Why Your Meetings Stink

 

Issue No. 398 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Jan. 7, 2019) warns—your meetings stink! But—good news—read this five-page HBR article for solutions. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and click here for my 2018 Book-of-the-Year and my Top-10 books of 2018.   Your Meetings Stink! At your next meeting, does your team need to make a quick decision—so discussion doesn't drag on and on and on? Schedule the meeting in the elevator. “Okay, team…enjoy the ride, but we’re not leaving until we have a decision on the Nelson Project.”  No elevator? Take a team walk and don’t turn back until you’ve made the big decision! Once made, celebrate the decision—immediately!—with Starbucks or Chick-fil-A gift cards for everyone. Those two ideas from the Hoopla! Bucket reminded me that a new year is the perfect time to refresh your weekly staff meeting. (You do have a weekly meeting right?) And just in time is a brilliant five-page article from the Harvard Business Review. This poke-in-the-ribs for meeting facilitators is perfectly titled: “Why Your Meetings Stink—and What to Do About It” by Steven G. Rogelberg Ever heard of “meeting recovery syndrome?” The “stink” article reports that “one recent study found that the effects of a bad meeting can linger for hours in the form of attendee grousing and complaining—a phenomenon dubbed ‘meeting recovery syndrome.’” Yikes! Another yikes: “One study found that despite the prevalence of meetings today, 75% of those surveyed had received no formal training in how to conduct or participate in them.” That’s not you, I know, because you’ve read many of the Meetings Buckets books I’ve recommended over the years:    • Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable...About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business, by Patrick Lencioni    • Read This Before Our Next Meeting: The Modern Meeting Standard for Successful Organizations, by Al Pittampalli    • The Secret to a Good Meeting Is the Meeting Before the Meeting: Lesson 18 from Leadership Gold, by John C. Maxwell ($1.99 on Kindle!)    • The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath So we all agree that most meetings stink (right?), but note Rogelberg’s findings—and his solutions: THE PROBLEM:    • A survey found that managers reported high productivity in meetings they led—but lower productivity in meetings they didn’t lead—“clear evidence of an ‘I’m not the problem’ attitude.” Ouch!    • People who lead meetings talk the most. Ouch!    • Leaders who run ineffective meetings—and “thereby failing to make the best use of the talent around them”—will likely lose good people.    • Most organizations don’t train their leaders and managers in meeting self-awareness—what they do well, and don’t do well, when leading meetings. THE SOLUTION:    • Ask your meeting participants to regularly evaluate the meetings you lead. Use surveys, one-on-one short conversations, and include meeting productivity assessments in your 360-degree feedback surveys.    • Define your meeting goals. “If you don’t have a clear mission or a list of agenda items, you should probably cancel.”    • Use a timed agenda.    • “For high-stakes meetings your preparation should go even further. Try having a ‘premortem’ (also known as prospective hindsight), which involves imagining that the meeting has failed and working backward to ascertain why. Then plan the meeting in a way that avoids or mitigates those problems.” Here’s the deal—I’m trying to inspire you to read a measly five-page article (not a 300-page book) as your first assignment in this new year. If you have a meeting scheduled—and you don’t have time to read this article—cancel the meeting. Or…ask another team member to read the article and facilitate the meeting! MORE MEETING MORSELS:    • “Facilitation starts the moment attendees walk into the room.”    • “…the key to successful facilitation is understanding that you’re primarily playing a supportive role.”    • “To prevent groupthink, consider incorporating periods of silence throughout the meeting…”    • Instead of verbal brainstorming, use “brainwriting.” (A must-read paragraph!)    • Shave five or 10 minutes off your normal one-hour meeting—“to create a bit more urgency and focus.” And Rogelberg’s final recommendation in the Meetings Bucket: “If your organization isn’t training you in this key skill, it’s time for you to develop it on your own using these strategies.” [  ] OPTION 1: To purchase and download the five-page article, “Why Your Meetings Stink—and What to Do About It,” by Steven G. Rogelberg, (Harvard Business Review, January-February 2019), visit the HBR website here. [  ] OPTION 2: To read on Amazon Kindle, you can subscribe to Harvard Business Review and immediately download the full January-February 2019 issue. (See the 30-days free offer, currently available.) [  ] OPTION 3: Note to meeting zealots! The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance, by Steven G. Rogelberg (192 pages), was published on Jan. 2, 2019. Click here to order from Amazon. (Note: I have not yet read this, so I am not yet recommending it. If you read it, pass along your feedback. Thanks!) Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions: #1. Rogelberg writes, “…when you’re a steward of others’ time, you owe it to them to make some modest upfront investment” as you plan your meetings. How much time do you invest in meeting preparation? Is it enough? 2) My 2018 Book-of-the-Year, Scaling Up, notes: “At the heart of a team’s performance is a rhythm of well-run daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual meetings.” Who will you assign to read “The Meeting Rhythm: The Heartbeat of the Organization,” chapter 11 in Scaling Up? Order from Amazon.     The Meeting Begins When the First Person Arrives Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook  Do you facilitate “WOW” meetings? Click here to download a one-page PDF from the Meetings Bucket: “Create a Welcoming Environment for Every Meeting: The Meeting Begins When the First Person Arrives.” This “W.O.W. Factor Meeting Evaluation” measures three key elements of effective meetings:    • Welcoming    • Organized    • Warm Inspire a team member to become your meeting evaluator—and suggest ways to improve your meetings and your stewardship of everyone’s valuable time. For more resources from the Meetings Bucket, click here. And try this--present a "I Survived Another Meeting That Should Have Been an Email" coffee mug or t-shirt to your new meeting guru! Click here. AMAZON’S JEFF BEZOS often begins a meeting with a “silent start,” according to Jason Pearson’s commentary in the Meetings Bucket chapter of Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook: Management Tools, Templates and Tips From John Pearson. Click on the graphic below to order from Amazon.               JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. So…you and your team just had a meeting (that didn't stink!)—and you're oozing with ideas. Need an in-the-trenches one-stop partner to help you communicate your mission—with messages that won’t be lost in the sea of kitten videos and fake news? Check out the innovative work from Pearpod Media (branding, digital, print, and video). Click here. 2nd Edition Just Published! LESSONS FROM THE NONPROFIT BOARDROOM: 40 Insights for Better Board Meetings (Second Edition), by Dan Busby and John Pearson,  will be available in January on Amazon. Read the short posts by 40 guest bloggers here.  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. BAN BORING BOARD MEETINGS!   Visit the ECFA Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations blog for ideas on how to refresh a board meeting that's grown rote. 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

The Short List

 

Issue No. 135 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (April 13, 2009) suggests that there are only four core values that matter. Agree or disagree?  Plus, here’s an idea from John Moorlach, member of the board of supervisors for Orange County, Calif.  He took a year to read my book—using a daily six-minute segment—and then recorded his thoughts in writing. Read his generous endorsement on my Management Buckets website.  Bill Butterworth asks, "What are the four core values that trump all the others?" Your Short List of Values When Bill Butterworth writes or speaks, I plan on laughing—and he never disappoints. Example: skip ahead in his new book to his fourth-period chemistry class story about the “Second Coming of My Conjugations,” and you’ll break out in a cold sweat. While laughing. Which isn’t easy. But when Bill writes, I also plan on learning.  The Short List is poignant, positive and powerful. Example: “…tapping into love’s tremendous power is like a smooth golf swing—you allow the golf club to do the work instead of swinging so hard you hurt yourself!”  That memorable line is classic Butterworth. Wit and wisdom are at it again in this very special book (just 137 quick-reading pages, with long-lasting results). You’ve probably enjoyed Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in their classic movie, The Bucket List. But have you ever made your own “Short List?” What are the four core values that trump all the others? Butterworth suggests that they are love, honesty, faith, and courage. This is the perfect book for adding inspiration and thought-provoking discussions to your next four staff meetings. Ask your team members to present their own short list of values. Oh, and be sure to read how Bill cleverly got out of umpire duty at his son’s little league games. TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for The Short List: In a Life Full of Choices, There Are Only Four That Matter, by Bill Butterworth. Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions: 1) What are the four values on your “short list?” 2) Who will stand up and recite our corporate core values by memory? Do these values impact our day-to-day relationships and work? If not, what should we do about it? The Meetings Bucket: The Target on the Wall Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Nonprofit One of the big ideas in the Meetings Bucket, Chapter 20, in Mastering the Management Buckets, is to give your boss a weekly update form—listing your three big targets on the wall. PETER DRUCKER shared a story at a small retreat gathering that I will never forget. He was consulting with a Fortune 500 company CEO. At the end of the morning meeting, he asked the CEO the $64,000 question: “This afternoon, as you know, I’m meeting with your vice president of marketing.  What key result must he achieve by the end of this year?” According to Drucker, the CEO answered immediately. “That’s easy,” the corporate titan responded. “My VP’s key result for this year must be ABC.” (While I was at the five-day retreat when Drucker told this story, I don’t recall the specifics, so we’ll call the goal “ABC.”) That afternoon, he met with the VP of marketing and began, “This morning, as you know, I met with your CEO and asked him what key result you must achieve this year.” The VP, like his boss, responded immediately. “That’s a no-brainer.  We’ve agreed that the key result for marketing must be XYZ!” Drucker wasn’t surprised and those of us in the room all laughed because we’ve been there.  We walk out of staff meetings, strategy meetings and strategic planning retreats and we’re absolutely convinced that the assignments and end results are crystal clear.  The target on the wall is “ABC,” but somehow, a vice president hears “XYZ.” What’s the solution? Every team member must put in writing (repeat: put in writing) five to 10 annual Standards of Performance (SOPs) that are reviewed and approved by the team. For more help, read the Results Bucket, the Strategy Bucket and the Meetings Bucket in my book—and download the “Weekly Update to My Supervisor” template from my website. (My template, by the way, is included in the appendix of the Harvard Business School Case Study #9-691-102 on Willow Creek Community Church. If it’s good enough for Harvard, maybe you’ll use 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  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.

Building Successful Teams

 

Issue No. 66 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Dec. 10, 2007) will encourage you to think about the felt needs of your team and elevate your weekly staff meeting up a notch. In this week’s book, Bill Butterworth quotes Mark Zoradi, president of Disney’s Buena Vista Distribution. His view of teamwork: “Don’t think golf. Think football.”  POP QUIZ! What are four great barriers to teamwork? (Stop reading and share your answer with a colleague.)  The 4 Barriers to Teamwork You’ve just finished your weekly staff meeting on time—yet the 60-minute gathering had that same familiar feel: BORING.  A small staff that meets at least 48 weeks out of 52 will invest a minimum of $10,000 in salary time alone on staff meetings. Suggestion: spend ten bucks on this week’s book to ensure your staff meetings have substance and will connect meaningfully with felt needs. If you’ve heard Bill Butterworth speak—you already know he has memorable content and a Pro Bowl delivery. He’s also laugh-out-loud funny! His book doesn’t disappoint either—and it’s packed with team building essentials. It’s perfect for that five-minute inspirational or motivational blurb at a staff meeting—or as an outline for a team-building retreat. Butterworth believes there are four great barriers to teamwork:    1) the barrier of personal insecurity;    2) the barrier of unhealthy competition;    3) the barrier of noncommunication; and    4) the barrier of being afraid to change.  That’s a month’s worth of staff meeting topics packaged in an 89-page book—and wrapped in a hilarious, but poignant story, “Everything I Know About Teamwork I Learned at Carnegie Hall.” TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on this title: On-the-Fly Guide to Building Successful Teams, by Bill Butterworth. It’s quick-reading, but long-lasting. I read it last week “on-the-fly” and my fellow passengers wondered why I was laughing so much! Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions: #1.  In groups of three, dialogue about the greatest barrier to teamwork in our organization. #2.  Butterworth quotes a woman who tells him, “For the first time in all the years I’ve been working with this company, I realized why I love working here—because it feels like family.”  What would you tell a job applicant about our team here? The Team Bucket: Your 3x3 Box Insights from the Management Buckets Workshop Experience In Bill Butterworth’s book, he mentions that Andy Reid, coach of the Philadelphia Eagles football team, takes an offensive lineman’s approach to teamwork. In an interview in the Los Angeles Times, Reid pointed out, “Each guy doesn’t have to be an all-star; they just have to be able to master their little [3’ x 3’] box on the field. Then you can master that big box which is the actual football field. You take that approach to it, you’ll be OK.” So, here are two of Butterworth’s questions (from the book) that every team member must answer. Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions: #1.  What’s your three-by-three box on the team? #2.  Can you describe it in one sentence? ================================================== 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  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 Imperfect Board Member

 

Issue No. 11 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Nov. 6, 2006) features The Board Bucket and other management buckets. Do your team members understand the role of both nonprofit and for-profit boards?  Patrick Lencioni, who wrote the foreword to this week’s book, quotes the author, “a greeter at Wal-Mart gets more orientation than most board members ever do.” Also, check out the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and more book reviews at the Pails in Comparison Blog. Jim Brown writes, “Boards don’t need to hear how busy the CEO is—they need to hear about results.” BOARD MEMBER MEDDLING OR MONITORING?  The 7 Disciplines of Governance Excellence “Boards do not ask for or accept recommendations—a recommendation is a decision in disguise.  Boards DO ask people to bring options with pros and cons so they can make an informed decision,” writes Jim Brown in his new book, The Imperfect Board Member: Discovering the Seven Disciplines of Governance Excellence. With big print, mind-grabbing graphics and a story line in the tradition of Ken Blanchard and Patrick Lencioni books, you’ll value the author’s seven disciplines in this leadership fable about business boards, nonprofit boards, and faith-based boards. Example: “The best boards keep their noses in the business and their fingers out!” Brown warns, “The only way a board can responsibly do its job without meddling is by monitoring very well.” Buy a bunch and give a copy to each board member and senior executive on your team.  TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for The Imperfect Board Member: Discovering the Seven Disciplines of Governance Excellence, by Jim Brown. Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions: 1) Write down the top three responsibilities of our organization’s board of directors. (Then, of course, compare notes and give the correct answers.) 2) The author writes, “Typically, CEOs and executive directors considered the board to be a necessary nuisance.” How does our organization view our board? BONUS REVIEW! I also reviewed Jim Brown's book on July 24, 2018, in my blog series, "18 Best Board Books," for ECFA's Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations. (Here's the index to more than 300 blogs I wrote on board governance between 2011 and 2020.) BOOK #2 of  18: The Imperfect Board Member: Discovering the Seven Disciplines of Governance Excellence, by Jim Brown (click here to order from Amazon) - Read the blog. Jim Brown’s seven disciplines of board governance are memorable:    • Direct    • Protect    • Connect    • Expect    • Respect    • Select    • Reflect With mind-grabbing graphics and a story line in the tradition of Ken Blanchard and Patrick Lencioni books, you’ll value the author’s seven disciplines in this leadership fable about business boards, nonprofit boards, and faith-based boards. Interestingly, the “guru” in this fable is a pastor of a large church—and he’s governance-savvy. Jim Brown, a board consultant (visit OrgHealth) writes, “The best boards keep their noses in the business and their fingers out!” He adds, “The only way a board can responsibly do its job without meddling is by monitoring very well.” This story tells you how to do that. Why is this on my “Best Board Books” list?     • The story format means your board members will actually read the book.    • The story is just 156 pages (plus very helpful resources).    • Memorable one-liners: “Boards don’t need to hear how busy the CEO is—they need to hear about results.” One bonus: The graphic on page 41 gives the clearest picture of how communication, authority, and accountability work together when board members are also customers. Brilliant. BOARD DISCUSSION: The author writes, “Beware of the ‘board of protectors,’ because it will focus on minimizing risks rather than maximizing opportunities. Boards must direct and protect.” How would we rate our board on balancing risk and opportunities? MORE RESOURCES: For an index to the "18 Best Board Books" (18 good governance stimulators), click here. 2026 UPDATE! Watch for the 20th anniversary edition of The Imperfect Board Member arriving in 2026. BREAKING NEWS! Watch for my May 19, 2026, review of Jim Brown's latest book, The Imperfect CEO: Making the Climb to Organizational Health. (Pre-order from Amazon.) ================================ 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  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.

Ruthless Consistency

 

Issue No. 454 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Nov. 30, 2020) quotes the author of Ruthless Consistency: “What matters more than anything you do is everything you do.” And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and click here for my May review of Non Obvious Megatrends: How to See What Others Miss and Predict the Future.     Best 2020 Book Title: “Ruthless Consistency” You’re the field goal kicker for your NFL team. It’s overtime and the score is tied 6-6. Which coach would you prefer to play for? Michael Canic (a former football coach) favors Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll: “Surprisingly, each team’s kicker missed what should have been an ‘automatic’ game-winning field goal in overtime. After the game, when asked about his kicker’s performance, Phoenix coach Bruce Arians [now Tom Brady’s coach at Tampa Bay] responded bluntly, ‘Make it. This is professional; this ain’t high school. You get paid to make it.’ “And what did Seattle coach Pete Carroll say about his kicker? ‘He’s been making kicks for us for years. He’s gonna hit a lot of winners as we go down the road. I love him, and he’s our guy.’” Michael Canic, the creative author of Ruthless Consistency, says that “constructive accountability and compassion are not mutually exclusive.” My suggestion: his five powerful principles for holding team members constructively accountable should be posted on every office wall (and visible during Zoom calls!). He urges all leaders and managers to change their mindsets: “You’re Not a Manager; You’re a Coach” (Chapter 11). He preaches, “Look in the mirror, Coach. It starts with you.”  If you’re looking for fresh insights and memorable leadership lessons—wrapped around a comprehensive plan for building and enriching your organization—this is the book. I’ve named it my “Best Book Title” of 2020. And the subtitle to Ruthless Consistency is both practical and aspirational: “How Committed Leaders Execute Strategy, Implement Change, and Build Organizations That Win.” Canic quotes Jim Collins: “The signature of mediocrity  is chronic inconsistency.” In his convicting chapter six, “Climb the Right Mountain,” Michael Canic warns that the wrong BHAG could destroy you. “When I was young and foolish,” he begins, “my buddy Ken and I decided to test our rock-climbing skills on Cascade Mountain in the Canadian Rockies. Having done almost no research, we arrived at the mountain, picked out a route that looked promising, and began to climb. Without ropes, of course. “It was all going well. Until it wasn’t. The climbing got increasingly difficult, and we soon realized we were at the limit of our abilities—and our risk tolerance. Just one problem: We now had to downclimb. Hmmm, hadn’t planned for that.” Spoiler Alert! The author survived—but he’s never forgotten the big lesson: not every dream is worth pursuing. Canic quotes Alfred Adler: “Follow your heart,  but take your brains with you.” Canic says that leaders must address the three Rs: Rewards, Risks, and Requirements. Canic lists four strategic positioning questions you must answer, including how your brand commitment addresses this: “What makes us desirably different?” (His word choice is stunning.) Whew! Amazingly comprehensive for a 250-page treatment, Canic allocates his 20 short chapters across five major sections:    1) The Reality (“What matters more than anything you do is everything you do.”)    2) The Right Focus (“Stop Strategic Planning” and “Do Less, Use More Resources . . . No, Really”)    3) The Right Environment (“The Value of Feeling Valued”)    4) The Right Team (“Hire for What You’re Likely to Overlook”)    5) The Right Commitment (counter-intuitive wisdom on three enemies you must defeat) Anytime I find a book that challenges my conventional thinking—I’m in. I was hooked by page two. “Strategic planning? It was a charade. A waste of time, money, and effort. And our experience wasn’t unique. Published failure rates for strategic planning range from 70 to 90 percent.” Yikes! It gets worse on page three! “When SCIs [strategic change initiatives] fail, you create a track record of failure.    • You create an expectation of failure.     • You create an acceptance of failure.    • And you create a culture of failure.” Then Canic clocks you with this jab: “Failure becomes the norm.” In addition to the comprehensive insights on how to build and grow a healthy organization (from his years at FedEx, The Atlanta Consulting Group, and as a member of the Marshall Goldsmith’s global 100 Coaches project), Canic’s tasty morsels, snippets and bonus insights abound. Examples:    • How to leverage the “One Team Meeting” concept (page 44).    • The “Ruthless Consistency®” model chart (This overachiever delivers the goods on page 11, not waiting for my “Page 25 Take-Aways” rule-of-thumb.)    • The psychology of inconsistency and why “people are bloodhounds for inconsistency” (page 20).    • How he helped a region of the National Kidney Foundation answer the core question, “What business are we in?” with this “what we do” statement: “We help people pee.” (LOL on page 68). Plus: Pop Quizzes, Feedback Questions, and a Delegation Chart!    • Two pop quizzes with 22 questions each—and this poke-in-the-ribs: “What do you think is a good score? Here’s a hint: What’s the title of the first chapter?” Answer: “What Matters More Than Anything You Do Is Everything You Do.” Idea: Highlight one question at your next 22 weekly staff meetings (pages 109 and 182).    • Big idea: 20-minute micro-training single-topic modules (page 126).    • The “One Thing Better” brilliant feedback question (page 166).    • The search for universal success traits (six traits) and the assessment, High Potential Trait Indicator (HPTI). (See pages 203-204.)    • And…another brilliant one-page chart, “4D Prioritization Process,” to enrich your core competencies in the Delegation Bucket (page 239). I agree with the endorsement from Marshall Goldsmith (author of my 2013 book-of-the-year pick): “This is the ultimate guide to implementing real, positive, and lasting change in your organization.” I urge you to read Michael Canic’s book (or delegate the book to a team member)—and then highlight his wisdom at future staff meetings. To order from Amazon, click on the title for Ruthless Consistency: How Committed Leaders Execute Strategy, Implement Change, and Build Organizations That Win, by Michael Canic. (And thanks to the author for providing a review copy.)   EXTRA CREDIT! Read chapter 21, “The Five Coaching Conversations,” in It’s the Manager, from the Gallup team. Read my July 2020 review.)   YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) The author says “people are bloodhounds for inconsistency. The moment you say one thing but do another—boom!—they’re on it.” He describes a core value of “speed” at one organization, but it took accounting six weeks to send out staff expense reimbursements! OK, Team—candor will be rewarded. Describe one of our inconsistencies and how we could do one thing better. 2) Michael Canic says “rip the script” during job interviews—and lists five questions to jolt candidates out of their rehearsed answers. Example: “Describe the culture of a company in which you would be a poor fit. (Why would you be a poor fit?)" Why must we practice ruthless consistency when recruiting the right team members here?    Mount Everest…or Mount Failure? Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook  Speaking of mountain climbing and strategic plans (per the Strategy Bucket), I’m indebted to David Schmidt, friend and consulting colleague, for his insightful wisdom:   “Your strategic planning consultant/facilitator/volunteer will use different tools to get you to the top of Mount Everest (a completed plan). But it’s important to let your facilitator use his or her own tools!”   The “Rolling 3-Year Strategic Plan Placemat” (a one-page 11” x17” summary of a strategic plan) is adapted from Schmidt’s helpful model. David knows how to get clients to the top of Mount Everest! Click here to visit Wise Planning and ask for his white paper on “Embracing Redemptive Disruption.” He outlines three possible planning paths during this COVID marathon. Reminder: every strategic planning model will have strengths and innovative nuances. Just pick one—and trust your guide! Failure will result when you inflict your planning tools on your experienced guide! Pick one: [  ] Ruthless Consistency, Michael Canic, President & Chief Flag-Bearer at Making Strategy Happen® [  ] Wise Planning, David Schmidt [  ] Breakthrough: Unleashing the Power of a Proven Plan, by Randon A. Samelson [  ] The Rolling 3-Year Strategic Plan Placemat       • Tool #14 of 22 tools in ECFA Tools and Templates for Effective Board Governance: Time-Saving Solutions for Your Board, by Dan Busby and John Pearson       • Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook: Management Tools, Templates and Tips from John Pearson, with commentary by Jason Pearson (2nd Edition, 2018)  For more resources in the Strategy Bucket, click here.                     JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. Before you go public with your strategic plan, you’ll improve your odds for success (and not failure) by involving your outside communication specialist—early in the process. Check in with Jason Pearson at Pearpod Media (branding, digital, print, and video).  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  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. UNDER PRESSURE? To read 22 short blogs on the 22 tools and templates from Dan Busby and John Pearson, click here for the ECFA governance blog. Reminder from the Navy Seals: “Under pressure you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training.”

Oh God - I’m Dying!

 

Issue No. 452 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Nov. 16, 2020) highlights a leader’s very transparent personal journey through pain and suffering. It’s sobering, but soothing. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and click here for my 2016 review of Serve Strong: Biblical Encouragement to Sustain God’s Servants, also by Terry Powell. He writes that Merrill C. Tenney once told his class, “The devil never opposes insignificant work.”   Tire Tracks to Transparency Hey! Quit your whining, complaining, and yammering. You’re not on a 40-year wilderness trek with Moses—and you’re not Mark Smith. OK, let me soften that a tad. Perhaps you are experiencing pain—emotional, physical, relational, and more—but, good news, the authors of Oh God, I’m Dying have encouragement for you. Terry Powell and Mark Smith believe you can learn “how God redeems pain for our good and His glory.” If you’re a leader—and you’re learning that leadership is challenging, you’re not alone. The authors note, “For a Christian leader—whether the venue is a church, parachurch organization or a school—the job description often comes wrapped in a burden.” But there’s help! This book is a page-turner and could be a game-changer. I read it slowly over multiple mornings of quiet and reflection, but the back cover says you can read it in just 144 minutes. I don’t recommend a speed-reading marathon. This is a deep dive. Here’s why: WHAM! “Oh God, I’m dying!” was Mark Smith’s helpless cry to God. Life looked good at age 30, then WHAM—a 1996 horrific car accident changed his life forever. After 45 minutes in his mangled Ford Taurus, rescuers used the “jaws of life” to extract this young leader. His body and his future looked bleak and painful. Doctors predicted months and months in the hospital. A car swerved into his car and “the head-on collision sounded like a small bomb detonating,” and “the impact knocked Mark’s car a total of 80 feet off the road” and into an Indiana cornfield. (The other driver also survived.) Regaining consciousness, Mark “wasn’t sure he had a future on earth, but Mark felt the overwhelming presence of the One who controlled his future.” Yet, this young college administrator, pastor, husband, and father (blessed with a one-year-old son), wondered if his walk with God and the sermon on grace and weakness he had just preached hours before (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)—would be sufficient for the long days and nights ahead. POP QUIZ! I asked myself—and you may want to ask yourself—could you pass this test? Would your answer echo the Apostle Paul’s courageous response? “It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.” (The Message) Whew. Page after page, I cautiously wondered. Did this book interrupt my comfortable routine to prepare me for something coming? Do I want to endure pain to learn strength? Not really…but I continued reading. Maybe you should read this too. Ten reasons: #1. MAXWELL ENDORSES. John C. Maxwell’s endorsement: “This book teaches you how to learn from and how to persevere in tough times.” #2. MEMORABLE STORY. Amazingly, co-author Terry Powell (click here for my review of Powell’s book, Serve Strong) convinced Mark Smith to tell his story. Everyone has a story—but in just 169 pages (plus notes and resources), you’ll never forget this story—and the leadership lessons. #3. MORPHING PAIN.  Even today (24 years later), “What starts in the afternoon as a throbbing ache morphs into a burning sensation within a couple of hours. By eight p.m., he labels it a ‘roaring pain,’ as if an accelerant had been injected into the fire already glowing in his neck, left arm and hip. By 10:00 p.m., the ferocity of the pain generates tears.” #4. MARK’S DAY JOB. You’re not gonna believe this! Dr. Mark Smith’s day job is president of Columbia International University in South Carolina. What’s a tougher job than leading an institution of higher education? Leading a university while coping with debilitating pain—every day.    #5. MIDNIGHT BALM. The long nights in those early days of unbearable pain pointed Mark Smith to the Scriptures he had previously memorized. You’ll delight in the powerful words of God generously sprinkled across the pages. And get this—dozens of Bible verses are highlighted with unique graphics above and below the Scripture—black tire tracks! “The text most precious to Mark during his recovery was Psalm 34, especially verses 1-7.” #6. MEDICINE FOR THE SOUL. The authors quote Marsha Hays, “Music is medicine for the soul.” In the brilliant last half of the book, the authors highlight 10 “Faith Lessons.” Lesson 5, “Using Music to Soothe the Soul” notes that when Mark’s spirit sagged, “God’s Spirit used hymns to massage his mind and restore his focus on the gospel.” When I read this short chapter—I couldn’t resist: “Alexa, play ‘My Faith Has Found a Resting Place.’”  #7. MORE LESSONS. The 10 short faith lessons for helping “God’s people deal with pain and suffering” are both soothing and sobering. (Feature one-per-week at your weekly staff meeting.)    • Faith Lesson 1: Clinging to God’s Word    • Faith Lesson 2: Pleading With God    • Faith Lesson 3: Embracing Brokenness    • Faith Lesson 9: Comforting Persons Who Hurt    • Faith Lesson 10: Redeeming Pain #8. MATURITY CHECK-UP. “Releasing Resentment,” the fourth faith lesson, quotes St. Augustine: “Resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies.” Powell and Smith list eight very-very-convicting questions on releasing resentment, including this poke-in-the-ribs: “Have I stopped telling others what this person did to me?” (See Ephesians 4:29.) #9. MONEY MIRACLES. I hesitate to mention Chapter 9, “Nowhere to Look but Up!” because my nonprofit CEO and fundraising colleagues will immediately read this chapter first—but please don’t. Terry Powell chronicles God’s blessing on the fundraising initiatives of Mark Smith over his career at three universities. Talk about miracle stories! Wow! But, if you skip Mark’s journey from a mangled Ford Taurus to the leadership of a major Christian university (Chapters 1 to 8)—you’ll miss the big idea of this book. They quote D.A. Carson: “One of the things held out to grieving or suffering believers is the prospect of being more fruitful than they could have ever imagined.” #10. MINISTRY GUTS. This story—this book—in the wrong hands with the wrong words could have been an egotistical tribute to a self-absorbed leader. It’s not. It took guts for Terry Powell to ask Mark Smith to share his story. And it took guts and transparency for Mark Smith to let us in on God’s grace in his life. The two of them—beautifully—contrast human frailties and weakness with God’s grace and power. This is a very special book and I urge you to read this wisdom and share it with others. To order from Amazon, click on the title for Oh God, I’m Dying! How God Redeems Pain for Our Good and for His Glory, by Terry Powell and Mark Smith. Note: the paperback ships on Nov. 24. Click here for the Kindle Edition (available now). YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) The authors quote Charles H. Spurgeon: “Within the Scripture there is a balm for every wound, a salve for every sore.” Mark Smith found solace in Psalm 34. What Scripture refocuses your mind from your self to your Savior? 2) The authors write, “The library shelves of Christian colleges and seminaries sag with the weight of pastoral and theological tomes on the issues pertaining to suffering and faith.” But gratefully, the authors list 16 additional books on the topic, plus organizations that help people address pain and suffering in God-honoring ways. What resource have you found helpful to understand pain and God’s grace?    Attn: Fundraisers! Never, ever, ever…send the same donor appeal to donors and non-donors.  Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook  Speaking of fundraising (see above) and the Donor Bucket, I recall attending a direct mail fundraising workshop years ago. The Big Name Consultant recommended that U.S. nonprofit leaders schedule their year-end fundraising appeals to arrive—get this—on the day after Thanksgiving. Not sure if that’s still good wisdom or not. (I’ll be waiting by my mailbox on Nov. 27 for your letter!) But here’s some reliable take-it-to-the-bank wisdom (no pun intended): Never, ever, ever—send the same donor appeal to donors and non-donors. If I had $10 for every donor letter that THANKED me for my previous giving (when I’ve never/ever given to that organization), well…you know the rest.  Instead (at least) try simplified segmenting:    • Letter A is written to current donors.    • Letter B is written to prospects who have never/ever given. The goal: cross the line into the giver’s circle. (Then, customize the receipt/thank you letter to acknowledge the first-time gift. Get creative!) It’s pretty simple—but my mailbox reports that no one’s attended my Simplified Segmenting Workshop. When you’re ready for the advanced workshop, segment your Letter A group into four segments, per R. Mark Dillon’s counsel in Giving & Getting in the Kingdom: A Field Guide. He divides current givers into four groups:    • The Gifted Giver (2-5% of givers)     • The Thoughtful Giver (15-25% of givers)     • The Casual Giver (35-50% of givers)     • The Reluctant Giver (perhaps 33% of givers)  And—this is encouraging—the Gifted Giver will show up at the dedication of a new building and ask, “What’s next?” Dillon says “the gifted giver seldom needs to be asked.” To order from Amazon, click on the title for Giving & Getting in the Kingdom: A Field Guide, by R. Mark Dillon.                       JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. Do your fund development materials and videos need a refresh? Are you segmenting your donors and your customers effectively? Check in with Jason Pearson at Pearpod Media (branding, digital, print, and video).  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  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. UNDER-PERFORMING BOARD MEMBER? EXIT TIME!  John says there are at least seven reasons why a board must remove an under-performing board member. Read more at the ECFA blog.