What do you hate to do?

For all of us there are pieces of our lives that we don't enjoy doing. It can be in our personal lives or in our jobs. These are the things that we put off, procrastinate on and allow to pile up and the longer we ignore them the more daunting it looks. Often when we do tackle what we don't like to do we are grossly inefficient at it. After all we are not motivated to get it done. For those who are normally disciplined it creates dissonance knowing that the pile of stuff accumulating in a corner of the office is unattended to.

Even when we are in our perfect job there is a percentage of our time (20 to 40%) that requires us to attend to things that drain rather than fill us. For me it is taking care of small details. At periods of my life I have had administrative assistants who loved the details (a great blessing to me). At other times I have had to do them myself. I just don't enjoy doing them so it is easy to put them off. For some it is phone calls, for others meetings where there might be conflict. Whatever it is, it is important to deal with it.

The key to this dilemma is to develop habits (actions done enough times so they become habitual) that help us overcome our aversion and allow us to stay on top of important details. I have several suggestions.

First, schedule regular time weekly, in a block, to deal with those things that you really don't want to do. One can get a lot done in a two to three hour block of time. The key to this is to focus completely during that time so that one gets as much done as possible. When finished you have the satisfaction of knowing that a great deal has been accomplished.

Second, schedule a short period of time each day for the things that need to be done immediately but which you would otherwise be tempted to put off. 

Both of these should be in one's calendar and the more often we practice it the stronger the habit will become and the less aversion we will also have. In addition, the dissonance of undone work is no longer an issue and our tendency to procrastinate will be lessoned. It is, after all now a habit in our weekly and daily work. 

Of course we can always put this off....

Signs that a church board needs renovation

I am always surprised when Church boards deny that they need help when all the signs point to the obvious. Here are some symptoms of board dysfunction that should get our attention. They are not yellow flags but red flags that the board is sick and needs help. I have encountered boards that were literally on life support but did not know it or acknowledge it. 

• Board members dread board meetings
• Meetings are filled with dialogue that seems to go nowhere
• There are elephants in the room that no-one wants to name
• There is tension between the senior leader and the board
• There is tension between the board and staff over authority and responsibility
• The church is in decline
• There are unresolved issues between board members
• The board is divided over important directional issues resulting in a stalemate
• There is little vision for the future
• The board spends its time managing the status quo or trying to manage its own dysfunction
• There is no board covenant that defines board member's behaviors or if one exists the board is unable to hold one another accountable
• There are issues that exist that the board is unable to talk about
• Board members do not want to serve another term
• There is little prayer as a board
• Pride and agendas prevail over humility and the seeking of God's will for the board and church
• Senior leader, board and staff are not on the same page
• The board resists help even though all signs point to a need for it to get help so they can become healthy

Why would a board that suffers from some of many of these dysfunctions resist getting help? It takes courage to get help while fear keeps us from doing to. The result is that the church suffers (dysfunctional boards cannot lead healthy ministries), the board remains stuck in its ditch, good leaders eventually bail and God is not glorified.

As under-shepherds of Jesus who is the head of the church, we will one day give an account for our leadership according to Peter. If all the signs point to a need for help - get it - because healthy boards are a joy to be a part of and healthy churches are always led by healthy leaders. There may be some whitewater to navigate but a good board coach can help you navigate the rapids and land in calm water on the other side. 

If this is your board, choose the courageous route and get help!

I am available to meet with church boards and dialogue with them on the challenges they face and possible solutions. With zoom technology, this can be done easily at low cost to you. If interested, you may contact me at tjaddington@gmail.com.