An interesting list of measurements for success has been circulating from, I think Backyard Ministries. I've picked it up on both Eddie Arthur's Kouya Chronicle and the Unite site. Journeyman has also posted a couple of items in June, linked to this theme of measuring success.
I find lists like these both helpful and unhelpful at the same time. Helpful in as much as there are usually actions/activities listed that aid the thought process, make you ponder. They can however, all too easily become 'wish lists' to add to the 'let's try this new idea to be seen to be doing something this year/month/week' list.
The real issue in all of this stuff is measurement... Over 30 years in business management has shown me that you measure what is meaningful, meaningful is hard, quantifiable stuff like numbers... how many in how much time; the finite stuff.
The problem that arises for us as Christians and church is that we have no handle on the 'how many and how much time'...
The task is all the world, how many is that..? We also don't have a fix on the time period we have to complete the task in... So, we start to judge what the hard stuff is we should measure... from cigarette butts in the car park to number of souls saved this week ... hmm.
We measure hard stuff because most of us relate to the models that we know... business for the vast majority of us, because that's where we work, and therefore what we know. But the model doesn't work very well when the measurements are really about character, personal growth, christian communities, care and justice in the places where we do life and the people we do life with. These measurements are about the mundane day-to-day stuff of doing life. They are about momentum and prayer for God to be in that momentum. They are about listening to what the Holy Spirit is saying and guiding us to, personally and as church. They are about asking what you/your church can do for God and not what God can do for you... (a cliche I know, but a truth none the less).
So, the beginnings of a list of these measurables might look like:
How can I get better at my conversations about Jesus/church with the people I do life with in the workplace?
Measured by... I'll know I'm getting better at it when more people listen to me/don't run away from me...
How can I get better at being involved in the care/social stuff in my community?
Measured by... I'll know when I am getting better at it when I am actually involved actively and contributing (as opposed to talking about being involved)...
And so on...
Who knows we may be so caught up in God's momentum for us and listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and doing this stuff... to have time to measure the positive contribution we are making... or obsess about it.
Monday, 23 June 2008
Monday, 2 June 2008
Cut out for the job part II
Following up on the previous blog...
The exit interview went really well, far better than I expected.
There was a genuine sense of relief, of a massive weight being lifted from the guys' shoulders.
Having covered all of the points and questions on a fairly unimaginative Exit Interview form; where the emphasis is skewed more to protecting the company's HR and training processes and ensuring that CYA(cover your ar**) is in place for our ever growing litigious employment culture in the UK. I took the opportunity to explore how he had gotten into sales and where he felt he would look to develop his career now. It turns out that his dad and older brother are both very successful in sales and that it was more than expected that he would follow in their footsteps... where have I heard that before... doctors, lawyers follow on in the family tradition. Massive pressure, an awful way to treat your offspring. And he just can't do it... it's been screwing him up for all of that time, and finally he is free because someone has actually bother to care enough to tell him. His skill set makes him well suited to face to face customer relations, helping people resolve issues and problem resolution, all associated with sales skills but without the pressure of closing deals to deadlines and target achievement. He is going to take a break with a holiday in Greece coming up and look at a career in this field, away from B2B capital goods... probably more retail focussed. I've offered to help him put his CV together to reflect where his skill set can be of real benefit to prospective employers if he wants.
Always a sting in the tail though... not from the interview but just another manager's reaction to the time I took on the exit interview itself.
'You were a long time in the meeting room with James, I thought it was an exit interview?'
'It was'
'Only takes me 15 minutes to do them'
'Don't you think it's your job to help them, counsel them if they need it?'
'Nah, just get 'em out the door mate, and move on'
Mind you probably explains why he has a staff attrition rate of almost 50% in his team... hmm.
The exit interview went really well, far better than I expected.
There was a genuine sense of relief, of a massive weight being lifted from the guys' shoulders.
Having covered all of the points and questions on a fairly unimaginative Exit Interview form; where the emphasis is skewed more to protecting the company's HR and training processes and ensuring that CYA(cover your ar**) is in place for our ever growing litigious employment culture in the UK. I took the opportunity to explore how he had gotten into sales and where he felt he would look to develop his career now. It turns out that his dad and older brother are both very successful in sales and that it was more than expected that he would follow in their footsteps... where have I heard that before... doctors, lawyers follow on in the family tradition. Massive pressure, an awful way to treat your offspring. And he just can't do it... it's been screwing him up for all of that time, and finally he is free because someone has actually bother to care enough to tell him. His skill set makes him well suited to face to face customer relations, helping people resolve issues and problem resolution, all associated with sales skills but without the pressure of closing deals to deadlines and target achievement. He is going to take a break with a holiday in Greece coming up and look at a career in this field, away from B2B capital goods... probably more retail focussed. I've offered to help him put his CV together to reflect where his skill set can be of real benefit to prospective employers if he wants.
Always a sting in the tail though... not from the interview but just another manager's reaction to the time I took on the exit interview itself.
'You were a long time in the meeting room with James, I thought it was an exit interview?'
'It was'
'Only takes me 15 minutes to do them'
'Don't you think it's your job to help them, counsel them if they need it?'
'Nah, just get 'em out the door mate, and move on'
Mind you probably explains why he has a staff attrition rate of almost 50% in his team... hmm.
Friday, 30 May 2008
Cut out for the job?
Strange week this week, from recruiting a natural salesman on Monday to letting one go who should never have been taken on by my predecessor. The new hire has a presence, calmness and reassuring approach coupled with a steely determination and an instilled moral base. The vacating guy has none of these attributes - in fact the complete opposites in terms of personal makeup; and will just take his inabilities and problems with him to another sales position somewhere else.
I have the opportunity to conduct an exit interview on Monday and will try to counsel him to look for an alternative career, he simply is not cut out for the job. He has been in sales for six years with three positions in that time, why have these shortcomings not been spotted before? This poor guy has pretty much wasted six years of his working life in pursuit of a job role he can't do, why has no one cared to help him realise why before? He had been through the company sales training academy in the first six months with us and no one appeared to notice his inability to get the fundamental stuff right. What is it that makes managers believe they can recruit (particularly those new into the management role) It is probably the most important part of the people management task and paradoxically the area least well trained.
I'm sure this rolling problem is one of the reasons that sales as a profession has such a poor perception in the UK, guys like the one leaving my team keep getting hired by managers with poor recruitment training and the bad sales techniques are perpetuated. These failures cost companies and the economy billions in lost time and sales. Selling is one of the toughest choices for a career, why do so many people believe they can do it?
I have the opportunity to conduct an exit interview on Monday and will try to counsel him to look for an alternative career, he simply is not cut out for the job. He has been in sales for six years with three positions in that time, why have these shortcomings not been spotted before? This poor guy has pretty much wasted six years of his working life in pursuit of a job role he can't do, why has no one cared to help him realise why before? He had been through the company sales training academy in the first six months with us and no one appeared to notice his inability to get the fundamental stuff right. What is it that makes managers believe they can recruit (particularly those new into the management role) It is probably the most important part of the people management task and paradoxically the area least well trained.
I'm sure this rolling problem is one of the reasons that sales as a profession has such a poor perception in the UK, guys like the one leaving my team keep getting hired by managers with poor recruitment training and the bad sales techniques are perpetuated. These failures cost companies and the economy billions in lost time and sales. Selling is one of the toughest choices for a career, why do so many people believe they can do it?
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
ethical business...
Interesting discussion with my boss today. We both agreed that there is no place for 'the black arts' of sales practice in our operation. He having seen it in action in other teams and taken steps to remove it prior to my arrival with organisation; and me seeing the results of such practices in some of the deals that have been done in my team over recent years... none of the practitioners remain in situ... Sales activities that are tantamount to fraud, doctoring of documents etc. All good and proper to have agreement on important moral and ethical issues like this... However, being economical with the truth appears to be OK for him... need for further discussion. I'll keep you posted.
Monday, 26 May 2008
Inspired to get back to basics
Service in church tonight had a really simple structure - the leading by Tany (who improves every time she leads) and a steady older hand Brian just creating space to worship and pray and allowed the evening to focus on the sermon. Andrew, the minister preaching, was returning from a week out with a back injury. The message, on the Holy Spirit and the Bible, was so clear and inspiring. It was a call to the obvious for every Christian... to read the Bible... and the Holy Spirit's involvement.
Andrew should perhaps be laid up more often!
Andrew should perhaps be laid up more often!
Friday, 23 May 2008
It's the economy... stupid
Politics is a funny old business. It has probably always been at the mercy of events and the current 'air pocket' type drop in popularity of the New Labour government and Gordon Brown in particular is certainly driven by events, but I think there is more at play here than just events.
There appear to be real parallels with John Major's Conservative government of '95 - '97 that seemed to run out of ideas after so many years of Conservative control coupled with too few cabinet members of genuine quality and vision. Brown's cabinet is equally weak in strong ideas people with genuine resolve... however the all pervasive eye of the media, and the perceived 'image' requirements the spin guys believe is required to front up to the media are a far heavier and concerning factor.
The influence of the fourth estate and equally the fact that media ownership is now concentrated in too few hands is to my mind the biggest danger.
The media dictate what the key issues are and politicians no longer control the agenda. The importance of what receives coverage and where in the story list issues fall (I was in media for over 15 years and have really seen how this has changed).
This week has seen the attractiveness of the sound bite dominate the story list with image stories - the merits of Gordon's appearance and demeanor and redecorating his kitchen and bathroom assuming higher prominence than the economy, abortion and parenting.
The by-election result last night was a predictable protest vote given the current global economic events and people's need for a pressure valve to let off steam about the higher costs of living driven by these events... The reaction in the press from left to right has been a like a feeding frenzy as they push to influence the removal of the prime minister. My political leanings are not towards the beliefs of Gordon Brown... I would however like the opportunity to vote against him in a general election and not have the politics of the country managed by a clique of media owners.
There appear to be real parallels with John Major's Conservative government of '95 - '97 that seemed to run out of ideas after so many years of Conservative control coupled with too few cabinet members of genuine quality and vision. Brown's cabinet is equally weak in strong ideas people with genuine resolve... however the all pervasive eye of the media, and the perceived 'image' requirements the spin guys believe is required to front up to the media are a far heavier and concerning factor.
The influence of the fourth estate and equally the fact that media ownership is now concentrated in too few hands is to my mind the biggest danger.
The media dictate what the key issues are and politicians no longer control the agenda. The importance of what receives coverage and where in the story list issues fall (I was in media for over 15 years and have really seen how this has changed).
This week has seen the attractiveness of the sound bite dominate the story list with image stories - the merits of Gordon's appearance and demeanor and redecorating his kitchen and bathroom assuming higher prominence than the economy, abortion and parenting.
The by-election result last night was a predictable protest vote given the current global economic events and people's need for a pressure valve to let off steam about the higher costs of living driven by these events... The reaction in the press from left to right has been a like a feeding frenzy as they push to influence the removal of the prime minister. My political leanings are not towards the beliefs of Gordon Brown... I would however like the opportunity to vote against him in a general election and not have the politics of the country managed by a clique of media owners.
Thursday, 22 May 2008
intention and delivery
So, I thought... get set up and start blogging... interesting stuff happens to you everyday and how difficult can it be to stick some thoughts down daily... INTENTION.
Hmm, well my last post was on Sunday 18th and here we are at Thursday 22nd and i've just sat down... how bad is that at keeping the intention going!
The fact that I've had 3 days on the trot up at 5.00am with a drive to Bristol... I certainly shouldn't mention the one hour and twenty minute door to door trip last night from Bristol to Copythorne to watch Chelsea with a few CFC fans (we wuz robbed by the woodwork before the penalties)... I know I drive a Saab by didn't realise they had a wings function like their airplanes till last night! But this is diversion and obfuscation... I must get better at delivering a daily blog.
On Wednesday the management team had an update on Diversity policy and Equal Opportunities law.
We used a number of real case studies that were frankly quite frightening. In each case both the company and the manager concerned in the tribunal were found to have breached the law and the managers were found personally responsible and liable to the tune of up to £40,000 in awards against them! In one case it led to the manager losing his job and his house to pay the award.
On the face of things in each case, the managers had behaved reasonably and even 3 years ago would not have been held responsible... but the litigeous approach to life on the 'other side of the pond' is being reflected in the UK.
Over 50% of the case studies were examples of religious discrimination of muslims.
In the slides (inevitable death by powerpoint) Discrimination against Muslims, Jews, Seikhs were listed. I asked what about Christians? The answer? You can't discriminate against Christians can you? Hmm... I continued the discussion over lunch. The HR trainer, a well educated and quite persuasive lady could not see how in a 'Christian country' (she professed no faith but thought there was a God) Christians could be discriminated against in the workplace. We have real problems when global organisations (I work for one) employ folk to train their managers with these beliefs...
Hmm, well my last post was on Sunday 18th and here we are at Thursday 22nd and i've just sat down... how bad is that at keeping the intention going!
The fact that I've had 3 days on the trot up at 5.00am with a drive to Bristol... I certainly shouldn't mention the one hour and twenty minute door to door trip last night from Bristol to Copythorne to watch Chelsea with a few CFC fans (we wuz robbed by the woodwork before the penalties)... I know I drive a Saab by didn't realise they had a wings function like their airplanes till last night! But this is diversion and obfuscation... I must get better at delivering a daily blog.
On Wednesday the management team had an update on Diversity policy and Equal Opportunities law.
We used a number of real case studies that were frankly quite frightening. In each case both the company and the manager concerned in the tribunal were found to have breached the law and the managers were found personally responsible and liable to the tune of up to £40,000 in awards against them! In one case it led to the manager losing his job and his house to pay the award.
On the face of things in each case, the managers had behaved reasonably and even 3 years ago would not have been held responsible... but the litigeous approach to life on the 'other side of the pond' is being reflected in the UK.
Over 50% of the case studies were examples of religious discrimination of muslims.
In the slides (inevitable death by powerpoint) Discrimination against Muslims, Jews, Seikhs were listed. I asked what about Christians? The answer? You can't discriminate against Christians can you? Hmm... I continued the discussion over lunch. The HR trainer, a well educated and quite persuasive lady could not see how in a 'Christian country' (she professed no faith but thought there was a God) Christians could be discriminated against in the workplace. We have real problems when global organisations (I work for one) employ folk to train their managers with these beliefs...
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