Yearly Archives: 2013

Wisdom from the ant and other unlikely sources

I sometimes regard myself as a “wisdom junkie”. I try to pickup principles and insights in all kinds of circumstances and situations. I pray often for God to give me wisdom for the matters which He brings across my plate. So when I come across a Scripture that calls attention to things that are “exceedingly wise”, I take special note. Proverbs 30:24-28 describes four things in this way; here’s a rundown, plus my top takeaway from each.

  1. Ants who gather food in summer – Planning in times of plenty will pay off in times of lack.
  2. Badgers who make their homes in rocks – Choose your base of operations wisely; it will protect you from challenges in the future.
  3. Locusts go out in ranks, with no leader – A crowd of wise people can organize itself around a goal, even without someone being in charge.
  4. Lizard can be caught by the hand, but makes it’s home in king’s palaces – Even if something is a weakness, you can use it to your advantage and engage it as a strength, as the lizard does with his size.
I could delve deeper into each of these principles another time, but if you’re interested, here’s a quick suggestion I wrote for a new way to try planning for a coming season. To learn from the ant, try this exercise with a focus on resources. What resources are you currently enjoying plenty, that you should potentially prepare for a season to come when they may not be available? Money, staff, volunteers, etc. – all could change in the future. How should you plan to be ready if they did?

Achieve greater effectiveness through Orchestration

I have been to a number of concerts with my wife, ranging from orchestra to single performers. Some shows have been off the charts amazing. In my opinion, the thing that makes shows this impressive is what I call orchestration. To orchestrate, according to dictionary.com, is to arrange or manipulate, especially by means of clever or thorough planning or maneuvering. I believe we can benefit from this idea of orchestration, as thorough planning, for our own events – musical or otherwise – and even in planning meetings.

Learn about the power of orchestration

Orchestration Tips for Impact

For some things, this level of planning is not necessary; if your goal is to achieve impact though, it’s worth it. Orchestration is thinking through the event or activity from beginning to end, and planning for each piece, for each moment, for each step in the process, thinking in such a way that steps blend so well together you create a thing of beauty. Here are a few application points you can take from a real orchestra:

  • It is the responsibility of the conductor to guide the orchestra through a piece from beginning to end and to keep all players in sync. The team leader, or a designee, should be doing the same, guiding the team through execution toward the goal.
  • An orchestra is generally guided by sheet music for the particular piece they are playing. A written plan with notes for every player will go far to help achieve a higher level of execution. Do the words “getting everyone on the same page” sound familiar?
  • Just as there are a variety of instruments in the orchestra, there are a variety of people on your team with a variety of skills and resources. Design your activity such that each player can perform to their best.
  • Practice! Work through things in advance; it will increase every player’s capacity to carry out their role in sync with other players. Also, in my world, many events repeat from one year to the next or multiple times per year. I consider each time I do the event as additional practice for the following year. In my debrief following the event, I take notes on what I can do better. Then I build that into my plan for the future.
As I mentioned above, I believe this kind of effort can go into events, parties, and even meetings. I only have a few times per year to do strategic planning with my larger team. My goal is to have those moments leave an impact that will keep the team energized and focused for the next season. What about you? Are there any areas in your world you could add orchestration to produce a higher-caliber experience?

Tips for Dealing with Confusion

strategies for dealing with confusionI was praying with a young man recently, who admitted that he was dealing with confusion about a number of things going on for himself and his family.

Boy, if I could count the number of times that I’ve been there. It’s the scratch your head kind of confusion that leaves you going in circles. I want to walk the plan the way God intended it, but it still seems like there are multiple choices and I’m unsure which way He wants me to go. Two significant seasons come to mind for me here:

  1. I was in college and really wanted to travel the career path God had for me. One strong marketplace option was on the table, but my heart was really feeling pulled toward ministry. I’m thinking, if I’m feeling pulled toward ministry, of course that must be God. But the other is a definite job offer, while ministry is a complete unknown. Hmmm…
  2. More recently, as I’ve moved into new levels of responsibility in my current organization, I’m finding there are rarely black or white decisions. It’s no longer as simple as: 2+2=4, therefore the wise choice is XYZ. I can’t think the problem toward a solution. It takes praying while making a decision, and then trusting God to guide your steps. Often, the proof that it was the right call may take months or even years to be confirmed.

Confusion Tips

Here’s what I’ve found as my strategy when I get in seasons of confusion like this, where I am lacking clarity:
  1. Recognize that God wants to make His purposes and direction clear in my life. Exodus 13 shares how God led the Israelites via a cloud by day and fire by night; every day they made a choice to move in a direction or stay put, based on His daily leading. I pray that I can follow Him that closely. James 1:5 tells us that God wants to give wisdom, all we have to do is ask. John 10 reminds us that God’s sheep will know His voice. I reflect on these Scriptures and pray over the areas I’m navigating.
  2. Brain dump. Sometimes the confusion is because I’m turning circles in my head. Whether it’s journaling or just downloading the projects and tasks to paper, moving the confusion out of my brain always has a way of generating clarity for me. I don’t try to organize as I write, but as I write, organization happens.
  3. Use peace as my guide. Isaiah 26:3 promises that “[He] will keep in perfect peace all who trust in [Him], all whose thoughts are fixed on [Him].” Once I’ve considered my alternatives, which one gives me a deep seated peace?
  4. Seek counsel. Proverbs 15:22 reminds us that receiving advice will help us succeed.
  5. Make a decision. Trusting God’s voice in my life and the wisdom He has placed inside of me through the Holy Spirit, the time comes to make a decision. Often, making the first decision acts as the first step to get me moving in the right direction.

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