Plan, Do, Check, Adjust

Both the ministry and non ministry world are great at planning but less so at doing. The reason is simple: Planning is easier than doing! And, given our aversion to "failing" that more planning we do the less likely it is that what we do will fail.

This ignores the fact that unless we actually do something, nothing of significance gets done. Planning is simply the antecedent to action and if we spend more time on planning than we do in actual execution (many do) we don't achieve our potential. I could spend all kinds of time planning this blog but until I put it on paper the ideas have absolutely no relevance to others.

There is a rhythm of work that is pretty standard in good companies that would help ministries execute with greater success. It is very simple: Plan, Do, Check, Adjust. 

The plan takes into account the opportunity, resources, and strategy to move a certain initiative forward. It also thinks through the potential unintended consequences, stakeholders, communication and process of rolling it out. It is the due diligence that helps us avoid dumb tax and give us the best chance of success.

Doing, is simply the hard work of working the plan. At some point, more planning will not help, you must start doing. It is harder to find people who execute well than it is to find those who love to plan. Doing is at the heart of good work and successful ministries. 

That doing, however, is subject to regular checking to ensure that what we want to accomplish is actually getting accomplished. It is one thing to plan a small group strategy, for instance, and then start working a plan but it is another to discover that one is not getting the participation that one hoped for. Checking is evaluation of how well the plan is working. It requires a culture where accountability for results actually matters - something often lacking in ministry cultures.

Having checked and evaluated, one adjusts the plan in order to take into account what one learned in the check phase and then one goes back to doing and the cycle repeats itself. 

It is a simple paradigm but one that keeps ministry on track by planning, doing, checking, and adjusting.

On not playing the role of the Holy Spirit

We give far too little credit to the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of others and often try to play that role ourselves. Not very successfully I might add!

The Holy Spirit is called the Counselor by Jesus. That is an interesting title when you think of the role of a counselor, helping people clarify issues, resolve issues, move from dishealth in some area of life to health.


Here is what Jesus says the Holy Spirit will do. "he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment...He will guide you into all truth...He will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you" (John 16:7-15).

These are powerful statements about a member of the Trinity who resides in our lives and is fully capable of speaking to His children about areas of their lives that need attention.  We often underestimate the power of the HS to bring needed change in the lives of others and overestimate our ability to do that.


What do we do when we see something in a fellow brother or sister in Christ that we think needs attention? Often our first thought is that we need to solve it which is really saying, that we feel we need to help the Holy Spirit do His job. It does not work to be the conscience of others. Not only does it not work but we may not even understand the issues. Conscience is my sensitivity to the HS, not someone else playing that role for me. 

Perhaps we ought to spend more time praying for others than trying to define what they should be doing. It is the Holy Spirit that takes from what is Christ's and makes it known to us. I may be able to convince, manipulate and force someone to deal with an issue but only the HS can bring needed change (and He knows what the needed change is far better than we) from the inside and in a way that transforms.

Jesus spoke to this in Matthew 7:1ff. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" 

My concern for my fellow believer is demonstrated more by my willingness to pray for them than it is for me to play the role of the HS in their life. Yes there are times when we gently point out areas of fault or sin but we must never play the role of the Holy Spirit. He is the ultimate counselor.
 

The currency of trust

Trusting relationships and maintaining that trust is the currency necessary for ministry influence, healthy teams, and partnerships with others. Lack of trust kills all three. Like currency, trust can be deposited or withdrawn and maintaining a healthy trust account is always a priority of a healthy leader.


Trust is deposited when people can count on us to keep our word on promises made. A bank account of promises kept will take one a long way even when for some reason we let others down. A pattern of not keeping our word, however will deplete that account.


Trust is deposited when we can be counted on to be consistent in our directional leadership. People need the security of knowing where we are going and how we are going to get there. Flavor of the month leadership or a history of directional surprises will lower the account. 


Trust is also deposited when people can count on us to be fair, consistent and predictable. Unpredictability depletes trust because it causes anxiety over which "me" they are going to encounter in any given situation. 


It is also deposited when we are candid, honest, and open rather than hiding our "cards" or leaving people wondering what we are really thinking. Of course, leaders don't always reveal everything but unless they can be counted on to be transparent about what the team needs to know, trust is withdrawn.


When staff know that our highest priority is to serve them, help them succeed and develop them into all they can be, trust is accumulated. When staff see that their leader is more concerned about their reputation, getting the credit or their own stuff, it is withdrawn.


While healthy people grant trust unless and until there is a reason not to, healthy leaders by their character and behavior are always building a bank account that works in their favor when tough decisions must be made that require staff to trust them. They will if there is trust in the account and a history of trustworthy character and behavior. When staff lose significant trust and the bank account is depleted, it is no longer possible to lead from strength.


Healthy leaders are always conscious of their "trust account."

Three things every senior leadership team must have

Leadership teams are only successful when they focus constantly on three non-negotiables.  If you guard these components zealously you have significant opportunity for success. If you lack any of the three you will pay a price.

The first is unity. Leadership teams that are on the same page and committed to working together rather than separately, that guard one another’s back and are always willing to take the hill together are strong teams and send a strong message to the rest of the organization. Unity at the top means unity among those they lead. Silos or lack of unity on the top team invariably trickles down to the rest of the staff. If the organization is going to move in the same direction, those in leadership must do the same.

The second component is resolve. The world is full of nice ideas, grand plans and great dreams. What it often lacks is the discipline of intentional execution where dreams are translated into plans and plans are translated into action on a regular basis. Leaders who lack the discipline or resolve to accomplish what the organization has committed to accomplishing send a message that we are not really serious about our mission. Leadership teams that have and exhibit strong resolve send a powerful message that we are serious about where we are going, are not going to deviate and we are intent on getting there.

The third component is dependence on the Holy Spirit. Most organizations will not rise above the spiritual dependence of their leaders because leaders establish the culture. Leaders who are intent on dependence on God and hearing what God has to say to them in terms of their direction and strategy not only are stronger because of it but model for the rest of the organization that dependence is not an option but a necessity.

How is the leadership team in your organization doing in these three critical areas?

Love wins only when truth wins first

The current controversy over Rob Bells new book Love Wins: A Book about Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, while unorthodox in its content and conclusions does have an upside. It is focusing attention on a subject that is politically incorrect in our day: That there is an eternal destiny for each of us, that heaven and hell are real and the latter involves eternal punishment and separation from God. And, that there is only one route to a relationship with God and that is through Jesus Christ. Without Christ, people face eternal separation from Him.

My intent here is not to critique Bell’s exegesis or conclusions. Others have already done that for us (just Google Love Wins for many responses). In addition, a simple reading of the Scriptures is enough to conclude that Bell’s circumlocutions around the clear statements of Jesus on the subject don’t stand up to a logical reading of the text to say nothing of orthodox understanding on this subject for two thousand years. Bell is simply restating liberal theology that has been around for a long time.

However, the truth is that many evangelicals are essentially agnostics on the subject of hell because it is politically incorrect, and we cannot imagine that God would actually punish those who chose to reject Him. If we really believed that our friends, family, coworkers and neighbors face eternal punishment without Christ, would we not be far more motivated to share the Good News? To say nothing of living this life without Jesus. Our lack of evangelism concern (in the United States it takes 168 people one year to lead one person to Christ) either indicates we really don’t believe in the reality of hell, that we are uncaring or so distracted by our own comfort and lives that we don't have time to focus on those who don't know Christ. There are exceptions to this, many who I know, but in general, our evangelism efforts and commitment do not match a biblical understanding of what is truly at stake. Nor do the outreach efforts of congregations that are often so focused inside that they have little impact outside their walls.

Incidentally, just about 300 years ago the entire population of our world was only 600 million, twice the current population of the United States today. Our world has swelled to 6.5 billion since 1700 and it is estimated that half the people who have ever lived in human history are walking our planet today. That means that half the potential population of heaven and hell are alive today. What we do about that has eternal consequences.

Working in many parts of the majority world, I see men and women who are absolutely focused on sharing the Good News because they believe the truth of heaven and hell, of a transformed relationship with Jesus or lostness. Many of these have given up income, comfort, and even their lives out of conviction that people need a savior in this life and the next.

Bell says love wins. Certainly that is true for all who turn to a savior in Jesus Christ. What Bell does not want to acknowledge is that truth wins as well. Scripture does not lack clarity on this subject. As Mark Driscoll tweeted today: “Any preacher who does not tell his people the whole truth may be loved by them but does not love them.” Bell has it backwards. Love wins only when truth wins first.

The question for each of us is whether we take seriously the reality of two eternal destinies and whether we will join Jesus in sharing the Good News with the same concern for people that He had. He commissioned us in John 17:18, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world,” speaking of us!

Love only wins when we believe the truth of the gospel and it is that truth that motivates us to boldly share the Good News and when people respond - that is when love wins.

The Luke 14 Mandate

What would happen if the church took Luke 14:13 literally? But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

Jesus is talking about intentionally seeking out the marginalized, the poor, those with disabilities, and those who have nothing to offer us - from the world's point of view (of course they do have something to offer us and it is often profound). If we take Christ at his word, individuals and churches who intentionally seek out the marginalized and minister to them will be blessed by the Father. The reason is obvious: God blesses those who have a heart like Him. This is what He did, how He ministered, who He went out of His way to minister to.

Interestingly, congregations that reach out to families who have members with disabilities find that whole families show up because they want and desire the help and need the support of other families who have the same challenges. And frankly, because so few congregations make this an emphasis, those who invite and welcome the otherwise marginalized and forgotten will see a significant response.

One congregation I know puts on an annual dress up event for young men and women with intellectual disabilities. It is a joyous event as the guys are dressed up in suits and ties and the gals in prom dresses along with their families. A small thing? No, it is a huge event for these families who are being loved on by a congregation.

All too often we associate with and minister to those who are like us or have something to give in return. The Luke 14:13 mandate is that we also intentionally associate with and minister to those who cannot give us anything in return. In this case there is no selfish motive and God's heart shines through in powerful ways. 

For practical tips on ministering to those with disabilities, contact Joni and Friends and ask for their publication "Through the Roof: Assisting churches in developing an effective disability ministry and outreach." It is practical, easy to read and has been used by many congregations. 

God blesses those who take the Luke 14 mandate seriously. It changes our hearts as well.

The Five Why Questions

A simple technique for getting to the bottom of problems is to ask the question "why?" – five times, to drill down to the heart of the matter. I learned this from Toyota motors and their problem solving strategy.

Here is an example. I am meeting with a church board of about fifteen hundred whose board meets twice a month from about seven to midnight – terribly long and inefficient meetings. I ask “why do you do this? I can’t imagine those meetings being very productive.” “Well we have a lot of stuff that we need to do” is the answer.

“Why do you as a board need to do all that stuff?” I ask.  “Are there not staff or volunteers who can do much of it?” “Well, I guess we’re not that good at delegating and think we need to be on top of everything in the church” they answer.

“Why do you need to be on top of everything? Don’t you just need to be on top of the most important things” I ask? “Good question, they answer. We just assumed that we needed to know everything. As I think about it that is kind of impossible in a church our size is it not? I don’t think we do a very good job of differentiating between the small stuff and the big stuff.”

“Why is that?” I ask. “Hmmm,” one of them says. “We don’t really plan our meetings very well. We just have this list of stuff that we need to decide and then the meetings go on and on and on. Our agenda is sort of like a shopping list of stuff we talk about.”

“Why don’t you plan your meetings so that you cover the big rocks first and let the smaller rocks fall to someone else?” I ask. “We never really thought of that,” they answer.  “But we like it.”

By drilling down with five “why?” questions we got to the heart of the issue. This board did not differentiate between key issues they needed to deal with and mundane issues that did not need their attention. And they made faulty assumptions about needing to know everything that went on in the church. Modifying this assumption and paying attention only to the big rocks along with a disciplined meeting structure could reduce their twice monthly meetings from five hours to two. So simple, but they had never taken the time to ask why they did what they did how they did it – in spite of the pain.

The next time you have a problem you would like to solve, try asking the question “Why?” five times, drilling down to the heart of the matter. You may be surprised at what you find.

Want to drill down further? Check out this link.