Give Thoroughbreds What They Need IF "The Juice is Worth the Squeeze"

"He/She can really produce for us but he/she can be such a pain!"  I hear that cry from leaders on a fairly regular basis as I coach them on dealing with high performance/high maintenance people on their team.  I call these kind of people "thoroughbreds", some of their co-workers call them "nuts" or worse.  I don't remember where I got the metaphor but I've used it for years.

The premise is this (at the risk of offending either some people or some animals depending on who you are referencing with this example): To bring out the best in people you must understand their personality and psychological make-up.  There is something to be learned by the difference between the thoroughbred race horse and the old reliable workhorse.

You can accomplish a lot of good, steady work with a tough workhorse.  The workhorse is bred for just that purpose. Not for speed or show, just good old fashioned strength and endurance to plod along and get the job done.  They will take a lot of hard work and even accept a tough taskmaster without a whole lot of complaining. You can yell at them one minute and then love on them the next and they'll just keep plodding ahead.  However, you'll never see anyone at Churchill Downs hanging a horseshoe shaped floral arrangement around the neck of one of these creatures. 

Then you have the high-strung, high-maintenance thoroughbred.  A horse that requires special care but one that delivers special results.  This horse works equally as hard as the other in what they do best: flying like the wind.  Their performance is what wins accolades and puts the farm on the map (and the prize in the owner's pocket).  However, they are sensitive and require special care, feeding, and training.  They can be expensive to have around but if they win races the payoff can be grand. 

In her article: "Thinking the Way Animals Do", Temple Grandin, an assistant professor of animal science at Colorado State University writes..."Horses with calm placid dispositions are more likely to habituate to rough methods of handling and training compared to flighty, excitable animals. The high-strung, spirited horse may be ruined by rough training methods because he becomes so fearful that he fails to learn, or habituate.
On the other hand, an animal with a calm, nonreactive nervous system will probably habituate to a series of nonpainful forced training procedures, whereas a flighty, high-strung nervous animal may never habituate. Horses who are constantly swishing their tails when there are no flies present and have their heads up are usually fearful horses. In the wild, horses put their heads up to look for danger."  http://tinyurl.com/cdgzgk

By now you've figured out the comparison to our people.  We have some people who are good, solid players who deserve our love and respect because they get the job done to a certain level without a lot of complaining or high maintenance work.  But, if we want our place to really shine at a different level we'll need that other kind of player who, though they require special handling, bring great rewards.

That term "special handling" is the lesson here.  If you are going to have a thoroughbred in your barn don't be naive or grumpy about what is required of you.  They will need more time and attention than the others.  They will constantly be fearful that you don't love, respect, and appreciate them.  They will constantly need your help with their insecurities and paranoia about their status.  You will have to give them more time and carefully think through every interaction.  However, when they run like the wind you can be the BIG WINNER.

Here's the balancing caveat: you have to be sure to constantly calculate the reward versus the investment of time and trouble these players may require.  My friend Dave Santrella calls it the "grief to dollar ratio."  I ask: "is the juice worth the squeeze?"  Either way, only you can determine if there are enough blue ribbons and sweepstakes payoffs to live with the care and training of this kind of team member.  You'll also have to work harder as a leader to keep them from tearing down the barn and running off all your workhorses.

Every hard working farm needs some good workhorses. But, if you aspire to have a farm that gets noticed for major accomplishments, you'll need a thoroughbred or two. Each must be handled differently and you, the leader, have to know the difference and "do the math".

Buck and the Art of the Handwritten Note

It's Sunday afternoon as I write this with Beethoven playing in the background taking me back to a much earlier time. I've just finished writing four hand-written notes, also taking me back to a practice that is now more a part of the past. They were to folks who were kind enough to visit the Sunday School class I teach and one who joined just today.

I was tempted to email them (I had addresses for at least a couple of them). I admit that I really enjoy the efficiency and speed of using internet correspondence plus I'm a much faster typist. But, I felt these notes were important enough that they required ink to paper. So I jotted simple but sincere wishes on personal stationery.

The very act brought to mind a great man I once knew who communicated in this very same way as he cast vision for a whole community. He was the late Buck Mickel, and if you were in anyway involved in the community of Greenville, S.C. prior to the late '90s, you knew him as one of the very "pillars" who "got things done" in that city.

Buck as accurately described in the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame: "retired chairman of Daniel International Corporation and retired vice chairman and president of Fluor Corporation, was respected as a giant in the Greenville community and the world of commerce, but he was an even bigger person when it came to helping others. Friends and acquaintances remember him as a thoughtful and generous person, an outstanding leader, and a willing mentor to those who sought his counsel." (More here: http://tinyurl.com/nxrq42)

This community giant, who with his wife and children played a major role in improving that part of the country, was a master at the art of the handwritten note. I'm a bit of a correspondence "pack rat" and I have many treasured notes from important people in my life in my files. Some of the most special were handwritten notes from Buck.

He wrote them by hand, always in red ink on his own simple personal stationery with his name at the top. Though the address on the envelope was typewritten by his faithful assistant Dottie, the notes were always scrawled in red in his unmistakable script. On one occasion I got two in one day as he had apparently had another thought after the first was sealed so he fired off another.

Former Greenville Mayor Bill Workman who worked with Buck for many years at Fluor Daniel, described these famous notes as Buck's "red bullets". They were sent to countless community leaders (and who knows how far beyond) with Buck's thoughts and observations of things that needed doing or to show appreciation for what had been done. This from a man who took it upon himself to keep a running list of the things that needed to be done in Greenville to make it a better city. If you visit the downtown area of Greenville you'll see the fruit of a lot of these ideas.

Buck "got it" in more ways than we younger leaders could ever hope to understand. That included the simple but effective power of a handwritten note from a person of vision and leadership and what it meant to those he was trying to mentor. Now more than a decade after his death that mode of communication is still a lesson to those of us who knew him.

In this day of Facebook; Twitter; and Blackberry (some would say I'm more than just acquainted with all three) his example reminds us that sometimes nothing says it better than a handwritten note. There's even a book by Margaret Shepherd by the title "The Art of the Handwritten Note." Though I haven't read it, an excerpt does capture that special experience of opening the mailbox to find one of these missives: "When you receive the daily mail do you jump to open the handwritten envelopes first because you can’t wait to see who has written and why? Or do you hold those letters aside to savor and enjoy after you are done sorting your bills and tossing the junk mail? Whatever your approach, you no doubt recognize the importance of the note that comes in a unique envelope with distinct handwriting and possibly a decoration or two. Indeed, in an age when even birthday greetings are sent by e-mail, the personal letter is appreciated more than ever before."

So am I saying that I'm planning to abandon Twitter or Facebook or email (not to mention this blog)? Not a chance. But I am committing to try to recapture the discipline of following the example of my friend Buck Mickel by putting pen to paper when it really counts!

What do you think?

Why Twitter? Leadership and Ministry Folks Who Twitter

I’m getting a ton of questions on why Twitter. You don’t have to be a Twitter subscriber/user to look at what folks are doing on Twitter.

Here are some ministry and leadership types and CCM artists who are Tweating so you can see what kind of things they are sharing.
John Piper on why he's started using Twitter: 

http://ow.ly/aPWv   

http://twitter.com/JohnPiper   

http://twitter.com/shawnthornton  

http://twitter.com/ThomasNelson  

http://twitter.com/InTouch_Stanley  

http://twitter.com/lotecommunity  

http://twitter.com/AndyStanley  

http://twitter.com/gracetoyou  

http://twitter.com/ligonier  

http://twitter.com/CliffBarrows   

http://twitter.com/albertmohler  

http://twitter.com/michaelwsmith  

http://twitter.com/MaxLucado  

http://twitter.com/johncmaxwell  

http://twitter.com/FullerJohn   

http://twitter.com/MichaelHyatt  

http://twitter.com/joeddavis  

http://twitter.com/Gladwell  

http://twitter.com/macpowell   

http://twitter.com/markhallCC  

http://twitter.com/amygrant

If Inspected...Would Our Day Be Blessed?

The prayers of the Puritans have a lot to say to us today! If you've never seen the book "Valley of Vision" by Arthur Bennett, get your hands on a copy. It's a collection of Puritan prayers and it's a great devotional tool.

Now before you think I'm about to start preaching, hang in there. This post starts with a line that is definitely intended as spiritual "food for thought." However, I think it has a practical day to day leadership/life application too.

On page 219 of "Valley" in the midst of a prayer called "Morning Needs" there is a great line that just leaped off the page at me a few Sundays ago: "May I engage in nothing in which I cannot implore they blessing, and in which I cannot invite thy inspection." Whew! That's a high standard for the day. What if we put every action and every interaction up to that standard that Jesus was standing right beside us inspecting our activity? As I reminded myself and my Sunday School class last week: HE IS!

Now, let's apply this to leadership and life. You are bound to have a hero or mentor in your chosen field of endeavor. It may be someone you know or just someone you've read about or seen at a distance but to you they represent the "standard" in what you strive to achieve. Given the opportunity, you'd gladly spend extensive time with them at your side coaching, teaching, and encouraging you from their font of wisdom.

What if you imagined that this hero/mentor was inspecting your interactions and work today, everywhere you went and in every situation you encounter? Stop just a second and imagine that special achiever you admire so much. I'll wait. Got it? Do you see them in your mind's eye? How would you change the way you act and respond if Mr. or Ms. Mentor was watching? How would you alter your actions if you were trying to emulate the good qualities you admire in him or her?

What if they were with you in every meeting and on every phone call? What if you shared your TO DO list for the day and asked their opinion about what to make your top priorities for the day? And what you crossed off the to do list at the end? What about every interaction with each client and co-worker? What would they think about how you responded in a crisis or a challenge?

I suspect we'd all give more thought to each action we take and how we handle it if we measured it against the yardstick of those we hold in high regard as the model of great performance. I'm not suggesting we not be ourselves or trade our unique personal style in for a carbon copy of someone else. But the way we get ahead in life is to learn from the good qualities of others and model those.

So, who will you be taking to work with YOU today? Or on the golf course; or at home with the family? It's an interesting exercise to think about. By the way, (Warning: I'm going back to preaching now!) believers in Christ DO have the ultimate model to carry along with us. And best of all it's not just our imagination. He's here and he HELPS!

John 15:5 says: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

Decisions

Everything we do flows from a decision we make. Though we sometimes fool ourselves into thinking we just won’t make a decision on the question at hand…in reality, we just did. We decided not to decide. And that, in itself, is a decision. And that decision not to decide can cause other people to make their own decisions in ways that can alter the options we had when we decided not to decide. Everything we do flows from a decision we make.

Sometimes we blame things on fate, coincidence, or happenstance that ultimately were a product of decisions we made. Why do I weigh too much? Did I accidentally consume all those bags of Doritos? Was it coincidence or just my lot in life that I never stepped on a treadmill or rode a bicycle? Isn’t it odd that some of us are plagued repeatedly by things that make us late? For some reason outside forces line up in the cosmos every morning to make me late to work. Is that a fact?

Is it possible that I DECIDED to hit the snooze button two or three times? Is it possible that I DECIDED to linger over that second cup of coffee? Can it be that last night I DECIDED to stay up late to watch that TV show. Can it be that I DECIDED to open the Doritos or avoid the gym? Everything we do flows from a decision we make.

Notice I didn’t say everything that HAPPENS to us flows from a decision we make. Of course, unfortunate things beyond our control but within the sovereignty of God occur, independent of a direct decision we made. The car that comes from nowhere and broadsides ours in the intersection is proof that we can be victims of someone else’s careless decision making.

However, regardless of the physical circumstances in life, how we respond to events out of our control and even tragic in nature comes back to our own decision. Jewish psychologist Victor Frank was abused, tortured, and lost his family in the concentration camps at the hands of the Nazi's. Yet he wrote in his book "Man's Search for Meaning":
"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms --- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." Even in the midst of being victimized, we can still decide.

So, what’s the point? Some of us spend more time deciding which club to use on the 18th fairway, or which show to watch on our TIVO, than we do pausing and considering the decisions that have impact for years, decades, a lifetime, even eternity. This illusion of small, misplaced choices and decisions is insidious. Because each one seems so minor we miss the “compounding” nature of each choice until one day our “account” is flush with the sad results of all the poor decisions plus interest!

So what will it be? Are you and I going to drive or give someone else the wheel? Jelly doughnuts or the treadmill…which is it? Are we going to choose whether to waste our time, talents, and influence or invest them? And what about eternity? In Joshua 24:15 Joshua says to the people: “…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Regardless of which way we go, everything we DO flows from a DECISION. The question is not WILL we decide but HOW WILL we decide?

Sunday May 24th we'll talk about "Something to Decide" in Sunday School at First Baptist Woodstock (Building B room 110) at 8:10 a.m. Join us!

Paying the Price for Not Paying Attention

As we learn more from the voice recorder of doomed Continental Connection Flight 3407, (operated by regional carrier Colgan Air) which crashed near Buffalo, the headline of a Wall Street Journal story says it all: “Colgan Air Transcript Shows Lack Of Crew Discipline” The voice recorder reveals casual chit chat between the pilot and first officer. Something that is expressly forbidden for pilots flying under 10,000 feet. The chatter is a mixture of personal conversation including the co-pilot musing about her indecision about her future and comments about the icing they were seeing and her lack of experience with it.

Now we’re hearing that the pilot had not been “hands on” trained in some methods necessary to deal with the conditions presented by the stall of the plane. There is talk that the co-pilot was too exhausted to fly but didn’t tell her employers. The personal conversation (characterized by some as “flirty”), lack of training, and lack of proper rest before flight all point to failure to follow procedures and, in the end, a lack of discipline and alertness that cost them and their passengers dearly. I feel for their families and those of the passengers as this information becomes public.

What a contrast to Captain “Sully” and the Miracle on the Hudson (see blog story on this here)! Sully was meticulously trained and disciplined and did everything “by the book.” More importantly, he was paying attention. He paid attention when he was spending years in gaining the proper training and flight experience. He had paid attention to the landscape and geography of the Hudson so that on a moment’s notice he could find a place to safely put down his damaged plane. More importantly, while flying his plane, He was paying attention when it was damaged and acted swiftly and decisively.
His alertness and attention saved his life and the lives of his passengers. The Colgan crew’s lack of discipline and attention had the tragic, opposite outcome.

What’s the message for leaders? We may not be in “life or death” situations like pilots or doctors. But, the future of organizations and people are impacted by whether or not we are alert or asleep when problems come. And problems always come (John 16:33). Coach John Wooden, leader of the legendary UCLA basketball legacy made “alertness” one of the key elements of his “Pyramid of Success”. He says: “Alertness is a potent weapon for a leader --- a great attribute. An alert leader creates an organization filled with people who pay attention, are open-minded, and strive always for improvement.”

He continues: “Consequently, they see what others aren’t’ even looking for. They are quick to see weaknesses in their organization and correct them and quick to see a weakness in the competition and take advantage of it.” Finally, he bluntly states: “A leader who is sluggish in recognizing what’s going on may soon be out of a job.”*

I don’t know about you, but one of my greatest concerns is missing something and robbing myself of the opportunity to act in a timely fashion. With nine radio markets to oversee it can be a challenge to “know the condition of your flocks” but I strive every day to “pay attention” so I won’t later “pay the price” of a lack of alertness. How ‘bout you?

* Wooden on Leadership pp. 34-35 (McGraw-Hill)

The Truth About John Maxwell (Tongue Firmly In Cheek)

On The Speed of Change in Technology

"Technology is much like the dishes and the laundry; when you think you've caught up, you BLINK and you're behind again." - Allen Power

The 80/20 Rule and Sales Management: Did Pareto Have it Right?

Yesterday I posed the question: If the 80/20 rule is true (80% of revenue from 20% of your sellers & clients) how should a GSM focus time & energy?

John Maxwell summarizes the concept: "The greatest time management tool I ever learned came from the 19th century economist Vilfredo Pareto. The Pareto Principle (which I quote a LOT) states that if we devote our energy, time, and resources to the top 20% of our priorities, we’ll achieve 80% of the results we desire. Use your time log to clarify which activities are important to you. Then focus your schedule on the top 20%."

From the responses so far, you’ll see some excellent discussion and feedback.  It's not too late for others to weigh in via the comments link below.

One Manager Responded: Managers should spend 80% of their time not only with their highest performers but with the 20% of clients who represent 80% of their revenue.

Another posed the question: Or should sales managers spend time with the 80%, that have promise to move into the 20%?

Another dissents somewhat: The key qualifier is “if the 80/20 rule applies” I would say NO! If 80% of your revenue is coming from 20% of your sellers the greatest upside comes from the 80% who are under performing.

Another: Spend the bulk of your time where the money is. (duh!) Part 2: When working with your sales team, neglect is never a good strategy. Most "top performers" weren't when they began their sales career.  Somebody recognized that they had talent and mentored them so that they could become top performers (think John Wooden).

The best sales managers are those who intuitively know who will respond to a teaching opportunity and when to seize the moment and develop a strategy for success.  This is not measured with a clock, but by the value of the trust developed between the seller and the GSM.

Another affirmed that TRUST comment and said: Sellers respond and mimic the habits of good sales leaders.  You can coach and preach all you want, but if you are not in the field, experiencing the real challenges of the street fights that are taking place out there, learning will be hindered.

Another: I think we should be spending 80% or our time teaching our sellers to apply this rule with their accounts.  Today it is all about growth year-to-year.  Up, down, or flat is the question.  The sellers bringing the least can be the ones that provide the biggest upside in growth with good direction and training. I need to better spend 80% of my time teaching spend 80% of their time working on key and target accounts.

Another: The real key, I believe, is to customize your approach for each seller in order to get the best performance possible from each individual. Coaching should be geared to the individual’s personality, organizational abilities, negotiation skills, presentation talents, etc.

Drilling Down & Adding Value

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

The scripture paints a stunning picture of two hard surfaces coming together. Tough enough to cut through but still malleable enough to be honed and sharpened for more effectiveness. It's not a "soft" process. There's friction; heat; pressure all working for the greater good of bringing about a sharper edge that has been dulled by repetitive use.

Over the years I've had the privilege to work for some remarkable people who have added tremendous value to my life and growth as a leader. I've also worked for a couple of "negative examples" from whom I learned how NOT to lead...that's another blog. Today, I want to focus on what I've gleaned from those "iron sharpeners" who have added the needed pressure and expertise to make me better.

Thankfully, I'm working for three such men in my current job who each have done some serious honing as I've reported to them. Each of the three bring decades of knowledge, wisdom, and experience to the process. However, their styles and personalities are very different. There's a mix of focused intensity; persistent curiosity; reasonable autonomy; dry wit; and lots of healthy skepticism. That healthy skepticism is what I want to focus on today. These men know how to ask the tough questions. Socrates had nothing on them!

Though the questions they ask are specific to the subject being reviewed, I have seen some themes emerge that can be useful not only to me but to any leader who wants to "drill down" and add value.

Drilling Down ("Que est Veritas" - What is truth?)
As any good leader should, each of these men start by seeking the facts. When poring through financial data and operational facts one of them will literally say from time to time: "We're just trying to get to truth." Hence my quote in Latin above. Though they don't ask in the exact verbiage below, here are the themes I've seen emerge:

1. Tell me more…specifically - They peel the layers of the onion by asking more questions and seeking specifics until they are satisfied they have found the "core" issues and facts. This is challenging whether or not you've turned over every rock.
   
2. How do you know it is the truth? Remember: “We just need to find truth.” Have you verified the facts? Colin Powell once said: "Never believe the first thing you hear." I would add: "Or what you heard from the last person who gave you their side of the story." Here these men challenge the accuracy of your information.
3. How did you come to that conclusion? - Can you defend what you attest? Are you firm in your convictions? If so, what led you there? They challenge your thought process.

Adding Value

If there were only questions and challenges this would be nothing but an intellectual exercise in debate. Here is where years of wisdom and distance from the problem combine to help you solve the problems.

1. They will ALWAYS ask you something you had not prepared for. Deal with it! Though I subscribe to the 5 "Ps" of "Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance"; the fact is you are always so close to the problem that the proverbial "forest and trees" phenomenon kicks in. Distance from the problem breeds fresh ideas and approaches.
2. They will generally suggest an idea or a twist to your idea that hadn't occurred to you. This is where years of wisdom from their own experiences brings value to the problem. Only time (and past mistakes) can provide this. Years of experience and hard lessons breeds a different perspective.
3. They will ask "why not?" These are questions that lead you from "we can't" to "how can we?"
   

My summary goes back to a term I used above: "healthy skepticism".

The Take Away:

• When approaching a problem with your people ask the questions above in various ways.
• Make it a disciplined part of your routine (print this out and have it handy before that next meeting).
• Don't get so excited about your questioning that you fail to allow for that "reasonable autonomy" I mentioned. Be Socrates not Stalin!
  
• Always think: "Drill Down" and "Add Value"

Salespeople Manning The Front Desk?

From Tom Taylor's newsletter...
In at least one market, Cumulus is assigning salespeople to cover the front desk.

Why? They apparently laid off the front desk/phone wrangler last month as a cost-saving move. This is happening in a top 40 market, by the way – AEs being asked to handle specific hours on the incoming phones. They’re told not to make their own sales calls or do their weekly reports while they’re on the front lines. Also to please make a good first impression for the callers. That might be a bit hard if you’re obsessed with making quota. By the way – I’m hearing more about the mandatory “five-day furlough” requirement that’s effective companywide for these last two months of the second quarter. It doesn’t apply to salespeople. Or to management. Cumulus apparently told the managers-only call Wednesday morning that they’re looking for market execs who can follow orders from Atlanta and execute the company plan without further commentary.

In Tough Times MORE & More OPEN Communication

This week's Business Week.com had a feature on motivating your team in tough times. They asked Twittering workers to "tweet" things that their employers were doing to keep them motivated in these difficult days.

The one shown here grabbed my attention in light of a conversation I had with Chuck Gratner our GM in Pittsburgh today. Chuck was commenting positively on the recent secure video messages released to our employees by CEO Edward Atsinger and to the radio division by President Joe Davis regarding the current business climate and how our company is dealing with it both in the just ended Q1 and going forward.

We both agreed that these messages were helpful in both the style of delivery and the frank, open nature of the content. The use of video was much stronger than a written memo because it is the next best thing to being in the room with the speaker conveying tone of voice, facial expression, humor, and sincere appreciation. Chuck conveyed that he hoped this kind of frequent periodic communication would continue because of the good it does for employees.

Many times both one on one and in group settings I have coached leaders to err on the side of communicating as openly and often as they can. There are always times when leaders must be more circumspect for the good of the organization or even for legal reasons. However, straightforward transparent communication helps to build a strong bridge of trust with the people we lead.

It's more important than ever in times of crisis and uncertainty. Human nature being what it is, silence will always be filled with something. We all "fill in the blanks" and usually with our speculation on what the "worst case" is. It's a natural defense mechanism to cope with the uncertainty and prepare for "the worst." As leaders, we need to show confidence and transparency.

Here's the "TAKE AWAY":

1. The more troubled the circumstance the more frequent and open the communication to the team should be
2. This is not a recommendation for "happy talk"! People are too smart for it...they can see how bad things are and are already imaging things that may even be worse than reality. If you don't acknowledge it they'll think the emperor has "no clothes". Shoot it as straight as possible within the bounds of corporate disclosure limits
3. In the same breath as you tell it like it IS, convey WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT with confidence. Even if all the details are not fleshed out, say so but strongly commit that WE WILL FIND A WAY
4. While you MUST convey confidence, don't "write a check you can't cash" and promise things you can't deliver

Theodore Hesburgh former President of Notre Dame said it well, “The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet.”

In crisis communication MORE is MORE!

Wooden on Leadership

In May the leadership group in my region will be going through the book Wooden On Leadership. To whet their and my appetite (and yours too!) here is a quote from the Coach and a couple of great links to learn more about this remarkable leader!

Coach Wooden says: "Success is a peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."

This from the man who said..."Make every day YOUR MASTERPIECE!"

His site: www.coachwooden.com
His Success Pyramid (Printable): http://www.coachwooden.com/pyramidpdf.pdf

Intimidating Words from Oswald Chambers this Morning!

O.C. writes: "Are you prepared to surrender totally and let go? The true test of abandonment or surrender is in refusing to say, "Well, what about this?"

"Abandonment means to refuse yourself the luxury of asking any questions. If you totally abandon yourself to God, He immediately says to you, "I will give your life to you as a prize...(Jer. 45:5)"

"If you are not there it is either because of disobedience in your life or your refusal to be simple enough."

Whew! Strong stuff this early in the morning.

Facebook and Twitter as a Metaphor for Prayer?

Marty Benton, a great Sunday School teacher at First Baptist Woodstock said something in a Sunday School teacher training the other day that caught my ear. It isn't a direct quote but the essence was that the current young generation measures things from "conversation to conversation" and how we have to be sensitive to that in sharing our faith with them. I took note and moved on then this morning that thought connected with another as I silently uttered a quick prayer for my kids and their day at school.

If you want to understand this conversation to conversation phenomenon just sign up for Facebook or start "tweeting" on Twitter. The Twitter limit is 140 characters...which can be a challenge to the natural verbosity of some of us. This whole idea of microblogging and conversation to conversation reminds me of a comment I've been told the great Charles Haddon Spurgeon made about his prayer life: "I seldom pray for more than five minutes, and I seldom go for more than five minutes without praying." He also said: "...True prayer is measured by weight,-not by length. A single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length."

Now, clearly our Lord modeled praying at length. Luke 6:12 tells us “ Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” (NKJV). We need sustained time of prayer and praise. But, when we all catch ourselves saying we can’t find the time to pray, I’m convicted by the thought that I CAN find time to Twitter or Facebook!

Unlike social networking, with God we don't have to update our status or Twitter what we doing because he already knows it. But what about a quick “micro prayer” in between our extended conversations with him to ask for strength; or wisdom; or patience; or just to worship Him? Brother Lawrence taught us in “Practicing the Presence of God”: "There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful, than that of a continual conversation with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it.”

So, if we can TWEET we can pray! Not INSTEAD of extended times of prayer but IN BETWEEN them as we “pray without ceasing” (1 Thes. 5:17) living from “conversation to conversation” with our Heavenly Father.

Smile & Move™ | Positive attitude, positive action

From the bestselling author of 212° the extra degree®, Smile & Move is a call to positive action... to be happy and do something... a reminder of how we should approach our work (whether that work is done in the office, on the field, in the classroom or at home).

It's about mattering to the world, all with a smile.

We hope the message serves you and those around you well.

SMILE
Be happy.

• Wake up.

  Show others you care by giving attention to their needs. More

• Be thankful.

  The opportunity to serve is a gift... not an entitlement. More

• Be approachable.

  We're at each other's service, and contact is where it starts. More

• Complain less.

  We've got work to do. More

• Smile. Really.

  It's where pleasantness begins. More

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Please, Pay Attention - WSJ.com

Is life indeed the "sum of what you focus on"? Especially in this 'multi-tasking' age?

The Wall Street Journal's review of the book 'Rapt' says: "Rapt" is a fascinating discussion of how consciousness works, and Ms. Gallagher offers much helpful advice on how to lead a "focused life." We should remember, though, that there is a realm where the mind functions not only beyond the reach of chirruping cellphones, BlackBerrys and laptops but also beneath our own awareness."

Read the review...what do YOU think?

Please, Pay Attention - WSJ.com

Talk of old radio stuff in response to a Facebook status I posted caused me to snap this pic of a shelf here in my study. The RCA DX77 mic was a gift from the owners of WESC when they sold the station. It was still somehwhat in use in 1976 when I started there. Note the green KOSS headphones circa 1976 as well. The old radio belonged to Susan's grandparents...we actually saw the same model at the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

What Leaders Can Learn From The Miracle on The Hudson

I posted this in January on Facebook (reposting on the new blog)

Here's something I'm sharing with my GMs and GSMs this morning on our monthly conference call:

What Can Leaders Learn From The Miracle on the Hudson?
Allen Power

It was indisputably a miracle of God! Hence the “tag line” everyone is using. This reminds us that a loving and sovereign God can orchestrate events and give us power that is beyond anything human beings can claim credit for.

It gave us some good news and satisfied the instinctively American need for a hero.
As leaders we don’t have to be a hero, but we should strive for leadership that people can point to as positively impacting them particularly in tough times. As Fred Smith said: “Heroes don’t have to be famous, they just have to be heroes.”

It reinforced the importance of training and preparation. The old saying is “luck is where opportunity meets preparation.” Just substitute “crisis” for “opportunity” in this case. Hours of disciplined training and scenario rehearsals led to the “happy ending” we all witnessed.

It reminds us that true leaders have humility. Basically “Sully” and the crew have laid low and taken the “I was just doing my job” attitude. Refreshing. I’m paraphrasing here because they haven’t talked much, but it feels as if they are saying: “Wasn’t safely landing a plane under the worst conditions the whole point? Anyone can fly on auto-pilot!”

It reminds us of the importance of quick, decisive action. We’re talking seconds to figure out what to do and then DO it. No hand wringing here. Looking at the transcripts of the flight recorder is pretty telling. It didn’t sound like anyone was “freaking out”.

It reminds us of the critical leadership qualities of a cool head and a steady hand. That kind of focus under pressure comes from the formula of : Knowing WHAT to do + knowing YOU CAN do it + knowing WHO YOU ARE.

It reminds us that there is no substitute for battle experience and “time in the cockpit”.

It reminds us that what we might think of as “little things” (geese) can destroy our plans and endanger our journey if enough of them hit at the same time.

It reminds us that life isn’t fair or predictable and sometimes “both engines get hit” and how we respond determines whether we and the people we lead survive.

Finally, the “Miracle on the Hudson” also gave us some badly needed perspective: When those 155 people…got off the plane I can guarantee you they weren’t asking how the stock market was doing! Life is bigger than the crisis you are presently in…more importantly God is bigger than all of it and is looking for a few “Sullys” to be his hands and feet in leading people through critical and dangerous times!

The Resilient Leader

Being A Resilient Leader During Times of Change
Power Region Leadership Development Group
February 14, 2008

Uncertainty & Change

• Paradigm Shifts
• Economic Woes
• Restructuring
• Layoffs
• Divestitures
• Management Changes
• New Technology

Why I Chose This Topic
Uncertainty & Changes MAGNIFY Insecurity
“How will this affect the psyche of my people?”
A conversation with my Pastor on leadership training
From “Managing at the Speed of Change” By Daryl Conner:

• Future Shock syndrome
• Too much change in a short amount of time makes people cave in. High stress results in ulcers, conflict, and sometimes, even suicide.
• Future shock is that point when humans can no longer assimilate change without displaying dysfunctional behavior.
• Symptoms:
• Irritation
• Distraction from work
• Poor communication
• Reduced trust
• Defensive and blameful behavior
• Poor decision-making
• Conflict with co-workers
• Decreased team effectiveness
• Inappropriate outbursts at the office
• Venting job frustration at home
• Low morale
• From “Managing at the Speed of Change” By Daryl Conner:
• Key wisdom in a nutshell:
• To prosper, remain competitive, or simply survive, leaders need to respond to a growing number of profound changes in how they govern countries, structure companies, conduct business, treat employees, and deal with customers.
• The main ingredient of success is the ability resilient people have to understand and use to their advantage the principles underlying basic human patterns that operate during change.
• People who demonstrate resilient characteristics most often prosper during disruption and disorder. They regain equilibrium faster, maintain a higher level of productivity and efficiency, preserve their emotional and physical health, and achieve more of their objectives than people who experience future shock.
• “Human beings are like tea bags. You don’t know your own strength until you get into hot water.”

Discussion Question:
What Are Some Ways We Can Deal With Uncertain Days?
From “Managing at the Speed of Change” By Daryl Conner:

• Resilient people or type O’s…
• Display a sense of security and self-assurance
• Have a clear vision of what they want to achieve
• Demonstrate a special pliability when responding to uncertainty
• Develop structured approaches to managing ambiguity
• Engage change rather than defend against it
• Last word: Resilient people are positive, focused, flexible, organized, and proactive

My Own Tips…

• Attack Insecurity with Information!
• Communicate Both Upward and Downward
• Don’t “Fill in the Blanks” – Ask Questions
• Don’t “Leave Blanks that Can Be Filled In” – Anticipate Questions
• Think about how what you communicate can/will be interpreted
• Remember the verbal AND the NON-VERBAL
• Attack Anxiety with ACTION!
• The old saying: “Stop stewing and start DOING!”
• Don’t solve problems you don’t have.
• It’s a valuable trait to “think ahead” and plan for contingencies.
• Like any good thing you can take it to an extreme.
• Attack Uncertainty with Attitude
• Leaders have a responsibility to CHOOSE our attitude strategically
• Attack Automatic Thoughts with Autonomy OVER your Thoughts
• Check out the book: The 4:8 Principle – By Tommy Newberry (Based on Phil 4:8)
• The one thing over which you have complete control: your thoughts
• Attack Fear with Faith
• During uncertainty we seek to CONTROL
• We should control what we can…but,
• Some things are out of our CONTROL
• That’s where the FAITH COMPONENT of life is so important!