John Pearson's Buckets Blog

StrategyMan vs. the Anti-Strategy Squad

Issue No. 411 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting features a fantastic book on strategy—cleverly disguised as a graphic novel! Is your team tactical or strategic? And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and check out this page for recent book reviews including Jim Collin’s short classic, Turning Goals Into Results. 



Summer Reading List #4:
StrategyMan vs. the Anti-Strategy Squad

“Be strategic or be gone” is the tagline of the Strategic Thinking Institute. STI launched when a struggling manager asked Rich Horwath, “I had my performance review and my boss said I’m too tactical. How can I become more strategic?”

But get this! Instead of creating solutions with more talking head blah-blah-blah blue sky “imperatives,” Horwath noted the Stanford University study that says you’ll retain six to seven times more information when it’s presented in a story format.

Thus...”Fwumpfh!”…”B-Zapp!”…and “Bwa Ha Ha!” (Yes, I’m quoting directly from this must-must read graphic novel, StrategyMan vs. the Anti-Strategy Squad: Using Strategic Thinking to Defeat Bad Strategy and Save Your Plan.)

But…you’d miss the texture, color, hilarity, and brilliance of this unique business book—if I reviewed it solo. I needed help!

In June, I invited our 16-year-old granddaughter, Zuzana (“Zuzu”), a voracious reader, to share her thoughts on Scott Rodin’s novel, The Four Gifts of the King. The feedback from readers was over-the-top (thank you!)—so let’s do it again with StrategyMan!

Grandpa John: OK, Zuzu—your junior year in high school starts next week—so how many books have you read so far this year?

Zuzu: StrategyMan was my 81st book.

Grandpa John: Yikes! Really…81? That’s amazing! (I better up my game!) So…what did you think of StrategyMan vs. the Anti-Strategy Squad: Using Strategic Thinking to Defeat Bad Strategy and Save Your Plan?

Zuzu: Amazing! I’ve read many graphic novels, but this is the first business book/graphic novel I’m read. It features three heroes, 21 villains, and 10 weapons—for fighting off those anti-strategy villains!

Grandpa John: So this business story finds a company in search of a business strategy—but they’re kind of clueless! Did that surprise you?

Zuzu: Not really! When not fighting off the Anti-Strategy Squad villains, the characters in this fun story reported that “a survey of 400 managers found that only 44.3% of organizations have a universal definition of strategy, and less than half (46%) have a common language for strategy.”

Grandpa John: Speaking of the colorful villains…my three favorites were Miss-Alignment, Jargon Goblin, and Meeting Menace (“Teleconferences or meetings that are consistently unproductive, inefficient and a drain on morale.”)

Zuzu: I’ll go with the Multi-Taskinators. That’s a huge problem, isn’t it? The book gives ways to defeat the villains—such as “Keep your mobile phone out of sight and out of reach during meetings.” I don’t know anyone who does that! I’m also guessing that the Dr. Yes villain is a big problem in organizations.

Grandpa John: You nailed it, Zuzu. The Dr. Yes villain is about “the inability to say no to things that don’t contribute value to the business and directly support one’s goals.”

Zuzu: What was your favorite weapon?

Grandpa John: Hey! I’m running this interview—but since you asked, all 10 weapons are succinct, memorable, and immediately useful. The heroine Innovatara—who’s great at “generating insights that lead to innovation”—introduces the Differentiation Detector weapon.

Zuzu: Right—and three cheers for the heroine! The Differentiation Detector, I’m thinking, is the best defense against The Same villain. I’d suggest that every store manager at the mall should read this book. There’s very little differentiation today.

Grandpa John: Great insight. Nonprofits, churches, and businesses all need help from the other two heroes, StrategyMan and Purposeidon (the mission, vision, values elements—and why many organizations get it wrong).

Zuzu: Before you give away the ending, Grandpa, do we need a spoiler alert? I’d also like to mention that I plan to loan the book to a friend whose family runs a business. The book is easy to understand, enjoyable to read, educational, and also entertaining. (I also laughed at the nerdy references!)

Grandpa John: Wow—four “E’s” right off the top of your head. Nicely done, Zuzu. I’ve never read a graphic novel. Why do you enjoy them so much?

Zuzu: Duh! I am the daughter of a graphic designer!

Grandpa John: You told me that you did skip the “meatier parts” (your words) of the book and I’m not surprised, but—good news—for leaders and managers, the graphics include call-outs and sidebars with serious strategy (or lack of strategy) insights: Example:
   • “A recent study of more than 8,000 new, nationally distributed products found that only 40% were still on the market three years later.”
   • “A survey of nearly 5,000 senior executives showed that more than 50% didn’t think they had a winning strategy in place.”

Zuzu: You mentioned the Jargon Goblin villain—why?

Grandpa John: Whew! My experience, especially with nonprofit clients, is that if they do have a written strategy—it’s packed with meaningless rhetoric and a mash-up of business terms. (Example: never, ever use “Strategic Imperatives!”) The book blasts away on this theme. Leaders will find it personally painful, but funny. The first chapter, “Strategy Defined,” is worth the price of the book.

Zuzu: Is it really this bad out there, Grandpa, in the real world of business? Is strategy so ill-conceived? (Are there really villains, like Megalo-Plan, who sneak 115 slides into a VP’s sales presentation?)

Grandpa John: It’s bad. Check out the villain, Status Quo-Lock. He ingeniously inspires teams to allocate 90% of resources to the same projects year-after-year! Or, read the chapter, “Strategy and Culture,” and leaders will quickly delete one of their favorite axioms from their vocabulary: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” (Not true!) But there is hope and there are weapons—like the “StrategyPrint” template, a two-page blueprint of a business highlighting four keys: Goals, Objectives, Strategy, and Tactics.

Zuzu: But you’ve always preached five keys, right? The GNOME Chart: Goals, Needs, Objectives, Methods, and Evaluation.

Grandpa John: You remember! I’m good with letting leaders pick what works for them—as long as they understand and implement the whole system.

Zuzu: Well…if I needed to read a book on strategy, I’d pick StrategyMan. Will this be your 2019 book-of-the-year?

Grandpa John: Stay tuned!

To order from Amazon, click on the title for StrategyMan vs. the Anti-Strategy Squad: Using Strategic Thinking to Defeat Bad Strategy and Save Your Plan, by Rich Horwath.

YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) StrategyMan notes a survey that said “only 44.3% have a universal definition of strategy.” Pop Quiz! What is your definition of strategy?
2) “Are the different functional groups in your company (marketing, sales, HR, IT, R&D, etc.) all aware of each other’s strategies and how they align?” That’s question 19 of 20 questions in the free quiz, “Is Your Team Tactical or Strategic?” Click here to take the Strategic Thinking Institute’s quiz.

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Is Your Team Tactical or Strategic?
Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook

One of the big ideas in the Strategy Bucket, Chapter 3, in Mastering the Management Buckets, is to be strategic about strategic planning.

Rich Horwath’s StrategyMan book defines strategy as “The intelligent allocation of resources through a unique system of activities to achieve a goal.” He says you must answer two questions:
   1. What are you trying to achieve? (Goals and Objectives)
   2. How are you going to achieve it? (Strategies and Tactics)

“Strategy is generally how to achieve a goal and tactics are how specifically.”

For more resources from the Strategy Bucket, including links to more books and resources on strategy, visit the Strategy Bucket webpage here.

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JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. Are you leveraging the extraordinary power of visual media to inspire your members, clients, or customers? Reminder: a Stanford University study says you’ll retain six to seven times more information when it’s presented in a story format. Check out the innovative work from Jason Pearson at Pearpod Media (branding, digital, print, and video).

Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free one to three times a month to subscribers, the frequency of which is based on an algorithm of book length, frequent flyer miles, and client deadlines. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here.

Leaders: Myth and Reality

Issue No. 410 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting features profiles of 13 leaders (some with warts) and some deep thinking on the myths and realities of true leadership. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and check out this page for recent book reviews including Scott Rodin’s novel, The Four Gifts of the King.



Summer Reading List #3:
Leaders: Myth and Reality

“While leaders are generally intelligent, exceptionally intelligent people are actually less likely to emerge as leaders.”

That zinger (or perhaps comforting insight) is from “The Geniuses” section of Leaders: Myth and Reality, by General Stanley McChrystal (US Army, Retired). In reflecting on geniuses, McChrystal and his co-authors profile Albert Einstein and Leonard Bernstein.

The book’s approach is fascinating, disturbing, and thought-provoking. McChrystal’s compare-and-contrast model was Plutarch’s Lives—and, trust me, you’ll need a pen if you’re still reading books the old-fashioned way. Oh…and schedule a long vacation this month—this gem is over 400 pages, plus notes.

In the news recently was an observation that only three prime ministers—across the pond—have been known by their first names: Winston, Maggie, and Boris.

Between 1979 and 1990, Margaret Thatcher served as the U.K. Prime Minister. McChrystal describes her early leadership style as a cabinet minister in 1970:

“Within a week, she took her abrasive tongue to the page, writing a minute at the bottom of an interim departmental report of a flagship research program. ‘This is one of the most disappointing and frustrating documents I have read. Not a penny [in funding] after 1971.’ She had a disparaging habit of refusing to send out substandard documents given to her for signature, instead ripping the tops off those pages she thought inferior.”

There are more fireworks as the authors exegete leadership myth and reality in “The Power Brokers” section—contrasting Thatcher (1925-2013) with New York City’s infamous “Boss” Tweed (1823-1878).

Tweed, the corrupt politician, was nevertheless a leader. “…he increased the size of Tammany Hall’s general committee from 21 to 150 members, making the group more unwieldly and less able to make decisions.”

“The Zealots” commentary positions the French Revolution’s Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794) against the jihadist Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi (1966-2006). (Note to budding revolutionaries: both men died in their 30s.)

A leader—yet a confirmed introvert, “…the Revolution took Robespierre out of his room and placed him front and center. That this deeply private man both had to and tried to play an increasingly public role would become his undoing.” (For more, read Peggy Noonan’s Wall Street Journal timely July 25, 2019, column, “What Were Robespierre’s Pronouns?”)

And for another take on never-done-this-before leadership in-the-trenches, read my review of McChrystal’s Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World. It was a runner-up for my 2016 book-of-the-year.

The authors of Leaders also list book recommendations for each of the 13 leaders profiled—a generous bonus. After reflecting on leadership styles for each leader—I couldn’t stop discussing the strengths and the foibles of each leader. (Ask my wife, Joanne!) I urge you to dive into these troubling portraits of leadership. No one survives unscathed.
   • The Marble Man: Robert E. Lee
   • The Founders: Walt Disney and Coco Chanel
   • The Geniuses: Albert Einstein and Leonard Bernstein
   • The Zealots: Maximilien Robespierre and Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi
   • The Heroes: Zheng He and Harriet Tubman
   • The Power Brokers: William Magear “Boss” Tweed and Margaret Thatcher
   • The Reformers: Martin Luther and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I confess—I skipped the 13 profiles and read the authors’ conclusions first. “Three Myths” (the Formulaic Myth, the Attribution Myth, and the Results Myth) challenged my leadership assumptions. In the final chapter, “Redefining Leadership,” the authors include a helpful chart on page 397 calling for an improved definition of leadership.

After reading the back end of the book, I then I returned to the first profile on General Robert E. Lee and was stunned to read what McChrystal wrote:

“On a Sunday morning in 2017 I took down [Lee’s] picture, and by afternoon it was in the alley with the other rubbish awaiting transport to the local landfill for final burial. Hardly a hero’s end.”

Oh, my. You must read “The Marble Man” chapter. Leaders is jam-packed with insights and surprises. So consider these ideas for staff meetings:
   • Pick four team members and inspire them to each “compare-and-contrast” two leaders at future staff meetings.
   • Or…zero in on the authors’ insights summarizing each section—such as “Entrepreneurialism and Ego,” or “The Cyclic Lure of Conviction,” or the follow-up to Harriet Tubman, “A Human Need for Heroes.”
   • With Hong Kong and China in the news—don’t skip the chapter on Zheng He (1371-1433). Prepare for “aha!” moments—as you learn about China’s motivations for today and the future.

To order from Amazon, click on the title for Leaders: Myth and Reality, by General Stanley McChrystal (US Army, Retired), Jeff Eggers, and Jason Mangone.

To listen to this book on Libro.FM audiobooks (17 hours, 2 minutes), click here.

BONUS BOOK! For faith-based teams, couple Leaders with Steve Moore’s brilliant analysis, The Top 10 Leadership Conversations in the Bible: Practical Insights From Extensive Research on Over 1,000 Biblical Leaders (read my review here).

In his chapter on “Failures,” Moore notes, “There are qualifying failures, and disqualifying failures. They can be further subdivided into character-based failure, and competency-based failure. Disqualifying, character-based failure can be partial or complete. Competency-based failure can be direct or indirect.” (Another must-read!)

To order from Amazon, click on the title for The Top 10 Leadership Conversations in the Bible, by Steve Moore.

YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) Leaders reports that Margaret Thatcher had a “distinct style of written command” with quick Yes, No, or Agreed notes on memos. “But a prime minister does not lead by force of memo alone.” Peter Drucker often wrote about understanding your supervisor’s learning style: is she a reader or a listener? So…what is your leader’s style?
2) In the chapter on Martin Luther, the authors share a “Table Talk” recollection: “When Luther’s puppy happened to be at the table, looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes, he [Martin Luther] said, ‘Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat!’” So…how’s your prayer life? 

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Delegate Your Reading!
Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook

One of the big ideas in the Book Bucket, Chapter 5, in Mastering the Management Buckets, is to delegate your reading. When someone recommends a great book, buy it—even if you don’t have time to read it. Delegate some of your reading to the management zealots on your team.

But…if you do delegate the reading of Leaders to someone else, don’t skip the chapter on Harriett Tubman. As our nation revisits our racial history, you’ll appreciate Tubman’s heart and style. “She never intended to lead, and that turns out not to matter—she became a hero, and a leader, all the same.”

For more resources from the Book Bucket, including a link to “20 Books to Get You Started” on your lifelong learning journey, click here.

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JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. Are you leveraging the extraordinary power of visual media to inspire your members, clients, or customers? Check out the innovative work from Jason Pearson at Pearpod Media (branding, digital, print, and video).

Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free one to three times a month to subscribers, the frequency of which is based on an algorithm of book length, frequent flyer miles, and client deadlines. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here.

In the Shadow of the Moon (DVD)

Issue No. 409 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting features a change of pace for your summer reading: an extraordinary DVD documentary to inspire you about your BHAG. Enjoy! And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and check out this page for recent book reviews, including Jim Collins’ 29-pager on momentum, Turning the Flywheel.


Summer Reading List #2:
In the Shadow of the Moon (DVD)

Where were you on July 20, 1969? If you’re 50 or older, you were alive when the Apollo 11 spaceflight landed the first two people on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969.

If your learning style is more listener than reader, you’ll appreciate this issue’s recommendation. This documentary is perfect for a staff retreat, a staff training day, a department Hoopla! Bucket event, or even a Friday night at the movies family celebration at home. Enjoy, learn and be inspired! (Note: I recommended this back in 2010—but it’s time to highlight this gem again. See you at the 50th anniversary party next month!)

BHAG Documentary

Perhaps the best example of a BHAG (the term, “Big Hairy Audacious Goal,” was popularized by Jim Collins) is President John F. Kennedy’s famous address to the U.S. Congress on May 25, 1961. He inspired the nation with these words, “First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”

Kennedy didn’t live to see that audacious dream realized, but on July 20, 1969, the whole world watched as Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon. Since then “put a man on the moon by 1970” has inspired thousands of leaders to put a short-term target on the wall—and, in bold faith, blast off. For faith-based organizations, I prefer the term “Big Holy Audacious Goal.”

So I was energized once again with that profound BHAG while at a client’s senior leaders retreat in the Colorado mountains in 2010. One evening, we sat mesmerized by the stunning DVD, In the Shadow of the Moon, Ron Howard’s documentary of the 12 American astronauts who walked on the moon between 1968 and 1972.

This extraordinary 100-minute film has teachable moments in almost every one of my 20 management buckets. The Results Bucket: check. The Strategy Bucket: bull’s-eye. The Systems Bucket: 15 astronauts owned 15 segments of the mission. The Crisis Bucket: “Houston, we have a problem.”

The film is absolutely rich in memorable moments in the Team Bucket. Then there’s the People Bucket with often hilarious and poignant illustrations of the four social styles, including analyticals (Armstrong) and expressives (James Lovell). This massive, visionary expedition would have failed miserably without monumental achievements in the Delegation Bucket. There’s a lot more.

Besides the exquisite cinematography and the dramatic explosions (they had lots of failures enroute to the BHAG), the insights shared by the aging and straight-talking astronauts (it was filmed in 2007) were remarkable, often funny and frequently breath-taking.

Download or order from Amazon:
• Amazon Prime (free): In the Shadow of the Moon
• DVD: In the Shadow of the Moon

P.S. If you missed my review of The Four Gifts of the King: A Novel, by R. Scott Rodin, click here.

YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) What were the risks for President Kennedy of “going public” to the whole world with such a daring BHAG?
2) Do we have an equally daring Big Holy Audacious Goal (a measurable target on the wall three to 10 years out)—that inspires our staff, board, donors and volunteers?

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Hire Healthy People
Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook

One of the big ideas in the Culture Bucket, Chapter 8, in Mastering the Management Buckets, is to hire for attitude, not aptitude.
• Max De Pree: “The corporation can never be something we are not.”
• John Maxwell on servant leadership: “The secure are into towels, and the insecure are into titles.”
• Miles McPherson: “One way to get a healthy culture is to hire healthy people.”
• Laurie Sudbrink: “The softer characteristics of GRIT—generosity, respect, integrity and truth—create a healthy toughness and perseverance in leadership that involves the team rather than leaving them in the dust.”

For another staff movie event, screen the 1949 classic, Twelve O’Clock High, featuring Gregory Peck—and then discuss the two leadership styles in the film. And note the difference between quantity (number of bombing raids) and quality (the one strategic target). Read my review here.

For more resources from the Culture Bucket, including a link to Max De Pree’s book, Leadership Is an Art, click here.

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JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. Are you leveraging the extraordinary power of visual media to inspire your members, clients, or customers? Check out the innovative work from Jason Pearson at Pearpod Media (branding, digital, print, and video).

Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free one to three times a month to subscribers, the frequency of which is based on an algorithm of book length, frequent flyer miles, and client deadlines. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here.

The Four Gifts of the King: A Novel

Issue No. 408 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting begins with a summer reading recommendation: Scott Rodin’s first novel (a page-turner), The Four Gifts of the King. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and click here for the HBR article, “Why Your Meetings Stink and What to Do About It.”



Summer Reading List #1:
The Four Gifts of the King: A Novel

As summer looms for leaders and readers in the Northern Hemisphere, I’m launching a summer reading series. Whether you read on the beach, in the backyard, or at a B&B, Scott Rodin’s first novel, The Four Gifts of the King, is a must-read. (And to my loyal Southern Hemisphere readers in Australia and South Africa and other nations—you’ll also appreciate this unique page-turner!)

You might think that I’m the reader in my family—but that would be incorrect. Our 16-year-old granddaughter, Zuzana (“Zuzu”), is the voracious reader, so she happily accepted my invitation to read this novel and share her feedback.

Grandpa John: OK, Zuzu—it’s only June and you’re a busy high school student—so how many books have you read so far this year?

Zuzu: I just finished my 68th book.

Grandpa John: Yikes! Really…68? That’s amazing! (I better up my game!) So…what did you think of The Four Gifts of the King, by Scott Rodin?

Zuzu: Before I answer…is Scott Rodin a friend of yours?

Grandpa John: Actually, he is. But don’t hold back!

Zuzu: Thanks. I loved it. I enjoy reading fiction and spiritual warfare books—and The Four Gifts of the King reminded me of C.S. Lewis. Rodin’s writing flows nice and easy—and his writing style adds to the story; it didn’t distract. I appreciated that.

Editor’s Note: I interviewed Zuzu over lunch this week at our favorite Chinese restaurant. Zuzu had the lemon chicken; I had sweet and sour pork. Grammy Joanne also got in on the fun and the food because we were celebrating Zuzu’s birthday—howbeit a few months late.



G. John: As you know, a good friend encouraged me to read this book—because the setting was so relevant: four adult children gathering for their father’s memorial service—and then two days with an attorney (a family friend) to go over the details of the will. Could you relate to the story?

Zuzu: Well, as you certainly know, I have four siblings. Hopefully, such a gathering is a long way off for us. But I did feel that the characters in this novel were real people—with real emotions.

G. John: Right. All four adults had careers, but none were married yet. And wow, plenty of sibling pokes and stabs. Hurt feelings. The four social styles (analyticals, drivers, amiables, and expressives) popped right out. What did you think about the unique approach the author took?

Zuzu: It was unique. The attorney had arranged for this two-day gathering at their parents’ home (the mother had died previously) and the will required everyone to read a book together—out loud! So the kids took turns reading the story their father had written for them. (Their dad, by the way, was a retired rescue mission CEO.)

G. John: And… (sorry to interrupt!)…at the end of each chapter in their father’s story (set a few centuries back), we were then back in the living room in real time with the four family members and the attorney—as they debriefed each chapter. I remember this paragraph at the end of Chapter 18:

“…Anna read the last words and set the book down. Anna stretched.
‘Well, that explains a lot of things. Now we know what the Quash was for.’

“Alex stood and joined her in a stretch.
‘Four gifts, four lands, and four distortions. It’s all coming together.’

“‘And four of us.’ Meredith leaned back.
‘I think Dad has us right where he wants us.’”

Zuzu: Yes. So there are actually two stories going on. The family members learning about their father’s will—and then the fictional story of Steward, the teenager, on a journey through four lands. The metaphors were intriguing…

G. John: ...and convicting! Those four distortions. Oh my and yikes! We can’t do a spoiler alert here—but of the four lands, were you gripped by any one setting in particular?

Zuzu: The “ramps” metaphor. I know your eNews readers won’t have a clue what that means—but they’ll get it when they read the book. I thought all four lands described our culture today—sadly—but the “ramps” imagery was especially shocking. It reminded me, a bit, of The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis.

G. John: Do I dare mention here that you’ve read The Great Divorce, but I haven’t? (I just ordered it.) And since your dad (our amazing son, Jason) is a listener, not a reader, you might remind him that if he hasn’t read this C.S. Lewis classic either, he can download the audio of this allegorical “bus ride from hell to heaven” at Libro.fm (length: three hours and 22 minutes).

Zuzu: I will! All of the metaphors were thought-provoking and…

Grammy Joanne: …can I jump in here, Zuzu? Grandpa John says I should read The Four Gifts of the King and it’s on my summer reading list also. But I like to ask people if a book has made them think differently about something. Did it change your thinking about a key issue or concept?

G. John: Grammy always asks the best (and often the most convicting) questions.

Zuzu: That’s a great question, Grammy. Let me read you my fortune cookie: “You will enjoy another delicious meal here soon!” So…my answer will cost you another lunch!



G. John: Brilliant, Zuzu! But let me ask you one last question. Donald Rumsfeld, one of my favorite management authors, notes: “Many people have the ability to review something and make it better. Few are able to identify what is missing.” So, what was missing from this book? Would you have added anything?

Zuzu: In the allegory, there were certainly glimpses of women with spiritual backbones. But I would have appreciated the storyline featuring a woman who demonstrated the character and strength of Mary. If I added anything else for your review, I might spoil the plot!

G. John: Wow. Great insight. And thank you for reading this book. I’m intrigued that you think millennials will also enjoy this book. Parents and grandparents should read it too. And we should do this again! Of our triplet grandkids, you win the prize for being the reader. Maybe you can inspire Emelia and Anders to read at least a book-a-month? (That might be worthy of an In-N-Out Burger lunch!)

To order the book from Amazon, click on the title for The Four Gifts of the King: A Novel, by R. Scott Rodin.



P.S. If you missed Turning Goals Into Results, by Jim Collins, read my May review here.

YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read,” wrote Charlie “Tremendous” Jones. As you select your summer reading list, tell us about a book you’ve already read that changed you!
2) Scott Rodin’s The Four Gifts of the King uses allegory to get four big points across. In our work here, how might we better leverage the art of storytelling?

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Staff Training or Staff Storytelling? Yes!
Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook

If you’re getting those “ho hum” looks when you announce a staff training opportunity, convert those dreary hours into a staff storytelling experience. Examples:
• Training for fundraisers: Inspire the team to read Scott Rodin’s novelette (just 90 pages), The Third Conversion, and then tell stories to get your big points across.
• Training in Delegation 101: There is no better storytelling book on the art of delegation than the classic by Ken Blanchard, William Oncken, Jr., and Hal Burrows, The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey.
• Training the trainers: If your senior leaders are still hosting uninspiring training sessions, introduce them to my 2017 book-of-the-year, The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.

For more ideas, visit the Delegation Bucket.

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JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. Are you still producing ho hum media that changes nothing? Check out the innovative work from Jason Pearson at Pearpod Media (branding, digital, print, and video).

Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free one to three times a month to subscribers, the frequency of which is based on an algorithm of book length, frequent flyer miles, and client deadlines. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here.

Turning Goals Into Results

Issue No. 407 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting recommends a very short read—with an organization-changing tool from Jim Collins.  And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and click here for the HBR article, “Why Your Meetings Stink and What to Do About It.”

Fire Your Boss!

At W.L. Gore & Associates, “employees have the authority to fire their bosses.”

Now that I have your attention—read more about this in the Harvard Business Review article by Jim Collins, now available in mini-book form: Turning Goals into Results: The Power of Catalytic Mechanisms.

According to the company’s founder, Bill Gore, “You are a leader if and only if people choose to follow you.” So how do team members fire their bosses? “…they can’t fire the person from the company but, if they feel their boss isn’t leading them effectively, they can simply bypass him or her and follow a different leader.”

That’s one of the five examples of a catalytic mechanism—and in just 78 pages of this HBR mini-book (fast reading), you’re hooked. Here’s another one:

At Granite Rock, the company launched “a radical new policy called ‘short pay,’” because their BHAG aspirations were high. “Granite Rock would provide total customer satisfaction and achieve a reputation for service that met or exceeded that of Nordstrom, the upscale department store that is world famous for delighting its customers.”

Imagine—a 99-year old company that sells crushed gravel, concrete, sand and asphalt—thinking they could “delight” their customers. Their short pay concept, says Collins, was revolutionary.

“The bottom of every Granite Rock invoice reads, ‘If you are not satisfied for any reason, don’t pay us for it. Simply scratch out the line item, write a brief note about the problem, and return a copy of this invoice along with your check for the balance.’”

Collins adds, “Let me be clear about short pay. It is not a refund policy. Customers do not need to return the product. They do not need to call and complain. They have complete discretionary power to decide whether and how much to pay based on their satisfaction level.”

Wow!

Do you have angst about the value of college—and the cost of tuition for yourself, your children, or grandchildren? How about this audacious idea from Jim Collins? “…suppose universities issued tuition invoices at the end of the semester, along with the statement, ‘If you are not satisfied with the dedication of the professor in any course, simply scratch out that course and send us a tuition check for the balance.”

The big idea? Short pay “impels managers to relentlessly track down the root causes of problems in order to prevent repeated short payments. It signals to employees and customers alike that Granite Rock is serious about customer satisfaction in a way that goes far beyond slogans.”

In my experience, only a small percentage of organizations and companies are appropriately focused on goals, especially “S.M.A.R.T.” goals (download The Results Bucket chapter from Mastering the Management Buckets). Or read about “SMARTER” goals in Michael Hyatt’s book, Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals.

Collins defines catalytic mechanisms as “the crucial link between objectives and performance; they are a galvanizing, nonbureaucratic means to turn one into the other. Put another way, catalytic mechanisms are to visions what the central elements of the U.S. Constitution are to the Declaration of Independence—devices that translate lofty aspirations into concrete reality. They make big, hairy, audacious goals reachable.”

He adds, “My research indicates that few companies—perhaps only 5% or 10% currently employ catalytic mechanisms, and some of them aren’t even aware that they do. I have also found that catalytic mechanisms are relatively easy to create and implement. Given their effectiveness, they are perhaps the most underutilized—and most promising—devices that executives can use to achieve their big, hairy [or holy], audacious goals, or BHAGs.”

Catalytic mechanisms have five characteristics:
1) “A catalytic mechanism produces desired results in unpredictable ways.”
2) It “distributes power for the benefit of the overall system, often to the discomfort of those who traditionally hold power.”
3) “A catalytic mechanism has teeth.” (Example: “If you are five minutes late, you lose your bonus for the day. If you are 30 minutes late, you lose your bonus for the week. If a product is returned for poor quality, bonus pay declines accordingly.”)
4) “A catalytic mechanism ejects viruses.” (Example: fire your boss.)
5) “A catalytic mechanism produces an ongoing effect.”

Attn: Nonprofit Fundraisers!
The blurb on #5 is a must-read. “The lack of catalytic mechanisms is one reason many organizations rally in a crisis but languish once the crisis has passed. Leaders who feign a crisis—those who create a burning platform without simultaneously building catalytic mechanisms—do more long-term harm than good by creating a syndrome of crisis addiction.”

“How,” you ask, “did I miss this HBR classic by Jim Collins?" Published first in July-August 1999, the mini-book debuted in 2017. It popped out on page 116 of Scaling Up (my 2018 book-of-the-year by Verne Harnish). The catalytic mechanism (or Brand Promise Guarantee) is one of Harnish’s “7 Strata of Strategy.”

NEXT STEPS: 5x5x5x5x5. Buy five copies of this Collins gem and recruit five team members to each share a 10-minute report on one of the five catalytic mechanisms—over the next five weekly staff meetings. (Suggest they share five minutes of content and five minutes of discussion.) Enjoy!

To order the book from Amazon, click on the title for Turning Goals Into Results (Harvard Business Review Classics): The Power of Catalytic Mechanisms, by Jim Collins.



P.S. If you missed Turning the Flywheel, also by Jim Collins, read my March review here. The book is brilliant.

YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) Collins, noting an insight from Henry David Thoreau, writes that “BHAGs are a company’s wildest dreams. Catalytic mechanisms are their foundations. Build them both.” Does our organization have either? What’s our next step?
2) Collins says when pursuing BHAGs, “our natural inclination is to add—new initiatives, new systems, new strategies, new priorities, and now, new catalytic mechanisms.” Don’t! “Don’t just add, remove,” warns Collins. What should we STOP doing—so we can re-focus on a catalytic mechanism?

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Get Off the Insane To-Do Assembly Line!
Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook

Do you have a “DON’T-DO LIST?” It’s very simple: For 90 days, keep a list on your desk or computer of what you will STOP doing. (My friend Tony Danhelka calls this “selective neglect.”) You must rigorously prune your To-Do List every day, every week, and every month. You can’t keep up—the conveyor belt is hurling work at you faster than the famous chocolate factory scene on I Love Lucy.

Visit The Delegation Bucket and download Worksheet #16.4: "My Don't-Do List." If you're ready to bless your team members and add more balance to your life, start using this one-pager every day to rigorously prune your To-Do List by adding items to your Don't-Do List.

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JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. Tired of assembly line graphics and uninspiring media that doesn't produce results? Check out the innovative work from Jason Pearson at Pearpod Media (branding, digital, print, and video). 

Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free one to three times a month to subscribers, the frequency of which is based on an algorithm of book length, frequent flyer miles, and client deadlines. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here.

Knowing God

Issue No. 406 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting asks what you would have said to a reporter—when the Notre-Dame cathedral was burning. J.I. Packer has answers from his book, Knowing God. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and click here to read about the fork-in-the-road movie, Unplanned.

Feeble Faith and Flabby Worship

The world shuddered this week as Notre-Dame de Paris burned on live TV. The incredible French Gothic cathedral, completed in 1345, evoked heartfelt responses—and questions. Why now?—people in the street asked reporters. Why now—just days before Good Friday and Easter?

Had reporters been more helpful, they would have quoted the French philosopher, Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), who noted: “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each [person] which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made know through Jesus Christ.”

Had I reported on the story, I would have called J.I. Packer—to glean his insights on why a secular world was stopped in its tracks.

Perhaps Packer, the imminent theologian, would have said this: “When the person in the church, let alone the person in the street, uses the word God, the thought is rarely of divine majesty.” Packer, in fact did say this—and much, much more about Knowing God (or the lack of knowing God):

“But this is knowledge which Christians today largely lack: and that is one reason why our faith is so feeble and our worship so flabby. We are modern people, and modern people, though they cherish great thoughts of themselves, have as a rule small thoughts of God.”

Over the last three years on dozens of weekends, I’ve enjoyed re-reading Knowing God, the classic morsel by J.I. Packer. Now 92, this English-born Canadian evangelical is still considered one of the most influential evangelicals in North America. Knowing God has sold over one million copies.

So for this issue—and perhaps to give you content for your next staff meeting, sermon, talk, or tweet—I’m sharing some satisfying morsels and snippets from this treasured book, Knowing God. I’ve waited for the right timing before writing this review——and so today it is, I pray.

Published in 1973, my well-worn copy is from the 13th printing in 1978, and Chapter 2, “The People Who Know Their God,” grabbed me by the throat back then—and still does:

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ,” wrote Paul. “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him. . . .I want to know Christ” (Phil 3: 7-10).

“When Paul says he counts the things he lost rubbish, or dung (KJV), he means not merely that he does not think of them as having any value, but also that he does not live with them constantly in his mind: what normal person spends his time nostalgically dreaming of manure? Yet this, in effect, is what many of us do. It shows how little we have in the way of true knowledge of God.”

BAMBOOZLED?
I’m guessing—if Packer were a guest on the Sunday morning news shows to help us make sense of the Notre-Dame fire—he might mention God’s work in Jacob’s life (a must-read snippet from Chapter 9, “God Only Wise”).

“But God in his wisdom had also resolved to instill true religion into Jacob himself. Jacob’s whole attitude to life was ungodly and needed changing; Jacob must be weaned away from trust in his own cleverness to dependence upon God, and he must be made to abhor the unscrupulous double-dealing which came so naturally to him.

“When Jacob had filched Esau’s birthright and blessing (Gen. 25:29-34; 27:1-40), Esau turned against him (naturally!) and Jacob had to leave home in a hurry. He went to his uncle Laban, who proved to be as tricky a customer as Jacob himself. Laban exploited Jacob’s position and bamboozled him into marrying not only his pretty daughter, whom Jacob wanted, but also the plain one with bad eyes, for whom he would otherwise have found it hard to get a good husband (Gen 29:15-30).

“We may be frankly bewildered at things that happen to us, but God knows exactly what he is doing, and what he is after, in his handling of our affairs. Always, and in everything, he is wise: we shall see that hereafter, even where we never saw it here. (Job in heaven knows the full reason why he was afflicted, though he never knew it in this life.)

“Meanwhile, we ought not to hesitate to trust his wisdom, even when he leaves us in the dark. But how are we to meet these baffling and trying situations, if we cannot for the moment see God’s purpose in them? First, by taking them as from God, and asking ourselves what reactions to them, and in them, the gospel of God requires of us, second, by seeking God’s face specifically about them.”

THE 1, 2 PUNCH! 
Why trust God? Packer gives us this one, two punch! “Wisdom without power would be pathetic, a broken reed; power without wisdom would be merely frightening; but in God boundless wisdom and endless power are united, and this makes him utterly worthy of our fullest trust.”

MORSELS…
In seeking to know God and God’s will (Chapter 20), Packer warns of six pitfalls:
   • “Unwillingness to think
   • Unwillingness to think ahead
   • Unwillingness to take advice
   • Unwillingness to suspect oneself
   • Unwillingness to discount personal magnetism
   • Unwillingness to wait.”

The Mount Everest of Scripture: Romans
“Paul’s letter to Rome is the high peak of Scripture…” Packer reminds us. Luther labeled Romans “the clearest gospel of all.”

“Not every Christian, however, appreciates the magnificence of Romans, and there is a reason for this. Someone who touched down on the top of Everest in a helicopter (could such a thing be) would not at that moment feel anything like what Hillary and Tensing felt when they stood on the same spot after climbing the mountain. Similarly, the impact of Romans upon you will depend on what has gone before. The law that operates is that the more you have dug into the rest of the Bible, the more you are exercised with the intellectual and moral problems of being a Christian, and the more you have felt the burden of weakness and the strain of faithfulness in your Christian life, the more you will find Romans saying to you.”

And get this! “John Chrysostom [349-407] had it read aloud to him once a week; you and I could do a lot worse than that. Now, as Romans is the high peak of the Bible, so chapter 8 is the high peak of Romans.”

But wait! Packer’s promo for Romans 8 is exceeded only by Alexander Whyte (1836-1921) who told his Scottish congregation, “You’ll not get out of the seventh of Romans while I’m your minister!” Yikes!

MORE MORSELS…
   • “There are two sorts of sick consciences, those that are not aware enough of sin and those that are not aware enough of pardon, and it is to the second sort that Paul is ministering now. He knows how easily the conscience of a Christian under pressure can grow morbid, particularly when that Christian’s nose is rubbed as Romans 7:24-25 would rub it in the reality of continued sin and failure.”
   • “God makes not only the wrath of man to turn to his praise but the misadventures of Christians too.”
   • “Is your trouble a sense of failure? The knowledge of having made some ghastly mistake? Go back to God; his restoring grace waits for you.”
   • “Is it not a hollow fraud to say that we honor Christ when we ignore, and by ignoring dishonor, the One whom Christ has sent to us as his deputy, to take his place and care for us on his behalf? Ought we not to concern ourselves more about the Holy Spirit than we do?”

I ASKED THE LORD THAT I MIGHT GROW (Big Mistake!)
The great hymn, “Amazing Grace,” penned by converted slave trader John Newton (1725-1807), is familiar to all. But…have you sung or read Newton’s other, more deeply convicting hymn?

Packer wraps up Chapter 21, “These Inward Trials,” with Newton’s remarkable lyrics: six convicting verses of “I Asked the Lord That I Might Grow.” I’ve listened to, sung, and meditated on the words for half-a-year now. “Alexa, repeat!” Yet every repeat stings. (Read the lyrics here. Listen here.)

SNIPPETS…

In Chapter 20, “Thou Our Guide,” the author shares deep wisdom on discerning God’s will. He writes, “Wisdom in Scripture always means knowledge of the course of action that will please God and secure life, so that the promise of James 1:5—“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him” (RSV)—is in effect a promise of guidance.

“Only within the limits of this guidance does God prompt us inwardly in matters of ‘vocational’ decision. So never expect to be aided to marry an unbeliever, or elope with a married person, as long as 1 Corinthians 7:39 and the seventh commandment stand!”

Tweet this! “The Spirit leads within the limits which the Word sets, not beyond them. ‘He guides me in paths of righteousness’ (Psalm 23:3)—but not anywhere else.”

THE QUEST FOR COMFORT
“Comfort is, of course, used here in the old, strong sense of that which encourages and nerves, not in the modern sense of that which tranquilizes and enervates. The quest for ‘comfort’ in the modern sense is self-indulgent, sentimental and unreal, and the modern ‘I-go-to-church-for-comfort’ religion is not Christianity; but [Edward] Elton is talking of Christian assurance, which is a different thing. Here again, however, the Everest principle operates.” (Don’t skip Chapter 20. Oh, my.)

Finally…I hope this Easter eNews was edifying. My second read-through of Knowing God was on Kindle, but I just ordered a fresh new copy (without underlined pages) for my third read. I hope you’ll read (or re-read) this powerful book…slowly.

To order the book from Amazon, click on the title for Knowing God, by J.I. Packer.



If you’re a listener (not a reader), visit Libro.fm and download the audio book, Knowing God. Listening time: 10 hours. (Enjoy the three-minute clip from Chapter 2.)

YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) J.I. Packer notes: “When you start reading Luther, or Edwards, or Whitefield, though your doctrine may be theirs, you soon find yourself wondering whether you have any acquaintance at all with the mighty God whom they knew so intimately.” So…who do you read to know God more deeply?
#2. Has God ever “bamboozled” you? How did you respond? How should you respond? Read J. I. Packer’s list of “6 Things You Should Tell Yourself Every Day.”

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Have You Served on Your Church Board in the Last 3 Years? Take This ECFA Survey!
Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook

The Customer Bucket in Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook reminds you to “Listen! Listen! Listen” as you conduct research on what your customer values. Ditto your supporting customers (staff, board members, givers, volunteers, etc.).

So…if you (or your colleagues) are current church board members and/or have served on your church board anytime in the last three years, you are eligible to participate in a ground-breaking Church Board Survey from ECFA. Help ECFA identify and share best practices and you’ll be entered to win one of three Amazon gift cards. CLICK HERE.

How does your church board compare to others? According to ECFA's survey in progress, only 21% of church boards set or review measurable goals related to the church's mission/vision "at almost every meeting." And only 42% of church boards have an annual retreat. Help ECFA discover best practices by adding YOUR church's experience. CLICK HERE.

When you participate, ECFA will also give you a free summary of the survey results. So thanks for participating—or forwarding the survey link to your current or past church board members. CLICK HERE.

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JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. If you read my review of the film, Unplanned—thank you! Visit the Unplanned website here and their Facebook page here to see the innovative work created for Unplanned from Jason Pearson at Pearpod Media (branding, digital, print, and video). The film is now going international.

Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free one to three times a month to subscribers, the frequency of which is based on an algorithm of book length, frequent flyer miles, and client deadlines. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here.

UNPLANNED (book and movie)

Issue No. 405 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting asks a fork-in-the road question and urges you to see a fork-in-the-road movie opening on March 29. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and visit Issue No. 397 for my 2018 Book-of-the-Year and my Top-10 books of 2018.

What Can One Person Do? 

Have you ever let-yourself-off-the-hook with this excuse: “I’m just one person. What can one person do?”

UNPLANNED, the book and the movie (opening Friday, March 29), will change your mind about what one person can do.

BREAKING NEWS: This is likely the most potentially impactful issue of Your Weekly Staff Meeting I’ve ever written—and you’ve ever read. Don’t let the routine of reading my latest eNews distract you. Please pause…pray…and then act:

Step 1: View the movie trailers below. (The 27-minute video is gripping.)
Step 2: Visit the UNPLANNED movie website here—and help spread the word.
Step 3: Take family members and friends to see UNPLANNED, opening on Friday, March 29.

In theaters everywhere March 29, UNPLANNED is the inspiring true story of one woman’s journey of transformation. All Abby Johnson ever wanted to do was help women. As one of the youngest Planned Parenthood clinic directors in the nation, she was involved in upwards of 22,000 abortions and counseled countless women about their reproductive choices. Until the day she saw something that changed everything. Watch the two-minute video:

I was at a private screening of UNPLANNED. I have no words…no words…other than—you-must-see-this.

Others are more eloquent:
• “This movie will shake this country to its core on the abortion issue. It’s about time.”
• “If you are pro woman, come see this film.”
• “If you see one movie this year, see the movie UNPLANNED. I warn you, UNPLANNED is graphic and painful and, at the same time, inspiring.”

VIEWER WARNING. Last week, CBN News, discussing the “R” rating for the film, noted that 13-year-old teens can get abortions in America—but the Movie Picture Association of America (MPAA) thinks 13-year-olds shouldn’t see a film about abortion. “What’s the deal?” the writer asked.

The producers label the MPAA’s “R” rating as a political move. In response, numerous leaders are urging parents to take their teens to see this fork-in-the-road film.

In “An Open Letter to the Faith Community,” signed by Tony Perkins, Mike Huckabee, and more than 30 leaders, the signers urged the nation to view this dramatic film—saying “that R stands for Recommended and while we don’t think this film is for young children, we strongly recommend that this film be seen by as many Americans as possible, including older children.”

I agree and I also urge you to see this movie—and to support it on March 29, Friday, when it opens. If you cannot attend, I urge you to read the book, Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader's Eye-Opening Journey Across the Life Line, by Abby Johnson. The expanded edition of the book was published just this month by Tyndale Momentum.

Here’s the book’s synopsis from the movie’s website: “Abby Johnson quit her job in October 2009. That simple act became a national news story because Abby was the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas who, after participating in an actual abortion procedure for the first time, walked down the street to join the Coalition for Life.

“Unplanned is a heart-stopping personal drama of life-and-death encounters, a courtroom battle, and spiritual transformation that speaks hope and compassion into the political controversy that surrounds this issue. Telling Abby’s story from both sides of the abortion clinic property line, this book is a must-read for anyone who cares about the life versus rights debate and helping women who face crisis pregnancies.”

More links:
• Unplanned film website and official trailer (click here)
• Free downloads and memes (click here)
• Tickets and locations (click here)
• 27-minute preview video (click here)

What can one person do? One person—with God’s help—can save lives.

To order the book from Amazon, click on the title for Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader's Eye-Opening Journey Across the Life Line, by Abby Johnson.



If you’re a listener (not a reader), visit Libro.fm and download the audio book, Unplanned. Listening time: 7 hours and 38 minutes.

YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) Think about the people who helped launch our organization. What did one person (with the help of many others) actually do? What can one person do? What can you do?
2) What’s the most impactful movie you ever viewed? Why? What could be the impact of the UNPLANNED movie? 

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The Power of Story
Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook

How do you “move mountains” when marketing a movement? What can one person do—as a warrior in your organization’s movement? The UNPLANNED movie (before, during, and after)—I predict—will be a case study. (I’m praying for impact.)

For the record—my son, Jason Pearson, through his company, Pearpod Media, is on the team for UNPLANNED. I had the privilege of praying for the team at their weekly staff meeting earlier this month. Trust me—the producers and the entire team are the real deal.

I’m an unofficial, non-compensated, volunteer—and I’ve had the humbling privilege of assisting Pearpod Media with numerous projects for UNPLANNED. I cannot think of a more powerful movement—told with a more powerful story (Abby Johnson’s life) than UNPLANNED. I pray you will support this fork-in-the-road movement. This touches so many buckets...but the Program Bucket is especially relevant.

"We tell ourselves stories in order to live.”
Joan Didion

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JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. Visit the UNPLANNED website here and their Facebook page here to see the innovative work from Jason Pearson at Pearpod Media (branding, digital, print, and video).

Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free one to three times a month to subscribers, the frequency of which is based on an algorithm of book length, frequent flyer miles, and client deadlines. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here.

Turning the Flywheel

Issue No. 404 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting notes this from Jim Collins: “Look closely at any truly sustained great enterprise and you’ll likely find a flywheel at work, though it might be hard to discern at first.” And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and visit Issue No. 397 for my 2018 Book-of-the-Year and my Top-10 books of 2018.

2019 Wisdom From Jim Collins in Just 29 Pages!

In his 2019 hot-off-the-press mini-book, Jim Collins reminds us:
   • “When you have disciplined people, you don’t need hierarchy.
   • When you have disciplined thought, you don’t need bureaucracy.
   • When you have disciplined action, you don’t need excessive controls.
   • When you combine a culture of discipline with an ethic of entrepreneurship, you create a powerful mixture that correlates with great performance.”

Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great is the latest gem from over 25 years of research from Jim Collins (just 29 pages plus eight pages of helpful summaries in the appendix). The subtitle describes this must-read content: “Why Some Companies Build Momentum and Others Don’t.”

So think about this: You’ve written five powerful business books between 1994 and 2011 (plus a lesser known book in 1992). You’ve sold over 10 million copies worldwide. The assignment in 2019: boil it all down and deliver the key thought—the Big Idea—of what leaders and managers are missing. Pick from this list:
   • Level 5 Leadership
   • Genius of the And
   • Confront the Brutal Facts
   • The Hedgehog Concept
   • The Flywheel
   • 20 Mile March
   • Fire Bullets, Then Cannonballs
   • Productive Paranoia
   • Clock Building, Not Time Telling
   • Preserve the Core/Stimulate Progress
   • Return on Luck
   • Superior Results
   • Distinctive Impact
   • Lasting Endurance

What one concept would you pick—that rises above everything else—and is your critical message for organizations today? Jim Collins picked the flywheel.

I’ve reviewed Collins’ books over the years and found leadership wisdom in every one—but even if you’re already a Jim Collins zealot—Turning the Flywheel will re-energize you. Here’s why: “No matter what your walk of life, no matter how big or small your enterprise, no matter whether it’s for-profit or nonprofit, no matter whether you’re CEO or a unit leader, the question stands, How does your flywheel turn?”

What’s a flywheel? Read Chapter 8 of Good to Great, “The Flywheel and the Doom Loop,” or read the nine-line summary in the appendix of Turning the Flywheel, including this: “…the process resembles relentlessly pushing a giant, heavy flywheel, turn upon turn, building momentum until a point of breakthrough, and beyond.” (By the way, Collins includes more than a dozen succinct summaries of his amazing body of work in just eight pages. Perfect snippets for your next 14 weekly staff meetings!)

THE BIG IDEA: “To maximize the flywheel you need to understand how your specific flywheel turns.”

Collins illustrates the uniqueness of the flywheel approach with flywheel diagrams from seven companies and nonprofits, including Ware Elementary School, located on the Fort Riley army base in Kansas. Deb Gustafson, the principal, first read the Good to Great and the Social Sectors monograph and was absolutely giddy! “When I got to the part about turning the flywheel, I was bouncing up and down out of my seat,” she said.

And note this: Jeff Bezos “…considered Amazon’s application of the flywheel concept ‘the secret sauce.’” But this caution: you need to understand how your organization’s specific flywheel turns—and the sequence of the components. Collins notes seven key steps for capturing your unique flywheel approach—plus this warning: don’t feature more than four to six components.

He includes flywheel diagrams from Amazon, Vanguard, Intel, Giro, Ware Elementary School, Ojai Music Festival, and the Cleveland Clinic. (Wow—Collins must have a love affair with Cleveland. In his first monograph, he highlights “Greatness at the Cleveland Orchestra”—one of my favorite examples for nonprofits.)

He packs all of this—and more—into just 29 pages, plus the appendix. But this is all you’re getting in this review, otherwise you wouldn’t need to buy the book. But I’ll close with this motivational pop quiz:

STAFF MEETING POP QUIZ:
1) If you’re a millennial and you’ve read a book by Jim Collins, please stand. I have a Starbucks card for you.
2) What books/insights by Jim Collins have made the greatest impact on our department or organization?
3) If you have a marked-up/heavily-read copy of any book by Jim Collins (see his six books listed in the article below), please stand: I have an Amazon card for you.
4) If you have NOT read a book by Jim Collins, but would volunteer to read and review Turning the Flywheel at our next staff meeting, please stand. I have a Chick-fil-A card for you!
5) True or False? Using the flywheel concept at Ware Elementary School, the principal and her team saw satisfactory reading levels of just 35% mushroom to 99% in just seven years. (Answer: True!)

Collins concludes on page 37 in the appendix: “Finally, I caution against ever believing that your organization has achieved ultimate greatness. Good to great is never done.”

To order from Amazon, click on the title for Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great (Why Some Companies Build Momentum and Others Don’t), by Jim Collins.

If you’re a listener (not a reader), visit Libro.fm and download the audio book, Turning the Flywheel. Listening time: just one hour and 47 minutes

YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) Pop Quiz-2nd Round: In groups of two, invest 15 minutes right now and nominate four to six (no more than six) components that might uniquely describe our organization’s flywheel.
2) Pick another bestselling business author (Drucker, Blanchard, Lencioni, Maxwell, or your favorite). If he or she summarized the most critical insight for leaders and managers in 2019—what would your author title the mini-book? 

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You’re Fired! You’re Hired!
Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook

According to Jim Collins in Turning the Flywheel, in the mid-1980s, Andy Grove, president at Intel said to his CEO, “If we got kicked out and the board brought in a new CEO, what do you think he would do?”

Gordon Moore gave his answer and Grove responded, “Why shouldn’t you and I walk out the door, come back and do it ourselves?”

So Grove and Moore pointed at each other and they both said, “You’re fired.” Then out in the hallway, they pointed at each other again with “You’re hired.” They returned to their offices and launched Intel on a whole new direction. Brilliant!

Have you ever fired and re-hired yourself? The Strategy Bucket includes wisdom and insights to help you re-think your outdated strategies with innovative new approaches. If you haven’t read a book by Jim Collins, delegate your reading today to a team member or board member. Here are his six books in the Good to Great Series (click here for all six on Amazon) and click below for links to my reviews:

#1. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t (2001) - Read my review.

#2. Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (1994) - Order  from Amazon.

#3. Good to Great and the Social Sectors (2005) - Note: This was my first review in the first issue of Your Weekly Staff Meeting, on Aug. 28, 2006.

#4. How the Mighty Fall and Why Some Companies Never Give In (2009) - Read my review.

#5. Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck—Why Some Thrive Despite Them All (2011) - Read my review.

#6. Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great (Why Some Companies Build Momentum and Others Don’t), by Jim Collins (2019) - Order from Amazon.

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JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. In How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins identifies five stages of decline. Stage 2 is “Undisciplined Pursuit of More.” You may need outside eyes and expertise to help you avoid the cliff. Check out the innovative ideas from Jason Pearson at Pearpod Media (branding, digital, print, and video). Click here.

Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free one to three times a month to subscribers, the frequency of which is based on an algorithm of book length, frequent flyer miles, and client deadlines. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here.

Knight of the Holy Ghost: A Short History of G.K. Chesterton

Issue No. 403 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting is important and confessional. Read my review of the new book on G.K. Chesterton. It’s witty, wise, and worth your time. I promise! And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and visit Issue No. 397 for my 2018 Book-of-the-Year and my Top-10 books of 2018.

Who Is This Guy and Why Haven’t I Heard of Him?

G.K. Chesterton (1874–1936) “was once asked what advice he would give to a young journalist. He said he would tell him to write one article for the Sporting Times and one for the Religious Times and then put them in the wrong envelopes.”

Oh, my. You must read this book—because the envelope story is a brilliant summary of the person John Ortberg called “one of the most erudite and creative Christian writers in the first half of the twentieth Christian century.”

Author Dale Ahlquist, who leads the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, adds to the envelope story: “This was essentially the advice he followed himself his whole journalistic career. He wrote about religion for the secular papers. But he didn’t write about religion per se. He wrote about religion when he was writing about everything else.”

Hot-off-the-press this year, Knight of the Holy Ghost: A Short History of G. K. Chesterton, is just 170 pages, and I can’t stop talking about it. (Ask my wife, Joanne!)

But first…a confession. For years, I’ve dropped witty G.K. Chesterton quotes into conversations, articles, books, and blogs—but with some guilt. Who was this guy? Well, I knew he was from England. Writer. Thinker. (Oh, look…there’s another perfect quotation. Thanks, G.K.!)

I’ve borrowed John Ortberg’s tribute to Chesterton (in The Life You’ve Always Wanted) many times:

“If you were marooned on a desert island and could have only a single book with you, what would you choose? Somebody once asked this question of G. K. Chesterton. Given his reputation as one of the most erudite and creative Christian writers in the first half of the twentieth Christian century, one would naturally expect his response to be the Bible. It was not. Chesterton chose Thomas' Guide to Practical Shipbuilding.”

I’ve also recycled these Chesterton favorites:
• “I’ve searched all the parks in all the cities and found no statues of committees.”
• “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.”
• “The Bible tells us to love our neighbor and to love our enemy, generally because they are the same people.”

Some book reviews write themselves. Not this one—because Chesterton’s depth and breadth (he weighed 300 pounds) are stunning. Writer. Speaker. Wit. Christ-follower. (You can thank me now for not writing a 5,000-word review.)

Amazingly, Ahlquist’s “short history” is comprehensive, inspiring, and breath-taking. After listing a dozen favorite Chesterton quotes including, “Satire has weakened in our epoch for several reasons, but chiefly, I think, because the world has become too absurd to be satirized” (Take that—Babylon Bee! Take that—Lark News!), the author respects Chesterton’s humor with his own playful style—punctuated with truth.

Ahlquist: “I could go on and on. I often do. Chesterton is delicious. His words provide exquisite flavor and enormous satisfaction. But what do we especially notice in the above quotations besides how clearly and crisply the truth bursts out of them? They are utterly timely. They describe today. Yet they were written a hundred years ago.”

On the jam-packed website of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, you must read “Who Is This Guy and Why Haven’t I Heard of Him?” by Dale Ahlquist:

“Born in London, G.K. Chesterton was educated at St. Paul’s, but never went to college. He went to art school. In 1900, he was asked to contribute a few magazine articles on art criticism, and went on to become one of the most prolific writers of all time. He wrote a hundred books, contributions to 200 more, hundreds of poems, including the epic Ballad of the White Horse, five plays, five novels, and some 200 short stories, including a popular series featuring the priest-detective, Father Brown.

“In spite of his literary accomplishments, he considered himself primarily a journalist. He wrote over 4,000 newspaper essays, including 30 years’ worth of weekly columns for the Illustrated London News, and 13 years of weekly columns for the Daily News. He also edited his own newspaper, G.K.’s Weekly.”

The author adds, “To put it into perspective, 4,000 essays is the equivalent of writing an essay a day, every day, for 11 years. If you’re not impressed, try it some time. But they have to be good essays—all of them—as funny as they are serious, and as readable and rewarding a century after you’ve written them.”

Stunning! And I agree with Ahlquist. Chesterton is timely—2019 timely:
• He writes on the utter failure of socialism, but also the warped values of capitalism. (“Capitalism does not care about marriage.”) He championed distributism. (Learn more here.)
• “Modern materialism is solemn about sports because it has no other rites to solemnize.”
• Abortion: “He said it should be called by its real name: ‘murder at its worst; not only the brand of Cain but the brand of Herod.’”
• The politician: “His whole career has only two stages: first, as quickly as possible to represent his town; then as quickly as possible to misrepresent it.”
• “Every political question is a religious question.”
• Alhquist summarizing Chesterton: “Progress has become an ideal, even though its goal is not defined, which makes the word meaningless.”

The author notes that “a better title for Chesterton may be the General of Generalizations.” And “…if Chesterton had a specialty, it was everything. Everything was the thing he was always writing about, everything involved in being human.” Yet—as you’ll read in this heart-probing book, Chesterton’s entire being pointed to God. (Always a believer, he became Catholic just 12 years before his death. He was 62 when he died.)

The book has just three sections: The Man, The Writer, and The Saint? The author shares Fr. Vincent McNabb’s sweet memory of G.K.’s head and heart:

“It was hard to speak with Gilbert Chesterton and not to think—and to think of God. Even the atheist who spoke with him, and who would have despised the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, felt he would like to know about the God of Gilbert Chesterton—this God whom the very laughter of Gilbert Chesterton seemed to prove was such a lovably human, though transcendent being…”

That reminded me of King David’s charge: “Solomon, my son, get to know the God of your fathers.” (1 Chron. 28:9, TLB)

Enjoy this intellectual and inspirational feast and see why the author honors Chesterton with the title, “Knight of the Holy Ghost.” This just might be my 2019 book-of-the-year. I can’t stop talking about it.

To order from Amazon, click on the title for Knight of the Holy Ghost: A Short History of G. K. Chesterton, by Dale Ahlquist. (And thanks to Carmel Communications and Ignatius Press for the review copy.)



If you’re a listener (not a reader), check out other books by Chesterton at Libro.fm.

YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) Joanne and I are faithful fans of the Father Brown series on PBS. Ahlquist notes that Chesterton’s new genre of the “priest sleuth” and the “underdog detective” changed the course of detective fiction. “Everyone thinks he’s naïve. It doesn’t occur to them that a guy who listens to confessions might know something about how the criminal mind works.” Discuss: what other wisdom advantages do priests and pastors have over many of us?
2) Reading about Chesterton prompted me to imagine a roundtable discussion with Chesterton (1874-1936), C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), Peter Drucker (1909-2005), Andrew Murray (1828-1917), and Mother Teresa (1910-1997). Who would you add to the panel?

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The Culture Bucket: Counterfeit Holiness
Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook

Because Chesterton’s specialty was “everything,” I’m inclined to list his book in all 20 management buckets. But if I had to choose just one today, it would be The Culture Bucket. This week I recommended Humility, by Andrew Murray, on the Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations blog. Murray and Chesterton align:

• Murray: “The chief mark of counterfeit holiness is its lack of humility.”
• Chesterton: “The best kind of giving is thanksgiving.”
• Murray: “Humility is the only soil in which the graces root; the lack of humility is the sufficient explanation of every defect and failure.”
• “The Donkey,” by Chesterton, “is a sweet and simple poem about how the humble shall be exalted.”

As you focus on results, customers, strategy, and more—don’t neglect culture. For more resources visit The Culture Bucket webpage here.

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What’s Wrong With the World? 

JASON PEARSON’s 2016 solo exhibition, “The Problem With the World Is Me,” was inspired by G.K. Chesterton’s response when The Times of London invited intellectuals to respond to the question, “What’s the problem with the world?” View Jason’s three-minute video with Chesterton’s two-word answer.


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JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. Chesterton wrote, “We are putting all the best things to all the worst uses.” To position your message against the grain—and to thrive—check out the innovative ideas from Jason Pearson at Pearpod Media (branding, digital, print, and video). Click here.

Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free one to three times a month to subscribers, the frequency of which is based on an algorithm of book length, frequent flyer miles, and client deadlines. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here.

Lessons From the Church Boardroom

Issue No. 402 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting is a tad self-promotional, but only 50 percent (learn why). Read the new book, Lessons From the Church Boardroom, by Dan Busby and yours truly. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and visit Issue No. 397 for my 2018 Book-of-the-Year and my Top-10 books of 2018.

Church Boardroom Bloopers

News Flash! There’s way too much confusion in the trenches on the appropriate roles and responsibilities of church board members.
   • New church board members are often overwhelmed. (“No one told me!”)
   • Veteran board members have turned micro-managing into an art form.
   • Senior pastors often use the mushroom management approach (Google it!).
   • Senior staffers plead for more face time with the church board, then with missionary zeal, often convert board meetings into staff meetings.

STOP THE MADNESS!

Here’s one solution to these and many other obstacles to God-honoring governance: Lessons From the Church Boardroom: 40 Insights for Exceptional Governance, by Dan Busby and John Pearson.

When ECFA President Dan Busby invited me to co-author a series of governance books with him, I jumped at the opportunity. We’re both passionate about good governance so we wrote 40 very short chapters in 10 irresistible categories:

Part 1: The Powerful Impact of Highly Engaged Boards
• Would you trust a surgeon who stopped learning? How about a church board member who stopped learning? (Lesson 1)
• What’s the “Gold Standard Question” to ask after every board meeting? (Lesson 2)
• Andrew Murray: “Humility is the only soil in which the graces take root; the lack of humility is the sufficient explanation of every defect and failure.” (Lesson 3: Guarding Your Pastor’s Soul—a must-read chapter)

Part 2: Boardroom Tools and Templates
• “A BPM (board policies manual) will help your church board negotiate an emergency leadership transition, frame the strategic planning process, and give direction and boundaries in dozens of other important policy issues.” (Lesson 5)
• True or False: Our church board is crystal clear on the role of the board versus the role of the staff. (Use Lesson 7’s one-page Prime Responsibility Chart to eliminate fuzziness between board and staff roles.)

Part 3: Nominees for the Church Board Member Hall of Fame
• Yikes! “Pastor Carlos said he didn’t have the spiritual gift of church board meetings!” (Lesson 8: Thrive With Four Kingdom Values)
• Attn: All Pastors! “Don’t ask board members to vote against God!” (Lesson 9)

Part 4: Epiphanies in the Boardroom
• To inspire your board to go deeper into spiritual discernment, “…consider how St. Ignatius identified three distinct times when faced with making Spirit-filled choices.” (See Lesson 11 to learn more about a revelatory time, a discerning time, and a waiting time.)
• “It is only with the help of the Lord—and often the Lord uses fresh faces on the board—that a church will begin the important process of governance improvement. God can move mountains, so you can also trust Him to move pendulums!” (Lesson 13: Caution! Understand the Governance Pendulum Principle)

Part 5: Boardroom Bloopers
• On listening: “Leave space for anyone who may want to speak a first time before speaking a second time.” (Just one of 10 pokes-in-the-ribs on effective boardroom listening from Ruth Haley Barton in Lesson 15.)

Part 6: Boardroom Time-Wasters, Trouble-Makers, and Truth Tellers
• “Without adequate advance preparation to fully address an issue, boards tend to function as a committee of the whole, often resorting to painfully circuitous discussion.” (See Lesson 18, “Never Throw Red Meat on the Board Table.”)

Part 7: Boardroom Best Practices
• How do you address Absentee Board Member Syndrome?
   --Option 1: Ho Hum.
   --Option 2: Hint.
   --Option 3: Harass.
(Read Lesson 25 for seven insights, including “Affirm. Affirm. Affirm. When board colleagues affirm each other, then engagement will heighten and board service satisfaction will soar.”)

Part 8: Boardroom Worst Practices
• Read “Where Two or Three Are Gathered on Social Media…” to learn why conflicts of interest always sound more questionable on the internet and social media. (Lesson 28)

Part 9: Building a 24/7 Board Culture
• Honest! Lesson 36 begins with Billy Crystal’s stunning performance, “15 Rounds”—honoring boxing great Muhammad Ali—in front of 20,000 of Ali’s “closest friends” in 1979. Watch it here on YouTube. Learn why the “goal of every board should be continuous improvement to make the board better than it was before.”



Part 10: Boards That Lead
• “As we’ve observed in hundreds of churches over the years, the numbers reveal the reality. Successfully achieving stretch goals is very uncommon, and thus reaching for the moon (and beyond!) should generally be avoided.” (Lesson 39: Don’t Stretch Credulity with BHAGs and Stretch Goals)

RESOURCES:

[  ] 40 BLOGS. 40 WEDNESDAYS. Dan Busby and the ECFA team are featuring 40 guest bloggers with their color commentaries to all 40 lessons. Click here for Lessons From the Church Boardroom—The Blog. (Subscribe on the blog to receive a new lesson every Wednesday.)

[  ] READ the first chapter online, “Lesson 1 – Wanted: Lifelong Learners,” visit the ECFA Knowledge Center here.

[  ] GUESS! And by the way, Dan wrote about half the lessons and I wrote the others. I’ll send a Starbucks gift card (or a Chick-fil-A gift card) to the first reader who correctly guesses which 20 lessons I wrote. (Hint: Dan’s are better!) 

[  ] VISIT the book’s website here for more resources.

[  ] ORDER from Amazon, click on the title for Lessons From the Church Boardroom: 40 Insights for Exceptional Governance, by Dan Busby and John Pearson.



[  ] BULK ORDERS: For special pricing on multiple copies for your church board and senior team, visit ECFAPress here.

YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) Lesson 29 asks, “Are too many staff causing the boardroom to capsize?” Is there a “right number” of board members versus staff in your board meetings? Read “Keeping the Boardroom Afloat.”
2) Lesson 30 gives seven ways to avoid a financial train wreck in your church. A graphic, “The Transparency Continuum,” urges boards to discern what “appropriate transparency” looks like—a delicate balance between two extremes: no transparency and absolute transparency (neither appropriate). Where is your board on the continuum?
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Eliminate Fuzziness
Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook

True or False? Our church board is crystal clear on the role of the board versus the role of the staff.

If not clear, visit the Operations Buckets webpage and download the Prime Responsibility Chart template—and then customize it to eliminate fuzziness between board and staff roles. (It’s also a helpful one-pager for any project where the approval process is a tad fuzzy.)

For more resources from the workbook, visit “The Operations Bucket,” webpage here.
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⇒JASON AND JOHN PEARSON quote Zig Ziglar in the intro to the Operations Bucket chapter of Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook: “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing—that’s why we recommend it daily.” So if it’s been a very long time since you’ve coached and mentored your team in the Operations Bucket, here’s a reminder that last year’s coaching wasn’t enough. Click on the graphic below to order the workbook from Amazon.

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JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. Delegate your reading—and ask a team member to read Duct Tape Marketing, the classic from John Jantsch. Jump to page 32 and craft your “Talking Logo.” Then align that with innovative ideas from Jason Pearson at Pearpod Media (branding, digital, print, and video).  Click here.

Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free one to three times a month to subscribers, the frequency of which is based on an algorithm of book length, frequent flyer miles, and client deadlines. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here.