Issue No. 511 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting highlights a quick-reading business parable by Ken Blanchard and S. Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies), click here for over 500 book reviews, and click here for my new blog, Pails in Comparison (PIC), with shorter book reviews of my latest “PICs.”
I asked Ken Blanchard to mention our conference theme in his keynote, but he would not accept my thank you gift! LOL!
Ken Blanchard Wouldn’t Take My Money!
Picture this! Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One Minute Manager and the author/co-author of more than 60 books, is 10 minutes into his keynote address at Christian Management Association’s 1997 national convention in San Diego. He mentions the conference theme, “Management Survival/Leadership Revival,” and then winks at me. (I’m in the front row.)
Just Blanchard, me, and his Raving Fans co-author, Sheldon Boyles, were in on the joke. My keynote speaker invitation letter to this bestselling author and management guru included this request: “If you’d be gracious enough to mention our conference theme in your keynote, I’ll give you $20 cash!”
Blanchard concluded his outstanding talk and joined me in the front row. I whispered my thanks. “Fantastic presentation—and here’s the $20 for mentioning our theme. Thank you!”
Blanchard refused the cash. “Put it in the offering,” he laughed. He had previously refused our honorarium. Instead, he invested heart and soul into the lives of ministry leaders and managers from across the country that evening. We learned that he did enjoy In-N-Out Burgers back then, so I slipped him a gift card with our thanks.
Now 25 years later, I was reminded again of Ken Blanchard’s generosity. Back in 2002, I read The Generosity Factor: Discover the Joy of Giving Your Time, Talent, and Treasure, by Ken Blanchard and S. Truett Cathy. I immediately bought more copies to give to friends.
Blanchard (now 82) and S. Truett Cathy (1921-2014) practiced what they preached! Cathy (founder of Chick-fil-A) was a memorable keynote speaker at Christian Management Association’s 2003 national conference in Colorado Springs. (CMA is now CLA.) He came to give, not take. Every person in the audience received a gift card for a tasty Chick-fil-A sandwich!
So…it was a joy to re-read The Generosity Factor—another business “parable” in the mode of The One Minute Manager and The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey (my favorite book in the Delegation Bucket).
WHO SHOULD READ THE GENEROSITY FACTOR?
• CEOs and Senior Leaders—on the fast track, but maybe the wrong track. A less-than-humble business owner (the Broker) meets a thoughtfully generous business leader (the Executive). You’ll follow their conversations through the Four T’s: Time, Talent, Treasure, and Touch.
• Not-Yet-All-In Givers—especially those who are grasping too tightly to their resources and may be blind to the needs around them (as was the Broker).
• Pastors and Church Board Members—who perhaps build stewardship campaigns based on budget needs (“Today is Stewardship Sunday! Here’s the pledge card!”), versus teaching Biblical generosity because it’s…well…Biblical!
• Chief Development Officers and fundraisers—who prioritize methodology over motives. The Generosity Factor is a critical reminder that true generosity is a commitment to all Four T’s. Just checking the “Treasure” box doesn’t let you off the hook for Time, Talent, and Touch. (You’ll miss the joy of generosity.)
Along the way, you’ll also have a few nostalgic flashbacks to real life 20 years ago, including: palmtop computers, Yellow Pages, CNN Sports, Headline News (24/7), and more! The “Gratitude List” exercise is just as relevant in 2022. (Try it—and discern if your first draft is more God-directed than the Broker’s first draft. Yikes.)
Another player in this parable is the Reporter—a timely reminder about the power of the written word and the opportunity to influence others. She shares an acronym that’s a pretty good summary of The Generosity Factor:
• He Owns It All.
• Every Day Is an Opportunity.
• Action Is Required.
• Remember Your Blessings.
• Thank Him.
H.E.A.R.T. (That’ll preach!) Who in your circle of influence might appreciate reading this book?
To order from Amazon, click on the title for The Generosity Factor: Discover the Joy of Giving Your Time, Talent, and Treasure, by Ken Blanchard and S. Truett Cathy. Listen to the book on Libro.fm (2 hours, 25 minutes).
P.S. Read my recent review of The Discerning Life, by Stephen Macchia. And to go deeper, read more about his wisdom-filled twist on the Three T’s. In his book, Crafting a Rule of Life, Macchia recommends you focus on Five T’s—Time, Trust, Temple, Treasure, and Talent. Check out the book’s resource-rich website here.
YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) Dick Towner often mentions that one of his favorite generosity quotes is from Ben Patterson who observed, “There is no such thing as being right with God and wrong with your money.” What's one of your favorite generosity quotes?
2) Towner reminds pastors and church leaders: “Every church has a stewardship culture, either by design or by happenstance—a set of beliefs and values regarding an individual’s relationship to their money and possessions. A sub-biblical stewardship culture creates behavioral expectations for Christians that hinder a scriptural response to the culture’s mores about wealth and property.” (Noted in “The Church’s Leadership Role in Bringing Stewardship Front and Center” from the book, Revolution in Generosity, Wesley K. Willmer, General Editor.) Describe your church's stewardship culture.
The Donor Bucket chapter in Mastering the Management Buckets notes,“We believe that extravagant generosity is the biblical norm, not the exception.
Buckets Countdown:
The Donor Bucket (#11) Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook: Management Tools, Templates and Tips from John Pearson, with commentary by Jason Pearson (2nd Edition, 2018) - Order from Amazon.
The well-chosen book given at appropriate times can spark generosity in both current givers and non-givers. Martin Luther said, "People go through three conversions: The conversion of their head, their heart and their pocketbook. Unfortunately, not all at the same time." What book will you order today for yourself or a friend? Check out these classics:
[ ] The Treasure Principle, by Randy Alcorn. He writes: “God owns everything. I’m His money manager.” (read my review)
[ ] Joy Giving, by Cameron Doolittle. I’ve never (never!) read a book that includes so many biblical insights from generous givers across the globe. (read my review)
[ ] The Third Conversion, by R. Scott Rodin. He writes, “Never tell God what to do, and never tell God’s people what they are to give. You just might end up underestimating the generosity of both.” (read my review)
[ ] Being Generous, by Theodore Roosevelt Malloch. “The story is told that when a friend heard that [C.S.] Lewis had given money to a beggar in Oxford, the friend remarked that he shouldn’t have done so because the beggar would only spend the money on alcoholic drink. Lewis replied, ‘If I kept the money, I would only have spent it on drink!’” (read my review)
[ ] Revolution in Generosity, by Wes Willmer, General Editor. Three cheers for Willmer and his labor of love by inspiring 20 thinkers to contribute chapters to this important book. (read my review)
[ ] Igniting a Life of Generosity, by Chris McDaniel. In my review, I ask, “What if…before your organization mailed the monthly appeal letter, hundreds and hundreds of generous givers—prompted by the Holy Spirit—sent in their checks and made online gifts BEFORE you asked for the contribution?” (read my review)
[ ] 40 Day Spiritual Journey to a More Generous Life, by Brian Kluth. “No church ever has a money problem, only a faithfulness problem.” (Read my review and order from Amazon.)
The 20 management buckets are perfect content for the lifelong learning segment in your weekly staff meetings (you do have weekly staff meetings, right?). Visit the 20 buckets webpage here. For a list of books I’ve reviewed in the Donor Bucket, visit the Book Bucket.
Check out John’s new blog, Pails in Comparison (PIC), with additional book reviews including Take Charge of You: How Self-Coaching Can Transform Your Life and Career, by David Novak and Jason Goldsmith. Learn why Tom Brady is a big fan of “self-coaching.”
JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. If you lead a church or nonprofit (or serve on its board), have you taken time to discern the generosity messaging that you’re communicating? Helpful? Harmful? Biblical? Need help? Contact Pearpod Media (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social).
Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free one to three times a month to subscribers. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As an Amazon Associate, we earn Amazon gift cards from qualifying purchases. As a Libro.fm Affiliate, we earn credits. 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.
Comments