designed in the 1980s? Does it still work? View this WSJ video, “What Burger King’s New Logo Says About Its Strategy. The company says the new logo is meant to feel retro and nostalgic.” If, like Peter Drucker, you agree that “What Everyone Knows Is Usually Wrong,” maybe you need an outside opinion? Contact Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social). Oops! Methodology Over Message! Mistake #22 in Mastering Mistake-Making chronicles the many mornings I found comfort in the methodology—not the Message. I was disciplined, yes, in meeting with the Lord most mornings, but it was more about checking the box than hearing God’s voice. In 2023, I added a daily hymn to my morning meeting (see above). I love it! For a list of “My 25 Memorable Mistakes—And What I Learned,” click here. (For other books I’ve authored, or co-authored, 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 IMPORTANT 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 Four Workarounds

 

Issue No. 550 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting required big help! So I recruited David Schmidt and my son, Jason, to help us think about a hot-off-the-press book on four workarounds that scrappy organizations leverage. (View our Zoom Review.) Fascinating, yet troubling! And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies). Plus, listen to Episode 3 of The Discerning Leader Podcast below.   Caution! While The Four Workarounds book is jammed with scrappy ideas on solving complex problems—you will likely not affirm some of the outcomes championed by the author. Still—it’s worth the read.   Strategies from the World's Scrappiest Organizations and the 3 Little Pigs! You gotta love an author/professor from Oxford University’s Engineering Sciences Department and the Saïd Business School who spotlights the story of “The Three Little Pigs” to explain the thesis of his new book (just published on March 7, 2023). If I were still a CEO, I’d buy four copies of The Four Workarounds—and schedule a four-hour team meeting. I’d leverage Paulo Savaget’s hilarious color commentary on “The Three Little Pigs” to explain his four workarounds. Then having previously delegated each of the four big ideas to four team members—I’d give each person 30 minutes to explain the concept of their assigned workaround.  And then, I’d sit back and look forward to the creativity oozing all over our organization’s most complex problems. This is a compelling book, but—CAUTION!—it may irritate your worldview and core values, but please read it. I absolutely love the title and the subtitle:  The Four Workarounds: Strategies from the World's Scrappiest Organizations  for Tackling Complex Problems by Paulo Savaget And speaking of core values, the subtitle reminded me of a brilliant core value at Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission when Jeff Lilley was their president. Of their seven core values, this was my favorite: “INNOVATIVE & SCRAPPY: We are creative and innovative in our efforts to accomplish our mission.” For this interesting book, I invited my son and co-author, Jason Pearson, and my longtime friend and consultant/mentor, David Schmidt, to join me for a Zoom Review. Click here. Pearson, Pearson, and Schmidt  on “The 4 Workarounds” Click here to view our lively conversation. As you’ll learn while viewing our Zoom Review, author Paulo Savaget features four types of “workarounds” that both for-profit and nonprofit organizations have leveraged to address their most vexing and complex problems. The four workarounds: #1. Use a PIGGYBACK—when “there are other people or relationships that you can leverage.” #2. Use a LOOPHOLE—when “there is a set of formal or informal rules that you dislike.” #3. Use a ROUNDABOUT—when “there is a self-reinforcing behavior that can be influenced.” #4. Use a NEXT-BEST—when “there are available resources that can be repurposed.” Part I of the book (about 150 pages) gives stunning examples of how innovative business leaders, activists, and others have leveraged Piggybacks, Loopholes, Roundabouts, and Next-Best strategies to attack and solve very complex issues. He writes, “Workarounds are clever, unexpected, economical, and effective.” In Part II, Savaget cleverly suggests how the Big Bad Wolf in “The Three Little Pigs” might use workarounds to satisfy his hunger for bacon! (LOL!) But he also notes how the pigs might respond with their own workarounds. A second example features Hilda, a German computer programmer, with a liberal worldview on immigration—and how she might use workarounds to help Syrian refugees to “become legally entitled to make a living” in spite of the German bureaucracy. (Pretty clever, actually.) Caution! The author tilts toward fuzzy edges around values, ethics, and rules. In Part II, “Using Workarounds,” he urges us to “critically reflect on the value of deviance, zooming out to think about how workarounds can enable us to deviate effectively and gracefully from all sorts of conventions, from explicit rules to implicit norms.” He adds: “We’ll explore how a workaround mindset necessitates a willingness to experiment quickly, fail productively, and repeat the process rather than conduct methodical assessments and define contingency plans.” (See also Burn the Boats and why the author suggests you "Throw Plan B Overboard!") You’ll have to listen to our Zoom Review for more. Even better—read the book with your team members. I would start with some brainstorming on the “case study” of either the three little pigs or Hilda, the German activist. And note! Savaget complains, “My pet peeve is when people say that you must think outside the box, and then they follow a one-size-fits-all brainstorming approach. Not every creative activity needs Post-its and flip charts!” (Oh! That hurts!!) You’ll appreciate and learn from: THE PIGGYBACK. The author documents how ColaLife, a nonprofit that began work in Zambia, piggybacked their life-saving remedy (previously with no distribution channels) by “designing the medicine’s triangular packaging that fit between bottles in Coca-Cola crates.” (See photo.) Coke was widely available everywhere--so they piggybacked on Coke's delivery system. At the time, childhood diarrhea was the second leading cause of death in children under five in Sub-Saharan Africa. THE LOOPHOLE. Brazil was the location for a creative workaround orchestrated during COVID by the governor of a Northeast Region state with seven million people. Desperate for ventilators from China (but with no direct flights from China to Brazil), Governor Flavio Dino, a former federal judge, fought regulations and budgetary limitations to save his people. At both U.S. and Germany refueling stops, the ventilators were confiscated. Dino’s workaround through Ethiopia involved an ingenious series of loopholes. (Legal? Be sure to read “Confronting the Morality of Loopholes.”) THE ROUNDABOUT. Paulo Savaget, who holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, is also a Gates Scholar. He writes, “Roundabout workarounds disturb and redirect positive feedback loops, which lead to self-reinforced behaviors.” I’ll spare you the details here of one nation’s attempt to discourage public urination, but you can enjoy our Zoom Review conversation to get the details—and learn how to tap into people’s belief systems to “spark changes in their behavior.” (Here’s a short video.) THE NEXT BEST. In 1972, attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020), argued a sexism case in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, with her husband, Marty, a tax specialist. “On the opposing bench was the solicitor general—the Ginsburg’s former Harvard Law School dean.” What to do? “Notorious RBG,” who served on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1993 to 2020, used a “Next Best” strategy to win the case on appeal. A champion of women’s rights, RBG argued Moritz v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue on behalf of a man who was being discriminated against. “By arguing from the position of a man’s diminished rights, RBG…successfully set a historic precedent that unequal treatment on the basis of sex is unconstitutional.” (Tune in to our Zoom Review for more details.) There’s so much more, such as the bullet-point “prompts” for all four categories. NEXT BEST: “How can resources be reassembled in unconventional ways?”  DON’T SKIP…the numerous innovations by nonprofits and why Pepsi’s PR backfired when they attempted to piggyback on the BLM movement. You can also learn how the author became a student of his boss (who “answered emails erratically”) and scheduled the perfect time for emails to arrive in his boss’s inbox (see page 245).  Savaget also urges us to “Be Messy” and suggests that “Coming up with workarounds is more like playing with Legos than completing a puzzle: you have building blocks, and your challenge is to build something.” WARNING: Your values and worldview may not align with every example (pro-choice, divorce loopholes, immigration, etc.), but as we discuss in the Zoom Review—it’s important to understand your own value system and respond in creative, innovative, and ethical ways when you leverage these four workaround strategies. PROMOTE YOUR WORKAROUND! In the Zoom Review, you'll hear Jason's suggestion to email your organization's workaround strategy to the author, so he'll have more examples for his students at Oxford and for his next book! Contact Paulo Savaget. To order from Amazon, click on the title for The Four Workarounds: Strategies from the World's Scrappiest Organizations for Tackling Complex Problems, by Paulo Savaget. Listen on Libro (7 hours, 2 minutes). And thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy. YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) For more ideas on workarounds, I’ve seen creative leaders use Thinkpak: A Brainstorming Card Deck, by Michael Michalko. (Read my review.) This brainstorming card deck has 56 cards including two instructional cards, with four or five cards for each of the nine key processes, plus seven cards with creative ways to evaluate ideas. It’s a brilliant instant brainstorming system. But one more caution! It could be dangerous to your boring, status quo! The S.C.A.M.P.E.R. process leverages the nine principal ways of changing a subject: Substitute something. Combine it with something else. Adapt something to it. Modify or Magnify it. Put it to some other use. Eliminate something. Reverse or Rearrange it. Should we use this resource on one of our complex problems?   2) Is “Innovative and Scrappy” one of our core values? If not, should it be? Read more from Patrick Lencioni and the four categories of values in his insightful Harvard Business Review article, “Make Your Values Mean Something.”     Mastering 100 Must-Read Books Part 2: Books-of-the-Year Book #21 of 100: Joy at Work For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #21 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.    Joy at Work:  A Revolutionary Approach to Fun on the Job  by Dennis Bakke   Books #6 through #21 spotlight 16 books that I named the Book-of-the-Year from 2006 to 2020. Joy at Work, a 2006 bestseller, describes Dennis Bakke’s radical approach for bringing joy into the corporate and nonprofit workplace. • Read my review. • Order from Amazon: Joy at Work • Listen on Libro (9 hours, 28 minutes): 100% discount!  • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson) In 2006, I had the privilege of facilitating an all-day workshop at the Drug Enforcement Administration in Washington, D.C. The CFO of the DEA had invited his finance team to read Joy at Work—and then go deep on how the principles and values applied to their important work. Why was I the facilitator? Dennis Bakke, the author, was not available and recommended me. I came away so impressed with the men and women at the DEA—and their heart for service and lifelong learning. Bakke’s book is a must-read. (Click here to listen to the first three minutes of his book and why his father advised Dennis not to attend Harvard Business School. LOL!) BONUS! In 2013, Dennis Bakke wrote a follow-up business novel to Joy at Work—further fleshing out his approach to decision-making and delegation. The story, if you’re gutsy enough to read it, will convince you that “decision-making is simply the best way in the world to develop people.” • Read my review. • Order from Amazon: The Decision Maker: Unlock the Potential of Everyone in Your Organization, One Decision at a Time, by Dennis Bakke • Listen on Libro (4 hours, 23 minutes): 100% discount!                     PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. Do you need help tackling your most complex problems? As the author of The Four Workarounds notes, sometimes you need an outsider looking in—to give fresh eyes and insights to sticky issues. We can help! Contact Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social).   The Discerning Leader Podcast, Ep. 3 (3/9/2023) Listen to The Discerning Leader Podcast as Steve Macchia and Matt Scott, from Leadership Transformations, and John Pearson dialogue on the 10 phases of a spiritual discernment process—from Steve’s book, The Discerning Life: An Invitation to Notice God in Everything (John’s 2022 Book-of-the-Year). Click here for Season 25, Episode 3, "The Prayerful Process: Phases 4, 5, 6, and 7." (March 9, 41 minutes) IMPORTANT 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. JESUS REVOLUTION MOVIE! My son, Jason, and I recently experienced the Jesus Revolution movie together. Two thoughts: 1) If you are a Christ-follower, definitely go see it. 2) If you are a seeker, definitely go see it. Experience it.  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