PALC Assignments 12/16/08

PALC Gents...

Thanks for the sharpening yesterday. You will never know what a breath of fresh air you are to me! OK... that was a spiritual/emotional metaphor... because you were anything but fresh air to me yesterday... and I think you know what I' talking about.

For our next PALC on 12/16/08, be sure to be ready for the following:

1. Song of Solomon: Please read the eight chapters of SOS one more time before we meet... ideally... with your wife... and bring your study guide with your thoughts and insights written in it. Remember, we're going to study Song of Solomon because of Proverbs 5:15-20. So write your thoughts in those study guides and bring them with you ready to go.

2. Be ready to discuss the book, Leadershift, chapters 3, 6, 9 and 10.

3. Download, print out, read, and mark up chapter one of THE FORGOTTEN WAYS

4. Bring a list of 5-8 BIG ideas for your DDP (description of a discipled person). When your children leave your house, how will you know if they are fully devoted followers of Jesus? What EXACTLY do you mean when you say, "This child has been fully discipled." Try to include a passage of Scripture for each of your 5-8 descriptors of a discipled person.

5. We'll do memory verses front and center next time... so be ready... you have been warned. Let me stick my neck out and say that I will quote Psalm 112 in its entirety next time... anyone want to join me for part or all of Psalms 112? Also we will all do the following:

Leadership Community
Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17

The Power of a Personal Growth Plan
Luke 6:40
A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
Luke 6:40

Pathway to Purity
2 Timothy 2:22
Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
2 Timothy 2:22

Train Others to Do the Ministry
Ephesians 4:11-12
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
Ephesians 4:11-12

Jesus’ Strategy: Train, Coach, and Mentor
Mark 3:14-15
He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.
Mark 3:14-15

6. Finally, at our next PALC time together, I would love to hear any reports on how things went with your wife as you read Song of Solomon together, or feedback from when you trained anyone with Dialogue #1 Training Makes All the Difference, or PGP stuff, or The Challenge of Finishing Well booklet.

7. Personal growth plan check up.

Pheaney's PGP

I'm following Dan L's example and giving you an updated version of my PGP.

You can track it here.

My accountability partner and I are using Google Docs to keep a list of questions going... as well as our PGPs. It has been an awesome way to review material when we don't have a chance to sit down together!

Response to Kyle: Thoughts on Changing an Organization!

Why Organizational Change Fails
"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things." —Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Preaching change is much different than practicing it. Change is tiring and toilsome work, requiring persistence and resourcefulness. Unfortunately, many leaders fall short in their efforts to enact change. The following list compiles what leadership development expert Mark Sanborn identifies as the most common reasons why organizational change fails. Use it to analyze and/or prevent mistakes in your future attempts at change.

1. Misstarts.
A misstart occurs when change is ill-advised, hastily implemented, or attempted without sufficient commitment. Misstarts are jarring and demoralizing to an organization, and they destroy a leader's credibility.

2. Making change an option.
When leadership commits to change, it must be made clear that change is not an option. Regrettably, the message of change is often weak and watered down. Whenever people have the option to avoid change, they will.

3. A focus only on process.
Leaders can become enmeshed in managing the process of change to the point where they don't measure tangible outcomes. Activity becomes more important than results.

4. A focus only on results.
Unhealthy results-focus stems from a belief that the end justifies any means. Organizations tend to fail miserably in this regard; they downplay or ignore the human pain of change. Insensitivity to people's feelings not only prevents change, but also destroys morale and loyalty in the process.

5. Not involving those expected to implement the change.
Top-down mandates for change arouse a great deal of resentment. To smoothen the arrival of change, employees need to be involved in two ways. First, solicit their input and suggestions when planning the change. Second, involve them in determining the means of change. Leadership needs to communicate, "Here's what must happen. How do you think it can best be done?"

6. Delegation of change to "outsiders".
Change is an inside job. Although outside consultants may provide valuable ideas and input, people inside the organization must accept responsibility for leading change.

7. No change in reward system.
If you continue rewarding employees for what they've always done, you'll never move past the usual results. Adjust rewards, recognition, and compensation to reflect the desired change.

8. Leadership doesn't walk the talk.
Attempts at change are sabotaged whenever leaders neglect to demonstrate the same commitment they expect from others. Leadership must take the first steps.

9. Wrong size.
In this instance, change is either too massive to be achievable or too small to be significant. A change program should be neither too easy nor too impossible.

10. No follow-through.
The best planning is worthless if not implemented, monitored, and measured. Responsibility for executing change must be clearly defined so that follow-through is timely and thorough. Remember, what is measured is what gets done!

Adapted from Mark Sanborn, Why Organizational Change Fails, Leadership Wired, Issue 1, 9/08

Ephesians 4:11-12 Training

Today I did the first part of the Training Dialogue with our Church's Ministry Community ( our non-paid staff). We had some great dialogue around the scripture, why church's and leaders don't talk about training, and where we are in regards to it. It went really great......until the end. A few of the leaders pushed back. Why do we have all these assignments? I've try'd to train and no body show'd up. We don't have time to train our volunteers. Why don't we do ministry community the way that it was.

Why they do have the right to voice there opions. It was sad. They did some of the things that they just talked about other leaders doing. I was really frustrated. Yet at the same time really encouraged. I saw other leaders really connecting with the dialogue. I will continue to do what is on my heart and what I'm passionate for. I did listen to what they had to say. I understand some of their concerns. Yet at the same time realized how hard it is to create a training mentality with in a church that doesn't already have one.

Looking forward to meeting with you guys in 10 days.

Kyle

"If you hold a leadership position but are not equipping the saints for the work of service, then you are not a leader. You may hold the position; you may have the title; you may be called a leader; but you're not a leader as the Bible defines it, because leadership means equipping."
—from the book, Experiencing Leadershift by Don Cousins



For more info, see Mark 3:13-19, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 4:11-12, and 2 Timothy 2:2 for starters.

That's what I'm thinking.

What do you think?

Party with the PALC

Click image to enlarge picture.What was your favorite part of the PALC party?