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The Not-So-Surprising Way God Creates Teams

It’s not very surprising how God creates teams that serve and work for Him. The ministry team and staff of our congregation recently held our annual planning and goal-setting session. In preparation for the meeting I had all the members of our team do the “How to Fascinate” assessment. This personality brand analysis identifies one’s own personality’s top advantage at work. It doesn’t measure how you see the world. It measures how the world sees you. It’s a completely different perspective.

Team

According to the How to Fascinate website: 

Your personality has one primary Advantage. It’s how you add value. It’s what makes you different and better. Think of it like a natural superpower. When you communicate using this Advantage, you earn more attention, and more revenue.

I thought it would be fun for each of the members of our team to discover the personality advantages of all of the other members. One by one we watched the video that described each Personality Advantage. Every single one was spot on. When each description was complete every single person in the room agreed that the description pegged that particular person.

  • I am “The Ringleader.” The Ringleader is marked by the terms Power and Passion. The Ringleader is seen as energetic and compelling in drawing people in, casting a vision, and getting people to buy into it. The Ringleader energizes others, sees the big picture, but needs help with follow-through.
  • Our Business Manager is “The Talent.” The Talent is marked by the terms Passion and Prestige. The Talent is expressive and a perfectionist. The Talent is engaging, passionate, and draws people in with personality.
  • Our Director of Media Relations is “The Quick Start.” The Quick Start is marked by the terms Innovation and Alert. The Quick Start executes plans with innovation. The Quick Start can find a new path. The Quick Start is detail oriented, prolific, and reliable.
  • Our Plant Manager is “The Authentic.” The Authentic is marked by the terms Trust and Passion. The Authentic is dependable and solid. The Authentic is dedicated to others. The Authentic is sincerely gentle and makes people feel at home.
  • Our Assisting Pastor is “The Mediator.” The Mediator is marked by the terms Alert and Trust. The Mediator is dedicated, punctual, and steadfast. The Mediator protects the status quo, is a practical and organized thinker, and protects others.
  • Our Volunteer Administrative Assistant is “The Intrigue.” The Intrigue is marked by the terms Passion and Mystique. The Intrigue is perceptive and selective about what parts of him/herself he/she wants to show. The Intrigue avoids delivering mixed messages by being both engaged and observant.
  • Our Choir Director is “The Coordinator.” The Coordinator is marked by the terms Alert and Passion. The Coordinator understands how people interact. The Coordinator motivates people, inspires a team, and keeps projects on track. The Coordinator takes a step-by-step approach to every goal.

Read that list again thinking about what it takes to deliver ministry and run a local church. Our team sat around the table in shock and awe as each short video described every person to a T. But as we sat there and thought about it a little more, we began to understand how uniquely qualified was every single person on the team for his or her position and vocation.

In other words, the team that sat around the table that day was no mistake. There is no question in my mind that God knew what He was doing when he put these people together as the servant-leaders of our local congregation. Each person has the gifts that uniquely qualify her or him for their own particular duties and tasks.

More than that, the gifts of each person complement the others on the team. There’s no way any one person on the team could deliver to our congregation all the gifts represented by the entire team. When this team works together our congregation is blessed in many and myriad ways. The team is a unit that brings care, comfort, service, and ministry to a wonderful group of God’s people who are members of His kingdom.

No human being could have as perfectly formed this team. God knows what He’s doing when He puts people in place to serve Him, His church, and the world at large. He knows what He’s doing when He gives gifts. If you think about it, it’s really not so surprising at all that God knows what He’s doing when He creates teams.

How have you seen God’s work in the teams that serve you?

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How Jim Collins Used a Crossed Out Sentence to Make Something Great

Jim Collins, author of the mega-bestseller Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t, tells the story of how a crossed out sentence changed his life. For the last twenty-five years Jim Collins has written or co-written six books that have sold more than ten million copies, become a wildly sought after speaker, and an award winning teacher. But it all began with a crossed out sentence.

Hand with pen is writing " Business Plan" on transparent white board.

In 1988 Jim Collins was asked to teach a class on entrepreneurship and small business at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He was taking over for another prof who had taught the class previously, and was looking over the former prof’s syllabus. The syllabus said:

This will be a course on the mechanics and challenges of the new business venture entrepreneur and the small business manager.

On some kind of impulse, Collins crossed out the sentence. In its place he wrote this:

This will be a course on how to turn an entrepreneurial venture or small business into an enduring, great company.

As soon as he wrote it, Jim Collins thought to himself: I don’t know anything about that! He decided he’d better figure it out so that he could teach the class. Not only did he do that, but crossing out that sentence and rewriting it began 25 years of research and six best-selling books. It all came from discovering what it takes to turn a small business into an “enduring, great company.”

It got me to wondering how a change in thinking, or a crossed out sentence, might change the way I look at things. If I’m bold enough to cross out a sentence and rewrite it, using a concept I don’t yet know anything about, it could lead me into learning and discovering new things that could change my life, my family’s life, or even the direction of the church I pastor.

For instance, my wife, Tammy, and I are in the midst of creating and writing our goals for 2016. (I know we’re almost at the end of January, but…better late than never.) What I have discovered from writing down my goals is that I have figuratively crossed off notions that I’ve had in previous years. I have discovered that I haven’t been nearly bold enough in my goal setting. I’ve crossed out the weak goals of the past and replaced them with more audacious goals. Some of the goals I’m setting are going to stretch me far beyond my comfort zone. I will be forced to learn new things. I will be stretched in directions that will probably bring growth in ways that I never expected.

I’d like to encourage you to do the same. Try this:

  1. Write down five goals for yourself. Make sure they are SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound).
  2. Now re-write them, stretching yourself just enough to make you uncomfortable. For instance, set a deadline that’s sooner than you think you’d be able to do it. Or let the measurable aspect of the goal be more than you wrote down the first time around. Or write it so that it seems just a bit, a tiny little bit, beyond attainable.
  3. Read your goals once more and discover what new things you will have to learn, what new direction you will need to take, or which free time you will have to use to accomplish them.

Jim Collins grew an entire career and venture by crossing out a sentence. It’s simply another way of looking things. Crossing out sentences could lead to great creativity in discovering and learning new things.

What sentence will you cross out today?

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Why Art is Only a Small Part of the Creativity Story

On any given Thursday night in Nashville, Tennessee, you will find both young and not-so-young musicians presenting their art. They play their music in venues all over town to crowds both large and small. Their musicianship is finer than most any other you’ve ever experienced in your life. Many have come to Music City to find their way into the wide world of the music business. Some never get the record deal, the big tour, or the big time managers. But that doesn’t mean they stop working at it.

Musician

I know this is true, because our son, Ben, is one of these hard working musicians. This past Thursday we saw him play a gig at Nashville’s The High Watt, a venue not too far from the touristy area downtown, but light years away. Broadway Street in downtown Nashville will give you the idea that glitz and glamour, or at least a regular paying job, is the life of a Nashville musician. Throngs of adoring crowds pack the honky-tonks thinking this is what Nashville music is all about.

But if they would venture to other venues, sometimes just a few blocks away, they would find musicians, bands, and shows that would make them rethink the whole idea of professional music in Nashville. One can find any genre of music, not just Country Western. Ben’s band, My Red and Blue, was the headlining act, with two other bands preceding his on the bill. The first band was a group of five hard-rocking guys called Chapels, who blasted their way through a short set. They were followed by two young women, an indie-pop duo named Sawyer, who used driving melodies and a variety of instruments to draw in the crowd. My Red and Blue finished the night with melodic, carefully worded pop tunes that had the crowd singing along.

But the show that evening was only a small part of each band’s story. Their art is part of who they are. It permeates their lives and and fills up their days.

The painting you see, the book that you read, the play you experience, the music you hear is only a small part of the creativity story. There is a wealth of life and experience that goes into what gets presented before the public. For instance, here’s a small taste of of what goes into the music My Red and Blue gets to play before the paying public:

  • Ideas for songs germinate in Ben’s mind and he writes them down in a journal. Sometimes the whole idea begins with simply a title for a song.
  • Songs come to fruition as Ben writes them in his own room at home, or when he gets together with other Nashville songwriters to bring a song to life. Sometimes it flows out of “hook,” a melody that you’ll remember long after the song is over, and sometimes it flows out the theme of the lyrics themselves.
  • Once the song is written a demo of the song is made in someone’s room or small studio. Technology is so good these days that decent recordings can be made in people’s homes.
  • All the while Ben works a “day job” to help him pay bills and save money so that he can record the songs and put them out into the world. Creating musical art is an expensive proposition involving paying musicians and engineers, footing the bill for studio time, mixing and mastering, and fronting the money for art work and CD’s.
  • Once the music is made and ready to go, the musician becomes the distributor and marketer. Getting the word out involves social media, free music web sites like NoiseTrade, and word of mouth.
  • All the while, Ben is writing and recording music for Sorted Noise, a music placement company that has signed him to a contract, engaging him to write music for commercials, TV, and film. They recently got one of his songs on a Spotify playlist where it garnered more than half a million “listens.”

The art that the world sees, hears, or experiences is only a small part of the creativity story. It’s only a small part of a creative life that is lived twenty-four hours of most every day. Most people think that creativity is simply a gift given to certain people. It’s really the result of the hard work of people who put their mind to producing it most every day.

Next time you experience art of any kind that moves you, remember that it is only a very small part of the creativity story. There is a life behind that art, fully engaged in bringing it into your life.

How have you experienced art that has changed your life?

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Don’t be a Vulture (Why Creativity is Worth More than What’s In Front of Us)

I’m a northern boy, so I haven’t had much experience in my life with vultures. That is, until I moved to Florida. (Warning: nasty images coming ahead…) Now I see vultures having a feast every time there’s road kill along a highway or an unfortunate animal’s death along the bike trail I ride. More often than not a vulture is quick enough to get out of the way when there’s an oncoming vehicle.

Vultures

But I recently saw a vulture that was so focused on its food that it lost its own life. It sat feasting right in the middle of oncoming traffic and didn’t move an inch as it tore apart its prey. Now there were two dead creatures lying in the road. Sometimes greed can be so dangerous that it can kill you. Sometimes selfishness can be so dangerous that it kills your creativity.

Creativity needs more than what’s right in front of us. It needs to be fed. But it also needs awareness.

I was recently encouraged by Seth Godin in an interview he did. Seth Godin puts out a blog post every single day…even on Sundays. He’s one of the most prolific bloggers out there. The interviewer asked him how he did it every day. He asked Seth where he got all his content.

Seth Godin said that it’s his job as a writer and marketer. It’s like a garbage man showing up every day: he has to do his job; he has to pick up the garbage. A writer also has to show up every day. He has to do the work. She has to keep her eyes always open for ideas. The writer can’t focus only on the food of fear. It would be paralyzing. Godin says that for every blog post he puts out, he has written seven or eight posts that he throws away.

He’s not greedy. Creating great content and enhancing creativity is all about making mistakes. Being a perfectionist is like being an unaware vulture. Nothing gets finished. No content is put out into the world. Dreams are never fueled. It’s consuming. The oncoming traffic of time and wasted opportunity might just kill your creativity.

Creative content is worth far more than what’s just in front of you. It comes from all areas of life. It comes from every interaction you have. It comes from dreams, and books, and Facebook posts.

Don’t be a vulture. Be a healthy, creative soul, feeding on the food of creativity in the safe havens all around you, places like:

  • Those rare book stores
  • Coffee shops
  • School
  • Church
  • The office
  • The fishing hole
  • The theme park
  • The internet
  • The restaurant

Consuming the food of perfectionism isn’t worth losing your creative life. Feed your creativity, but don’t let your pursuit of perfection kill it. Produce content. Get it out into the world. Save your creative life for another day. Get to work. The world needs what you have to give.

What kills your creativity?

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How Doing the Right Things Could Help You Live Your Dream

If you’re going to live out your dream you’d better be doing the right things. In my last post I introduced you to Justin and Adam Fricke, two brothers from central Florida, who are living out their dream of visiting all 50 states in a Sprinter Van, hiking, surfing, and rock climbing all along the way. It’s called The Bro’d Trip. Their journey got off to just a bit of a rocky start, but now they’re beginning to enjoy the ride and are learning all along the way.

Bro'd Trip 2

What really impressed me about The Bro’d Trip is that Adam and Justin did everything right as they prepared to live the dream. They thought it through. They laid the groundwork. They prepared themselves as best they could. And they set out on their trip having researched, having enlisted partners, and with money in the bank.

Here are the seven right things Justin and Adam did that enabled them to live out their dream and pursue their passion:

  1. They saved. Justin had the idea for the trip already more than two years ago, and it took him a while to enlist Adam to jump in with him. But as soon as Justin set the idea in stone he began to save his money and live a thrifty life. He had his sites set on purchasing a van with cash and wanted to have substantial money in the bank before they left. Adam did the same once he decided he would go along. Every time they got their pay checks a majority of it went into savings. The van was, indeed, bought with cash. The brothers have savings that will help support them as they go, as well as have some money left over when they return home.
  2. They sought sponsors. A number of months before they embarked, the brothers put together a package to send out to potential sponsors. It included sunglasses and other free goodies, a note, and a video introducing the whole concept of sponsorship for their trip. Some companies ignored it. Some responded with in kind donations. Still others stepped up and provided financial assistance. In fact, one company is providing enough support for them to add a healthy supplement to their savings as they go.
  3. They built a platform. Before they took off, both brothers used social media separately to introduce the idea of their trip. Once they came up with branding for The Bro’d Trip they began to promote it using a web site, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. People took note and began to follow. That platform will only grow as they get more publicity throughout the course of the trip.
  4. They promoted themselves. Aside from social media, Adam and Justin took advantage of local news outlets to get some promotion. In fact, the newspaper at their alma mater, The University of Central Florida, the second largest university in the nation, did a piece on the brothers, giving them both print and online promotion.
  5. They used their skills. Justin knows how to blog and build a web site. Adam knows how to use video. And they both are pretty great behind the lens of a camera. Writing, photos, and video will be the lifeblood of the journey as they get the word out about what they’re doing. No doubt these skills will also be incredibly beneficial as they attempt to land jobs once the year is over.
  6. They threw a party. Just before they left, the brothers and their parents threw a party for all the local people who have been, and will be, supporting them. It was a great way for them to say thank you and to provide one last way for friends and family to say farewell. Not only that, but it was a celebration of the accomplishment of being able to fulfill a dream.
  7. They connected personally. All the early supporters of The Bro’d Trip got a bumper sticker in the mail and were asked to put it in an interesting place, take a photograph of it, and post it on social media. They ran a contest to see who would post it in the most interesting place. This was yet another creative way to promote the trip online. In addition, everyone who signs up on their web site to receive email updates will get a handwritten post card from the brothers somewhere along the way. In the day and age of seemingly everything being online, who wouldn’t want to get a handwritten post card in the mail?

Living out a dream takes a great deal of preparation and promotion. Justin and Adam have done all the right things. The dream they’re living will most certainly propel them to bigger and better things. But it all begins with the small details. They did the right things.

When you do the right things, you can begin to pursue your dream, as well.

What would you add to this list?

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Have You Ever Followed Your Dream?

Have you ever followed your dream? No, I mean really threw all caution to the wind and did what you had always dreamed. Have you ever had the audacity to make concrete what was once just a pie-in-the-sky thought? What would it take for you fulfill the vision and live the dream? Two friends of mine have done it. They have embarked on what they’re calling The Bro’d Trip: 2 Brothers, 4 Wheels, 50 States, 1 Year.

Bro-d Trip

Adam and Justine Fricke are two brothers from central Florida who have quit their jobs, bought a van, and have set off to visit all 50 states. They are adventurers who love surfing, hiking, and rock climbing. Their plan is to do those things whenever and wherever they have the opportunity, and to document the trip all along the way with their skillful photography and videography. Needless to say, the number of people who are envious of their new life has been skyrocketing as they get the word out. You may be envious, too. Who wouldn’t want to quit their job? Who wouldn’t want to see the country? Who wouldn’t want to embark on an adventure that was once just a thought in your mind?

But before you start packing your bags, buying a van, and heading out to pursue your dream, you might want to talk to Adam and Justin. Dreams lived out are always based in reality. Here are some of the realities Adam and Justin have had to face:

  • They had to save money for two years to buy the van and have enough in reserve to support them out on the road.
  • They had to work hard to secure sponsors to supplement their savings.
  • They had to completely renovate the inside of their van to meet their specific needs, learning how to do it step by step through online tutorials and YouTube videos.
  • They had to say goodbye to their parents, their home, their jobs, their co-workers, their cars, and their dog.
  • They have to sleep in Wal-Mart parking lots and sometimes forego showers for a few days.
  • They have to watch their budget and eat inexpensive meals just like they were back in college.

You get the idea. A dream sounds glamorous until it you get down to ground level and take stock of what it all costs. But to Adam and Justin it has all been worth it. They recently called me from the road and explained to me the difficulty the first week. Each of them was pretty homesick and began to take it out on their brother. They wondered whether they’d made a mistake. They were missing some of the “routine” of home.

But the second week rolled around and they began to hit their stride. They started learning the stories of the people they encountered. They leaned into the adventure of surfing in the Carolinas. They appreciated the spectacular sunrises outside the back door of their van. A routine began to form. Their next stop is to meet up with their parents for a few days in western North Carolina. Before you know it, they’ll be posting photos, videos, and blogs of adventures most of us could only dream of experiencing.

The lesson here, when pursuing your dream, is to leap out in faith knowing that everything may not be what you expected it to be. But that’s all part of the journey. It’s part of the growth. It’s part of learning who you are and what you’re made of. It’s living a story that will help others, teach others, and give others the opportunity to think through the possibility of pursuing their own dreams. It’s taking a risk so that you can give value to others through what you yourself learn.

I encourage you to follow The Bro’d Trip on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter (links are at the web site). Follow the adventure. Dream a little bit. Travel along. Perhaps it will inspire you to pursue your own dream so that you can give others value, teach them through your experiences, and add a little life to your living.

My next post will outline all the things The Bro’d Trip brothers did right as they prepared and embarked on their dream.

What dream have you always wanted to pursue?

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How to Supercharge Your Productivity This Weekend

One key to moving forward toward your goals is to supercharge your productivity every weekend. Not too long ago a friend asked me where I found the time, as a pastor, to do the amount of writing I do: the first draft of a book last year (now editing it), three blog posts every week, and producing a new meme that goes out by social media every day. My first response to him was that I have cut down on watching TV (except for when the Packers are on, and an occasional look at the national news), and added to my book reading.

Contemplate

The second thing I told him was that I try to supercharge my productivity every weekend. I see the “off” hours I have on a weekend (I have a church service every Saturday evening, and services every Sunday morning) as productive and creative times because things are a bit more relaxed, I can put together hours to work on things outside of my workplace items, and I have the opportunity do things that are different from the work week.

So here are the steps I take to supercharge my productivity every weekend:

  1. Date night. It all starts with Friday night when I don’t do any work at all. My wife, Tammy, and I reserve every Friday evening for our date night. We love to spend time together, and we love relaxing by going out to dinner, sometimes meeting friends, or walking down beautiful Park Avenue in Winter Park, Florida. It’s the one time every week that neither of us work and neither of us have to go to work the next day. A productive weekend begins with a time to relax and enjoy, reflect on the week, and look forward to what’s ahead. Even if you don’t have a “date,” Friday night can be a great time to relax and enjoy.
  2. Get a good night’s sleep. I never like to sleep the day away on Saturday morning, but I don’t get up at the crack of dawn, either. We don’t set the alarm, and we are usually up by 8:00 or sometimes a bit later. Every other day of the week we have to get early. I find it helpful to my productivity to get to it when I’m not tired. I know there are people out there promoting getting up at 5:30 a.m. every day of the week, but I’m not one of them. I think it’s important to have at least one day of the week when the alarm isn’t set. It puts me in a good frame of mind.
  3. Do things outside of the weekday routine. Weekends are a time to fill the creative tank. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. It can be doing a Target run, a bit of grocery shopping, a stroll around a farmer’s market, getting some exercise, or spending some time at a coffee shop. I find that these things get my mind flowing. Different and unusual environments mixed with a bit of relaxation are good for the creative juices. Don’t skip this step.
  4. Use blocks of time. You may think that since I have slept in a bit on Saturday morning and have run a few errands that I wouldn’t have time to get anything accomplished before I have to go to church on Saturday evening. It’s not the case at all. When we get home from errands or other things outside of our weekday routine, I’m happy, no…I’m inspired and anxious, to sit down and produce some “art” or do some serious writing. And though I’m pretty wiped out after church on Sunday mornings, Sunday afternoons and evenings are another opportunity to utilize a block of time.

You can supercharge your productivity every weekend, too. Set your mind to it. Have someone hold you accountable. Follow these steps. Make the time. You’ll be happy you didn’t fritter it away watching TV.

How do you supercharge your weekend productivity?

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Why New Goals Will Change Your Life

It’s a new year so it’s time for new goals. My wife, Tammy, and I have buckled down at the start of this year and are working on Michael Hyatt’s 5 Days to Your Best Year Ever. We’re right in the middle of it, so we haven’t finished yet, but on Day 1 we were coached to gain some clarity in our lives by doing away with cynicism that comes from past trials and failures, and taking note of the things for which we are grateful. In one session it made me think of new goals in ways I never had before.

Beauty smiling sport child boy showing his hand biceps muscles strength white isolated

What I’m really learning is the a new way of thinking and doing things propels us toward completing goals we previously thought impossible. This all came to light the other day when I decided to exercise with Tammy. Since my exercise of choice is bicycling, and since it was a bit cold by Florida standards, I thought it would be a good idea to run two miles and do the 7 Minute Workout App with her, like she usually does. Mind you, I haven’t run for about three years. If you see me running, it’s usually because I’m running away from something. I have a muscle condition that makes it difficult for me to run.

But run I did. I stepped out the front door with Tammy and started down the path with her. We hadn’t even gone a mile and my thighs began to burn. “Wait a minute,” I thought, “I exercise all the time. What’s the matter with me?” Needless to say, the muscles one uses for running, and ones used for biking, are completely different. Not to mention, I went out and attempted to run two miles without working my way up to it. I won’t be able to get up from writing this post because my muscles are so sore that they feel like they’re being stabbed by knives from the inside.

The more I thought about it, however, the more I decided that I should make a more regular habit of running and doing some strength training. It will help my biking. I will gain better lung capacity. I will be strong for longer rides. I will be less apt to injure myself. I will most likely lose weight more efficiently.

This new goal will change the way I exercise, the way I retain my health, the way I control my weight, and the way I feel about myself. This is just one example about a way in which new thinking regarding new goals will change your life. Do something different. As you’re setting or accomplishing your new goals, come at them from a different perspective and look at them from a different angle.

How are your new goals coming in this fresh, new year? Try assessing that question in this way:

  1. Are they SMART? All goals should be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. If they aren’t, you can’t call them goals, and you most likely won’t reach them.
  2. Are you writing them down? Studies show that people who write down their goals have a much higher chance of accomplishing them.
  3. Will they stretch you? Are your new goals just a repeat of the ones you’ve had in the past, or are you stretching yourself and thinking bigger?
  4. What’s your motivation to keep going? How will you reward yourself when you hit certain milestones? Do you have someone to help hold you accountable? That’s what Tammy and I are attempting to do by working through Best Year Ever.
  5. How will you feel when you’ve accomplished these goals? Paint a picture in your mind or put an actual picture on your wall that shows what your goal will look like when you get there. For instance, if your goal is to get out of debt, cut out a picture of something you could pay for with cash once your debt is paid.

New goals will change your life, because they will put you on the path toward accomplishing things you never thought you could.

What strategies do you think are important in accomplishing goals?

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Why There’s No Such Thing as a Sure Thing

There’s no such thing as a sure thing. Just ask Blair Walsh. Walsh is the kicker for the Minnesota Vikings who was set to kick a field goal that was a “sure thing” with just 22 seconds left in a playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. A 22-yard kick for a professional kicker is a chip shot. They can make them in their sleep.

Field Goal

All Walsh had to do was make the chip shot field goal and the Minnesota Vikings would have won the game and gone on to the next round of the playoffs. To miss it would mean a heart breaking end to the season. But there was no way that could happen. This was, after all, a sure thing.

You could tell that the Seahawks had pretty much given up. All they could do was offer up a prayer, go through the motions of the play, and hope against hope that somehow, some way Walsh would inexplicably miss the field goal. Their entire playoff life rested on this one kick. They were all but making their golf reservations for Monday.

Blair Walsh missed a sure thing.

The ball was snapped. The holder set the ball down with the laces facing the kicker (a big no-no for a holder). Walsh took three steps. He kicked the ball.

The football flew to the left of the goal post. Walsh immediately knew he had missed it. He hung his head. The game ended. Walsh walked off the field all by himself. Later, he was interviewed by reporters and held up pretty well. He answered all the questions and took complete blame and responsibility.

Then he went back to his locker and sobbed.

Who could blame him? The hopes and dreams of a whole team, an ownership group, and an entire fan base who haven’t ever seen their team win a Super Bowl rested on him. And he missed what was supposed to be a sure thing.

But (outside of God Himself) there’s no such thing as a sure thing. This is a world filled with uncertainty. Just ask an investor. Ask a teacher. Ask a dieter. Ask a goal-setter. Ask a Minnesota Vikings fan.

There’s no such thing as a sure thing. But there are proper ways to respond when the “sure thing” fails, falls through, or ends up in a way that no one expected:

  1. Learn from it. If you’re not learning, you’re not living. Blair Walsh is certainly learning many lessons from this debacle. He will practice harder. He will know better how to deal with defeat when it comes along again. He will better know how to speak to reporters in both good times and bad.
  2. Don’t suppress your emotions. Blair Walsh, a grown man, was crying at his locker after his missed kicked ended his team’s season. Some may have criticized him for doing so, but no one could argue with the way he was feeling. After a life changing event, it’s OK, even recommended, to express one’s emotions. To suppress them, or hold them in, has the potential for doing damage to one’s own psyche. Let it out. Let it go. Don’t be afraid to be who you are and to express your emotions in a way that makes you feel better (within reason).
  3. Move on. There will come a point probably in the very near future, when Blair Walsh will have to move on. He can’t live under the cloud of this one missed kick forever. He will have to continue to earn a living as a professional football player for as long as he can. And when that’s no longer possible he will have to move on into another career or station in life. Life will go on. Blair Walsh will be a better person for it.

How would you respond if you missed what is supposed to be a sure thing?

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Are You Orbiting the Giant Hairball?

In the midst of a giant hairball is not where you want to be. Gordon MacKenzie makes that case in his book, Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace. Mackenzie’s boss once used the term in a meeting of department heads at Hallmark Cards. His boss said, “This (department) is a giant hairball.” “What a disgusting term!” thought MacKenzie. But he reasoned that there is a time when a hairball doesn’t exist, so there has to be a place from which they come.

Orbit

He reasoned:

Well, two hairs unite. Then they’re joined by another. And another. And another. Before long, where there was once nothing, this tangled impenetrable mass has begun to form.

Over the course of Hallmark’s history, policies and procedures grew and grew. The more they grew, the bigger the policy manuals became, and the more gravity there was in the giant hairball. The whole organization had become a “tangled impenetrable mass.” And as the bureaucracy grew, creativity diminished.

MacKenzie later cherished working for the one division at Hallmark that retained a loose connection to the “hairball.” But that division was able to orbit around it just far enough away so that they didn’t get tangled up into it. They followed the basic rules, policies, and procedures of the organization, but they stretched and bent them far enough that they were able to retain true creativity and become the most profitable division of Hallmark Cards.

Rules may not always be meant to be broken, but a case can certainly be made that there are times they crush creativity. When things are too restricted, when there is no freedom, when thinking is “inside the box” rather than outside of it, it’s tough to come up with new ideas, it’s difficult for new pathways in the brain to form, it’s hard to make things that are risky.

Here are a few suggestions for avoiding the giant hairball:

  1. Respect the rules of your organization, but don’t let them stifle you. Find loopholes. Look for ways to stretch the rules. Band together with others frustrated by the corporate culture (but do it in a way that brings value to the organization). The people in MacKenzie’s division of Hallmark went on tangents that fueled their creativity, but their boss would, “with his own unique brand of gravitational pull, transform our tangents into Orbits, allowing us to travel paths related to the system…but not of the system.”
  2. Discover ways to become indispensable to your organization. Make your own job secure by learning and doing things no one else can do. Become what Seth Godin calls the “linchpin.” The more value you bring, the more difficult it is for the organization to exist without you. Gordon Mackenzie brought so much value to Hallmark Cards that later in his career he was asked to train new hires in his own creative way.
  3. Don’t let your own tactics and procedures become a new hairball. MacKenzie was once asked to run a seminar for Hallmark’s new creative managers called “The Creative Manager.” He changed the title of the seminar to “Grope,” and used it to train managers to handle the many off-the-wall experiences they would face as supervisors. There was no structured agenda, their was much confusion, but the problem-solving that came out of the workshop was off the charts. Unfortunately, the next two times MacKenzie led the workshop, he just pulled out his old file and ran it again according to the first time he had done it. The results were less than stellar. He had created his own hairball. From there on out he allowed agenda-less, creative problem solving reign.

How do you avoid becoming a part of the giant hairball?

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