Archive for 'Leadership'
Equipping teenagers in kidmin
Posted on 20. Dec, 2011 by Kenny.
One of the most significant forces for kidmin in the local church are teenage volunteers. Every kidmin has them and some highly depend on teens. Although some teenagers lead small groups or have a strong presence from the stage, most fill many valuable roles here and there as helpers, behind the scenes volunteers and on the floor with preschoolers having fun. Teenagers in kidmin are highly valuable because many will be the next generation of volunteers and staff. I’m amazed by how many kid’s pastors I meet who were volunteers in children’s ministry when they were old enough to serve.
Unfortunately, many of these teens get over looked. They’re treated as another warm body that helps us keep our ratios. It’s not that we’re not grateful for them, but they’re treated differently than adult volunteers. I think that’s a shame. Sure, teenagers can be immature and a little undependable, but they have passion, availability and a longevity that could far surpass most adult volunteers. These teenage volunteers need to be equipped. Intentionally.
Well, I’m hoping to do my part with this in a small way. Last month at the Illuminate Conference in Austin, I had about 4 teenagers who serve at my church (Gateway) attend the conference. A few of them had parents who were attending the conference and a handful came on their own. I was totally amazed at their involvement. They paid attention, took notes and really got a lot out of the whole event. It was then that I realized that I should really try to provide something specifically for them. They can attend the conference just like everyone else, but maybe I’ll offer one breakout specifically for teenagers.
So I’m rolling this out in Nashville. A breakout entirely for teenagers who serve in kidmin. Oh, and guess who I have leading this breakout. Jim Wideman. It’s going to rock! Check out the breakout here: Teens in Ministry – Never Too Young!
So, hopefully we’ll have a lot of teenagers at the Nashville event who will get the benefit of a little equipping. Who knows, maybe this is the start of something we’ve not seen a lot of, intentional equipping of teenage volunteers.
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Excuses are lame
Posted on 19. Dec, 2011 by Kenny.
I love to see people overcome opposition. A few months ago I had a survey that I wanted potential new staff to fill out (as part of the interview process). The online form I used for the survey broke. It was not intentional at all, but how staff candidates responded taught me a lot about what they were made of. There were several that I had to track down as they got stuck with the broken survey and did nothing. Others submitted what they could with the broken survey and didn’t worry about what didn’t work. However, there was a select few who overcame this obstacle. One called the company that hosts the survey to find out why it wasn’t working. Others cut and pasted the questions in an email or word doc and submitted their answers that way. Although I didn’t break the survey on purpose, this incident taught me a lot about how people react when faced with an obstacle. Some make excuses and others get creative and push through.
Something else happened last week that totally blew my mind. As you know, I have this little project on the side right now called the Illuminate Project. It was started as a tool to equip children’s ministry in the local church in a major way. It’s a low cost, regional children’s ministry conference designed with the volunteers in mind. The response is exceedingly positive around these events. However, many churches end up not coming, even some who initially set plans to attend. I get to hear a lot of excuses. Excuses like:
- We don’t have the money
- Volunteers don’t want to give up a Saturday
Honestly, those are the two big ones. However, I got a message from a Marie Ray, a Children’s Pastor in Nashville, TN. I randomly met her on a shuttle bus in Chicago after the Kidmin conference and then again in Nashville a few months ago. She got excited about Illuminate and messaged me last week to tell me that she was about to register 50+ volunteers for the conference. I was blown away. Nashville is the only Illuminate location where any church has brought more than 50 volunteers and Marie’s church wasn’t on my radar as a church that was going to bring that many. She went on to tell me that she really didn’t have any conference money, so she threw out the challenge to her volunteers. She told them about the amazing experience she just had in Chicago at Kidmin that cost her hundreds of dollars to attend, yet they could experience a very similar training event (many of the same speakers) for just $17.50 a person (Although Illuminate costs $30 a person, the early bird rate saves you $5 and if you take more than 50, you get a 30% discount). So Marie pitched this vision for them to come to Illuminate and pay their own way. Last I talked to her, she was up to 56. WOW!
So, excuses are lame. With vision and pure determination, anything is possible.
If you’re in the Nashville area and you’re not going to attend Illuminate because of one of the excuses I listed above, maybe you should reconsider.
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The Power of Persuasion: Repetition
Posted on 14. Dec, 2011 by Kenny.
I came across a very interesting article on the role of repetition when it comes to persuasion. Essentially, we have to remember the elements of human nature when hoping to persuade someone to volunteer or some other thing we need. It’s not that people don’t want to do what we’re asking, sometimes they just don’t get it yet. In the case of repetition, it may mean that they need to hear the request 3-4 times before there is a connection in their brain that says, “Hey, I think I want to try that.”
Persuasion can be exhausting. Ever spent an hour on the phone calling through a list of parent trying to get them to volunteer? Of course you have! It takes a lot out of most of us. I think it’s this way because in many ways we feel like we’re selling ourselves. We have a lot invested and to hear a no or not get any answers or call backs is personally difficult. I think that sometimes we give up too early or we don’t ask often enough. People need to see that video a few times or hear two or three different stories of life change before they pony up. Find a way to separate the ask from you personally and do it often. Although they said no six months ago doesn’t mean they’ll say no when asked again.
For repetition to really work (according to research), it’s important to create a brand and be consistant in the way you communicate a need. The familiarity of the brand is what will make people more inclined to say yes. So, when it comes to persuasion, your image/brand is just as important in how/when you ask.
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The Power of Persuasion: Limit the choices
Posted on 12. Dec, 2011 by Kenny.
As much as we love to have the freedom of choice, sometimes it can be our very downfall. I’ve worked with kids long enough that you never ask a group of kids, “what do you want to do?” or “what movie do you want to watch?” Chaos, disappointment and tears always follow such questions. Instead, I ask, “Hey, do you guys want to go to the park or to the pool?” or “Do you want to watch this movie or that movie?”
Studies show that options also have a significant effect on persuasion. Interestingly, the more choices you offer, the less effective you’re going to be in persuading someone to pick something. An intriguing study was done to illustrate how extensive choices can be demotivating. In this study, an upscale store had 24 varieties of jam and anyone who tasted the jam got a voucher to get jam at a discount. Three percent of the tasters purchased jam. However, in another experiment, the store offered 6 flavors for tasting. In this case, 30% o the tasters bought jam. Excessive choice can be demotivating.
I whole-heartedly believe in this principle. I absolutely hate going to the Cheesecake Factory. Their 40 page menu is so frustrating. Obviously, they’ve seen success, but the excessive choice does have a negative affect on me.
In ministry, we naturally have tried to limit choices. In times of recruiting, we used to have a ministry selection card where we had various roles that could be selected for Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School and High School. Each department had 5-8 different roles. So, someone interested in serving “kids” had to choose between 20-30 different roles. Too much. So, we’ve consolidated. We eventually narrowed it down to where we only really have 3-5 roles available in Next Gen. So, someone only needs to pick which of those 3-5 roles they’d like to do and then what age group they’d want to serve in. It’s so much easier to explain and so much easier to get someone ob board.
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The Power of Persuasion: Experience the Evidence
Posted on 08. Dec, 2011 by Kenny.
Here’s another key element of persuasion. People are more likely to believe you if you give them an opportunity to experience evidence that support your claim. A recent study about climate change illustrates this well. People are more likely to believe that global warming is a real issue on a day that is warmer than normal. When asked to give toward climate change initiatives, they tend to give four times more if the day is warmer than normal.
This makes total sense though if you think about it. You can talk about giving to mission projects until you are blue in the face, trying to get people to invest. But until you take someone to see it and experience it, they’ll never connect on a truly personal level.
I remember a few years ago, I was at a church that had pretty neglected facilities for kids. We were only about a year away from a pretty big remodel and a capital campaign for that remodel, but the facilities were absolutely atrocious. The carpet was disgusting, the metal folding chairs were falling apart and the bathroom was grossly insufficient for the number of kids in that room. It seemed that my requests fell on deaf ears… especially since the remodel was coming (although it had already been delayed by 3 years).
So, we changed our tactics. My leadership team requested a meeting with the board to be hosted in that particular room. They sat in the rickety metal chairs, experienced the disgusting carpet and asked all of them to use the bathroom that their sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters have to use.
By the next day, I had all the money I needed to by 150 new chairs, new carpet and they had another bathroom installed… plus I had an administrator who was furious at me for going over his head (but he was primarily responsible for the state of the facilities).
So, if you need to state your case, help your audience experience the evidence to support your argument.
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The Power of Persuasion: Balance Your Argument
Posted on 08. Dec, 2011 by Kenny.
When making an argument for or against something, we obviously need to understand the pros and the cons. Understanding what will happen if people don’t do what you’re askin them to do only helps you in stating your case. However, some people have a tendency to leave the cons out of the argument. There is a self-defense mechanism that causes you to not even go there. We’re afraid that if we even mention the alternative option, we’ll plant a seed and lessen the chances that they’ll side with us. However, this line of thinking is wrong.
Hundreds of studies have shown that when a balanced argument is given where someone shares both the pros and cons of making a decision, people are more likely to side with that argument. Although there is a tendency to leave out the other options, more persuasive people communicate both sides, providing a balanced argument.
Essentially, people aren’t idiots. They know there is usually a downside and you stating it builds trust. The true power of persuasion begins when you paint a picture of reality and convince them that your way is a better way. Not offering a balanced argument can come across even as manipulative.
For more information on this, click here.
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The Power of Persuasion
Posted on 07. Dec, 2011 by Kenny.
I recently came across a couple of articles on being more persuasive. Obviously, this article was probably written for those who are in the sales industry – always looking for a way to seal a deal. Initially, you may think, “What does this have to do with me? I’m a pastor, not a sales person.” That’s where you’d be wrong.
Being persuasive is very important in our roles. Like it or not, we’re all in the sales industry. We’re not selling cars or houses, but ideas, vision and life-changing opportunities. Time and time again, you’ll encounter parents, potential volunteers or even staff who don’t think the way you do. They don’t value what you value and you have an opportunity to convince them to see things your way, jump into serving kids or make some budget adjustments that favor the Children’s Ministry. The more persuasive you are, the more successful you’ll be in many areas. So, I’m starting a smal series on persuasion starting with this post.
Something important to remember is that persuasion is an art. Much of persuasion is subconscious. People may or may not agree with you for reasons they can’t put their finger on or explain. I’m not talking about manipulating people, but you’d be foolish not to take advantage of subconscious cues that may help people hear you out and get on board.
Find Common Ground First
Before trying to convince someone of your way of thinking, find something to agree on first. That agreement has residual effects. When you work from a place of agreement, people will be more likely to agree with you or trust you when you try to persuade them of something else. Address the worldview of the person you’re trying to persuade and make statements that they can agree with. At times, this can create a compelling argument.
Cathy Harwick, one of my children’s pastor’s at Gateway does this really well. I recognized this when we were transitioning volunteers from serving twice a month to serving every week. In the process of convincing existing (or future volunteers) of the need for serving every week, she’s make statements like this:
“You want the very best for your child, right? So do we. Think about this for a second with me. If you had your choice, would you want your child in a room where the volunteers were the same every week or a room where the volunteers were different every week? What do you think is best for your child? It makes sense that we’d want to offer the very best for every kid here at Gateway, right?”
Honestly, I’ve found that it’s just as easy to recruit people to serve every week as it used to be to recruit them to serve twice a month. Maybe I’m better at persuading people, but I do feel that helping future volunteers find agreement first makes it a lot easier to bring them on board.
If you’re interested in more research on this idea, I did find a study showing how this works. Click here to download that paper.
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Vision amnesia
Posted on 29. Nov, 2011 by Kenny.
Is it just me, or have you ever stepped out of the shower and then wonder if you remembered to wash your hair? Sometimes I really can’t remember, so I jump back in again and wash it just in case. Don’t you hate it when you walk into the kitchen and as soon as you get there, you forgot why you went there in the first place. Usually, you don’t remember until you are comfortable on the couch again. We’re not stupid people, we just have an amazing capacity for so many thoughts, ideas and tasks that sometimes things get buried in all of that. Sometimes, the things that get buried are important.
Yesterday I spoke about how we often get so focused on our work that we can’t see the forest from the trees. We lose site of the vision. This happens even more so for those who work for us. Staff and volunteers sometimes see less of the whole picture than we do and sometimes the individual ministry that they’re seeking to fulfill is their big picture. This is why it is so important for ministry leaders to recast the vision on a regular basis. Not only does this keep the vision fresh for us, it gives the rest of the staff a fresh picture of how everyone is working toward a common cause. I don’t have to tell you how easy it is to get mad at another ministry area or staff person because their actions are in conflict with what we’re trying to do. However, in light of the vision, it may just be a simple misunderstanding.
I’ve been on staff where the attitude toward some changes were toxic. The attitude was so rotten because people were more focused on how the change would affect them, not on how the change might help them better achieve a grand vision. This is why vision needs to be recast again an again. As I write this, I embrace my inadequacy in this area. I can’t think of the last time I’ve cast the vision to my staff in a compelling way, which is no wonder why some have a little vision amnesia.
So, this week, think about five or six different ways you can creatively cast vision to your staff, volunteers, manager or whoever runs into you at the grocery store.
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How important is vision?
Posted on 28. Nov, 2011 by Kenny.
I’ve been thinking quite a bit about vision lately. A couple months ago I heard an interesting story. I don’t remember who told it to me, so I can’t confirm it’s validity. However, I was told about a church that was given a significant financial gift. When I say significant, I mean in the multiple millions of dollars. How amazing, right? What a blessing! Unfortunately, it wasn’t for this church. Within a couple of years, the church was defunct, no longer in existence. Why? Because leadership didn’t know what to do with the money and fighting tore the church apart until nothing was left.
I don’t know the details of this particular situation, but if I had to guess, they had a vision problem. Either they didn’t have one, or it wasn’t nearly big enough. At least it wasn’t a million dollar vision. In the case of this church, a lack of vision was fatal.
It seems to me that a ministry with a God-sized vision would know exactly what to do with a gift of any size. That way a substantial gift would immediately be applied toward the vision… no questions asked, right? I believe that God calls us to things that are far bigger than we could ever do just on our own. Maybe that’s because he wants us to truly depend on him… keeping us humble.
I get it though. We’re so busy that we loose track of the vision. We can’t see the forest from the trees. That’s normal and natural. However, I think that it’s healthy for us to take a step back from time to time and refresh ourselves with the God-sized vision he’s called us to. Maybe for you it’s reading back through your journal. For others, it might be enjoying a lunch with fellow staff and dreaming about all the “what ifs” and “what should bes.” These exercises are critical to keeping the vision in front of us.
How clear is your vision? How big is it? Would you know what to do if someone gave you a million bucks tomorrow?
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Book Review: The Checklist Manifesto
Posted on 17. Nov, 2011 by Kenny.
As this year is wrapping up, I’m spending more time than usual looking over all that has been done in 2011. One thing I am proud of is that I’ve read many more books than I have in past years. I truly think this can be attributed to the kindle app on my iPad. Although it has been the busiest year of my life, I’ve made more time to fill my mind with new ideas (as well as a little time to escape). So, in the coming weeks I hope to write a few reviews of the books that have made a difference for me this year).
Over a month ago, I wrote this post about checklists. It was inspired by Sam Luce’s review of the Checklist Manifesto which I had read at his recommendation.
Unlike a lot of other books, as soon as I finished reading it… I had to call someone. I immediately called Sam and spent the better part of an hour on the phone with him discussing the implications of this book on Children’s Ministry. I’ll get to that a little later though.
The premise of this book though is about the importance of checklists. It’s not that we’re stupid and we need checklists, but it’s that because we are often caught up in higher-level thinking that sometimes little things get missed because we’re solving complex problems. Often times these little things that are missed can make the difference of life and death.
Atul Gawande, the author of this book and a surgeon recognized how many other professions where precision and perfection make the difference of life and death utilize checklists. Every pilot follows a series of checklist before flying, before landing and there are checklists for emergencies. Whenever a new situation arises, new checklists are developed and pilots are equipped with the data. Atul wrote about the recent plane crash in the Hudson river a few years back. What helped cause everyone to survive was the crew that worked together and followed the protocol set up for them through checklists. The same was true with the building of massive skyscrapers. Every day’s work is managed by a very complex set of checklists. Without adhering to the checklists, these buildings wouldn’t stand. When’s the last time you’ve heard of a building collapsing on itself? Checklists work.
Atul noticed the lack of checklists in the medical profession. However, he began experimenting with them. Although there are thousands of variables in the operating room where no two operations are the same, a simple checklist was devised and over the course of months and years, thousands of lives were saved from overlooked mistakes and tragic infections. Checklists work!
One of the things discovered is that the use of a checklist improved results with absolutely no addition of skill. It got me thinking, how much more effective could our volunteers be if they had a set of checklists to follow. Although you can’t “checklist” a relationship, you can create a checklist around how often and when a leader engages relationally. We can create classroom checklists and task checklists. So, this book has influenced me and I know that the coming months may see the creation of new checklists in my ministry… and I’m sure I’ll share them with you here. Regardless, I do recommend you pick up this book. Get your own copy right here.
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