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“The Thank You Economy” for Churches and Non-Profits, Part 2

“…(T)he dominant obsession for any leader running a company in the Thank You Economy shouldn’t be the competition, nor should it be customer service. It should be your employees” (The Thank You Economy, p.89). That’s Gary Vaynerchuk emphasizing that The Thank You Economy is not just about outreach with Social Media, it’s also about treating your “employees” better than anyone else.

How are churches and non-profits doing on this front? It’s just as much about “inreach” as it is about “outreach.” Just because someone works for a church or non-profit doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have needs. Show me a well-cared-for worker, employee, or minister, and I will show you a worker, employee, or minister who loves his job, sticks around, and goes the extra mile (…OK…maybe not always…but more often than not).

Gary Vaynerchuk says there are two things that make employees happy and make them want to stay:

  1. Being treated like an adult.
  2. Feeling his/her individual needs are met.

Vaynermedia recently carried out these two things by establishing a new vacation policy: there is none. More than that, around basic parameters, employees for Vaynermedia can extablish their own daily work hours. I understand that this may not work in every church or non-profit, but what if employees actually could, within parameters, decide how much vacation time works and what their daily hours would be, as long as “they are doing their job 110 percent at all times, and they’re meeting their objectives” (p.91).

In other words: What if workers, employees, and ministers were treated like adults and felt his/her individual needs were met?

I know that realistically churches and non-profits would find it difficult to take work day hours and vacation time to this extent. However, what if churches and non-profits would do even a little better treating workers, employees, and ministers well.

Our church and school are far from being perfect examples of treating employees “like adults,” but we have tried to take baby steps in the direction of enabling our people to feel as though they are appreciated and their needs are met. Here’s what we’ve done:

  • The principal of our school welcomes each of our teachers to a brand new school year with hand-written notes and a candy bar or small treat.
  • Each March, during what seems to be the longest part of the school year, a solicitation is made to our congregation for monetary gifts. This money is used to provide gift cards to stores or restaurants for each teacher in our school.
  • As another token of appreciation, I (as pastor) take each of our teachers out for lunch once during the school year. After lunch they get the afternoon off to go home for some rest and relaxation.

No, it isn’t quite setting your own hours or determining your own vacation time, but it has meant a great deal to our “employees.” In the end, it’s really about one-on-one interaction and building relationships with people and treating them “like adults.” We have a long, long way to go in meeting individual needs, but at least we’ve made a start.

What ideas do you have for treating non-profit and church workers, employees, and ministers “like adults” and meeting individual needs?

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What Churches and Non-Profits Can Learn from “The Thank You Economy”

“…(I)t is utter insanity for any company not to have a Facebook and Twitter presence in 2011” (p.113, The Thank You Economy). Those are the words of Gary Vaynerchuk, an entrepreneur and social media guru who built his family’s local liquor store into a national wine-seller at winelibrary.com . He wrote the national bestseller Crush It. He has now created Wine Library TV and an app for smart phones called The Daily Grape.

As I read The Thank You Economy it occurred to me over and over again just how much of what is presented in the book applies so well to churches and non-profit organizations. At one point in the book Vaynerchuk says, “It’s not about the budget. It’s about the creativity and caring” (p.124). Many a pastor, church leader, or non-profit executive would love to hear those words spoken in a board meeting (in the church’s case, of course, adding the words “the Gospel”).

What Vaynerchuk calls The Thank You Economy is about caring, responding, interacting, and having conversations with your customers. The Thank You Economy means engaging your customers on an emotional basis by being genuine and caring. That is, of course, what the church is called to be and to do, but far too often the church has lost, or overlooked, or just plain forgotten to be genuine and caring. Sadly, the church is often focused more inwardly than outwardly.

New tools have been given to the church and non-profits to engage on a genuine and caring basis. They are the same tools that are used in The Thank You Economy. They are the tools of Social Media. Vaynerchuk reminds us that Social Media is exponential. Have you recently looked at all of your “friend suggestions” on Facebook. You are one or two degrees of separation from literally hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Just think how many you could reach simply through Facebook and/or Twitter. After all, online conversation easily leads to in-person conversation.

Here are just some of the ways The Thank You Economy can be applied in the church:

  • Gary Vaynerchuk says people buy things recommended by their friends. Where have people recently been speaking with friends? Social Media! More than “buy things,” what about people recommending their church or non-profit as they “talk” on Social Media?
  • The longer it takes to build a presence with Social Media, the more effort it will take to make it work for you. Can the church afford to be lagging behind? There are souls to be saved and people to be helped and served.
  • No matter what someone else chooses to say about you, you can publicly put forth the facts. When there is rumor or controversy, churches and non-profits can’t afford to let them fester. Being up front on Social Media is one way to get the facts straight so that the message is not hindered or blurred.
  • The Thank You Economy includes being part of the conversation. According to Vaynerchuk, it isn’t good enough to simply put your message out there on a web site. You’ve got to engage people and be part of the conversation. How awesome that conversation is when you share the greatest Message ever known to humanity.
  • How about this: “If you’re not passionate enough about what your company does to find fuel for conversation every day, for hours on end, with as many people as possible, maybe you’re in the wrong business” (p.83). I don’t really have to tell you how that applies to churches and non-profits, do I?
  • Social Media is a “long-term play,” a “marathon.” Stick with it! It takes time to develop relationships, provide care and concern, and create in-person opportunities for interaction. Don’t give up. It’s about finding any and every opportunity to share the Gospel or provide service.

Watch for my next post where I’ll share more ways The Thank You Economy applies to churches and non-profits.

How do you think Social Media can be leveraged for use in the church or in non-profits?

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Dreaming’s Not Just for Kids Anymore

Dreaming every once in a while is good for the soul. It brings perspective. It provides the opportunity to set goals. It’s one way of stimulating creativity. A realistic dream just might put some wheels in motion that could potentially lead to the fulfillment of the dream itself.

When was the last time you allowed yourself the opportunity to dream? Do you even remember? Has it been too long?

Kids do it all the time. They dream of hitting the winning last-second shot of the NCAA tournament. They dream of being a Disney princess. They dream of standing on a Broadway stage or running for a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

Why should kids have all the fun? Adults need to dream occasionally, as well. So I took some time this holiday weekend to do just that. Here are ten things I dream of someday doing (and one or two of them have a realistic chance of actually happening):

  1. See Austin City Limits in person
  2. Travel around Italy in a rental car
  3. Go to the Masters Golf Tournament and sit at “Amen Corner” on Championship Sunday
  4. Watch the Milwaukee Brewers win a World Series game in person
  5. Drive a race car around an actual race track
  6. Write a book and have it published
  7. Go mountain biking in Yellowstone Park
  8. Sing backup in my son’s band just once
  9. Participate in Milwaukee Brewers Fantasy Camp
  10. Spend two weeks at a tropical beach house with family and friends

Now it’s your turn. What would your list of dreams include?

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How’s Your Day Going?

Things weren’t going well. My shoulders were crunched up with tension. The wrinkles in my forehead looked like a topographic map. My focus was narrow and my vision was downward.

I stopped at Subway for lunch and waited patiently as the woman ahead of me chose the toppings for her sandwich. I followed behind and got my usual 6-inch Veggie with American cheese. All I wanted to do was eat my sandwich and get on with my busy day.

Then it happened.

The woman who had built her sandwich ahead of me was getting her drink. As I waited behind her she smiled and said to me, “How’s your day going?” I actually lied and said, “It’s going well. How about you?” She said, “I’m doing great!” I responded, “I’m just waiting for the warmer weather this weekend.” Our conversation went on for another minute in that vain, and we went our separate ways.

Now I’m not going to lie. That’s all it took to put a new light on my day. I actually felt my shoulders loosen up, my forehead relax, and my breathing slow. A “stranger” engaged me in conversation completely turned around the course of my day. It was kind of nice to have someone I didn’t even know express a little interest in how I was doing. Even if I wasn’t completely honest at first, as our conversation progressed I began to tell her how I was really feeling.

My friend, John, has been doing this for years. Whenever we’re in a store, restaurant, or public place together, he’ll ask the person behind the counter, the waiter or waitress, or the checkout clerk: “How’s your day going.” That has always impressed me. It shows care and concern for those who serve in sometimes less-than-meaningful jobs.

I’ve made a point on occasion to do it myself. People seem pleasantly surprised to have that question asked of them. They are more often than not willing to answer that question in an honest way: “I’ll be doing better when I get off of work”; “I’ve got a test tomorrow and I can’t wait for it to be over with”; “I’m doing great! I’ve got a date tonight!” A smile usually accompanies these statements. People are genuinely happy to engage in some meaningful conversation. It brings some light into their day.

I have found that asking that question of someone else makes me feel good, too. I get a smile out of it. I feel as though I’m helping someone break the monotony. It gives me a chance to show some care and concern. It adds dignity to someone’s day.

So…How’s your day going today? I’d love to know.

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How a Local Organization Got a Big Bank to Deliver Big Bucks

Common Ground is a broad-based organization of organizations in the city of Milwaukee created to work together to bring about real and positive change in southeastern Wisconsin. I have been part of the organization since its inception, and could only have imagined what this group would be able to accomplish. For two years Common Ground has been pressuring five big banks to join together with the city of Milwaukee, local foundations, non-profits, and Common Ground itself, to refurbish and revitalize dilapidated and foreclosed homes in a key neighborhood.

Last night a representative of Wells Fargo Bank stood before more than 280 members of Common Ground and committed almost $2.5 million dollars in loans and grants. Read the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s article about it here. It was the first of the five banks with whom we have been negotiating to make a significant commitment to bring revitalization to our community in the midst of the current foreclosure crisis.

It took negotiation. It took hard work. And, yes, it took creativity.

The goals for Common Ground were to:

  1. Get to the table.
  2. Make a deal.
  3. Keep the deal.

In order to make that happen, Common Ground had to gain:

  1. Recognition from the city and the banks.
  2. Respect from the city and the banks.
  3. Relationship with the city and the banks.

Recognition, respect, and relationship could only happen by way of many one-on-one meetings, small group meetings, face-to-face meetings with government officials, bank representatives, and Common Ground members. It was a slow and sometimes tedious process. But every meeting had a strategic purpose. There was always a specific outcome in mind for every gathering.

Here’s where the creativity came in. Common Ground used creative ways to get recognition, respect, and relationship from and with partners that could join together with us to make things happen.

That creativity included:

  • Taking 400 pictures of run-down and less-than-well-kept homes in the local community
  • Brought together local anchor organizations in the community to personally get to know one another
  • Worked with state representatives to get a bill introduced in the legislature
  • Gathered people together in front of bank buildings to draw attention to significant thoughts and ideas
  • Sent representatives to Germany and San Francisco to appear and speak at bank shareholders meetings
  • Used the communication talents of individuals to push bank officials hard

Someone said that anyone could have done what Common Ground did. But no one else did. Sometimes all it takes is to do something no one else has the creativity or courage to do.

For Common Ground it meant nearly $2.5 million dollars (and potentially much more) to revitalize a community.

What do you have the creativity and courage to do, that no one else will?

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New News Delivery

Two very familiar things are now missing from our house. For years we had a newspaper delivered every day and received Sports Illustrated in the mail every week. I used to love the newspaper. I would devour it each day to keep up on current events, learn about the world, find a connection to my community, read restaurant reviews, and find out about the local arts scene. I used to love Sports Illustrated. I would devour it each week to read Rick Reilly’s column, search for information about my favorite teams, and read touching stories that went far beyond sports.

But that has all changed.


It’s almost sacrilege not to have a newspaper in our house. I grew up in a household that received both a morning and an afternoon newspaper in the day and age when Milwaukee had both. Our home was filled with magazines. Daily reading was part of the culture of our home. I even have a newspaper collection that includes editions dating all the way back to World War II.

But recently we decided it was no longer worth the expense or the extra paper sitting around because:

  • I was getting angry reading articles and editorials that were so far removed from my own political views
  • There were many days that, because of our busy schedules, the newspaper was never even opened
  • We felt as though it wasn’t good environmental stewardship to keep sending slightly used paper into the recycling bin each and every day
  • Sports Illustrated became a shadow of its former self, and, in my opinion, just not that interesting anymore.

But the main reason we let go of these physical subscriptions is because we could get our world news, local news, and sports news much more quickly and immediately online. On Twitter I can follow news and sports that are more specific to my interests, locality, and persuasion. I see things in online news feeds far before they would ever be published in a newspaper or magazine. Being a Facebook fan of my favorite teams provides up to the minute information on injuries, roster moves, and background stories.

I can always buy a newspaper at the newsstand if there is a significant event that would provide the impetus for me to add to my collection. For instance, I bought a paper the day Osama bin Laden was killed. And if I really want to do the crossword puzzle (which is the one thing I miss about getting the paper) I could cure that need with a quick trip to the store.

The one thing I need to be careful about, however, is insulating and isolating myself from opposing views. Although I got angry at my local newspaper because of the political slant of the coverage, I need to be careful not to stick my head in the sand. I make sure to follow online news outlets that come from a differing view and provide for me thoughts that expand my thinking. But I can pick and choose, and I can read opposing viewpoints in doses that are much more tolerable.

Have you given up on receiving a physical newspaper? What are your thoughts regarding getting all your news online?

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25 Awesome Things About Summer

Hands down, summer is my favorite time of year. I would have no problem whatsoever living in a place where it is summer all year long. No, I would not miss the seasons. No, I would not miss the snow. No, I would not long for cooler days.

I. Love. Summer.

Here are 25 of the reasons why I love summer (in no particular order):

  1. Wearing shorts every day.
  2. Sweating instead of freezing.
  3. The feeling of coming into an air-conditioned building from a hot and humid day.
  4. Mild and still summer nights sitting outside on the patio.
  5. Homemade sweet tea.
  6. Milwaukee Brewers Baseball.
  7. Riding my bike.
  8. No snow to be shoveled or mess up everything in sight.
  9. The July 4th Holiday.
  10. Al fresco dining.
  11. Vacation.
  12. Significantly More daylight.
  13. Driving with the windows down.
  14. A nice clean car.
  15. Fireflies.
  16. My seats underneath Bob Uecker at Miller Park.
  17. Running without bundling up.
  18. A tan head. 😉
  19. Golfing 18 holes all the way until dusk.
  20. Gin and tonic.
  21. Cooking out.
  22. A breeze blowing through the house.
  23. Outdoor U2 concerts.
  24. My wife doesn’t have to work.
  25. Milwaukee is transformed into one of America’s premiere cities (…in the winter you can have it).

What would you add to this list of reasons to love summer?

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“Scoring” Life

When I go to baseball games the first thing I do is stop at the stand right inside the ball park doors and buy a scorecard. I love to score baseball games. It slows the game down (I know, I know…some of you are saying baseball is sloooooow already; well I disagree; it’s a game of skill, strategy, and quick thinking). I enjoy the information it gives me in the later innings of the game. And someday I’m going to have a priceless keepsake when I score a no hitter or a have the chance to record some other momentous record.

In her wonderful autobiographical book, Wait ‘Til Next Year, Doris Kearns Goodwin writes about what a joy it is to score a game. Her father faithfully teaches her how to score a game so she can do so as she listens on the radio. Finally, she has the chance to go to a game at Ebbets Field. It’s one of the highlights of her entire life:

I experienced that night what I have experienced many times since: the absolute pleasure that comes from prolonging the winning feeling by reliving the game, first with the scorebook, then with the wrap-up on radio, and finally, once I learned about printed box scores, with the newspaper accounts the next day. But what I remember most is sitting at Ebbets Field for the first time, with my red scorebook on my lap and my father at my side (p. 51).

“My red scorebook on my lap and my father at my side.” I know you are picturing that in your mind right now. And I know you are feeling it in your heart. Would that we could all feel that way at the end of every day.

What if someone spent a day “scoring” your life? What if there were a booth just inside your front office door, and people could buy a card, sit back, and pencil in the home runs, hits, doubles, triples, and strike outs? It might help to have a spectator watching what you do every now and then. It would be humiliating to record a strike out; but just think how awesome it would be to hit a home run! The person “scoring” your day would get to fill in the whole square.

Even if someone else doesn’t “score” your day, what if you did. What if each “inning”/hour/segment you recorded the “score” by jotting down a home run, hit, double, triple, or strike out? It might:

  • Slow down your day by putting it into manageable increments
  • Provide help in strategizing your next “move,” objective, or goal
  • Give information later in the day to help see where you’ve been, where you are, and where you hope to go
  • …Or maybe even be a keepsake of a momentous day where everything came together for a “big win”

More than that, maybe you could spend your last few minutes at work with your “red scorebook on (your) lap and (your) (F)ather at your side.” You could prolong that winning feeling, re-live the highs and lows of the day, and boost your productivity the following day. Your Father would be sitting there with a grin on His face, and you would be feeling a wonderful sense of accomplishment.

How do you “score” your day? Any insights?

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Commencing into a New Commencement

I’ve attended a great many graduations over the years. I’ve been a parent, a participant, and even a speaker. For some reason graduations make me very emotional. It may be the pomp and ceremony, or, more likely, the marking of one of life’s milestones.

There are many positive things about graduation ceremonies. But maybe it’s time to re-think and update them.

Here are some of the things I’d suggest to someone planning a commencement ceremony in the year 2012 or beyond:

  1. Always have a Communications professor make one of the major speeches. The best speech I heard this weekend at our daughter’s graduation was done by a communications prof. Um, they know how to communicate.
  2. Convince the major graduation speaker to be short-winded. Nobody’s there to hear them…but they could still have a huge impact with a short, properly worded speech.
  3. Let grads tweet their thoughts during the long awarding of diplomas. A screen above the stage could scroll (screened) tweets that would be wildly entertaining during that long drawn out process.
  4. Make it visual. Use screens to display an action photo, piece of art, or some other  work done by each graduate. In this day and age of technology it would be easy to do.
  5. Give the poor faculty something to do other than sit there during the ceremony. Maybe they could escort the top student in their discipline. Perhaps they could read the names of the names of the students they had in class (logistics could be figured out).
  6. Involve parents by letting them interact electronically. Instead of lining up at the end of the stage to take pictures, they could walk across the stage with their child (again logistics could be figured out).
  7. Honor extra-curricular activity. More than letting the choir kids sing and the band play, displays of talent could be made by athletes, theatre students, or forensics club members.

How would you make a commencement ceremony better?

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How to Raise a Daughter

The other day I was at a meeting and mentioned that our daughter is graduating from college this weekend. Someone at the meeting, only half in jest, said, “Can you please tell us how to raise a daughter?” It got a big laugh. But I also saw the seriousness in the eyes of the one who made the request.

I got to thinking that the job has, indeed, been done. My wife, Tammy, and I have raised (past tense) a daughter. I believe that college graduation is the marking of that event.

While I will readily admit I made plenty of mistakes along the way, I am very happy to say that both Tammy and I are very proud of the woman our daughter, Ashlyn, has become. Many of the things we dreamed for, hoped for, and planned for have come to fruition: she has a college degree; she avoided the pitfalls of the teenage and college years; and, more than anything, she is a strong, church-going Christian.

I’m not presumptuous enough to say that I have all the answers, or that I could prescribe the perfect way to raise a daughter. But following are ten things that could very well contribute to successfully raising a daughter:

  1. When she is young, read to her. I have fond memories of reading picture books, short novels, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, and a children’s Bible every night before bed. To this day Ashlyn is an avid reader.
  2. Express your love to her as frequently and often as you possibly can. We had a little ritual every night where I would kiss her on the cheek and say: “You’re the best…little girl…in the world.” She was loved and affirmed.
  3. Strongly encourage, support, and reward good study habits. In our case this definitely took two parents. I have no clue about math. Tammy defers to me in the areas of writing and English. We made sure that we were there to help with homework, prod when necessary, and celebrate good grades (sometimes even monetarily).
  4. Provide extra-curricular creative outlets. From early on Ashlyn had a flair for the dramatic and a desire to be on stage. We sacrificed so that she could spend as much time as she could doing things related to theatre. We took her to auditions. We enrolled her in First Stage Summer Academy. We gave her dance lessons and voice lessons.
  5. Encourage her to pursue what she loves. For some kids theatre is a passing fancy. For Ashlyn it was something she wanted to pursue as a career. We never told her she couldn’t, or put a road block in the way. It was always our philosophy to  encourage her to “do what you love and love what you do.”
  6. Love your spouse. There is no better way for a daughter to see and know what love is than to be assured that her parents love each other.
  7. Compliment her looks, her style, her brain, and her talent. There are enough things in this world that can beat a girl down. Make sure that she feels good about herself by going out of your way to provide compliments and kudos.
  8. Balance firm discipline with age-appropriate latitude. As children are growing up they need boundaries. They will test those boundaries. Those boundaries need to remain firm. When those boundaries are crossed there must be consequences. On the other hand, with age comes more freedom and responsibility. Let out an appropriate amount of slack.
  9. Communicate with her. Tammy and I made it our business to always stay in contact with Ashlyn…know what she was doing and where she was going. We were careful not to be overbearing about it, but just made it a regular part of living together in our family. Once she went to college our good communications continued. I am not ashamed to say that she and I or she and Tammy still speak on the phone nearly every day. We communicate. That’s what parents and daughters do.
  10. Take her to church, bring her up in the church, make church a regular part of every week. When she is a child take her to church and Sunday School every Sunday. When she is in high school make church attendance an expectation, not an option. When she is in college, personally help her find a church home that is suitable to her. This includes praying for her and with her all along the way. Bar none, this is the most important of these ten items.

What items would you add to this list?