Know Negotiation?

March 6, 2012 in Leadership with 2 Comments

About to buy something? Ready to sell something? Need something you don’t have? Wrapped up in a strategic initiative?

Welcome to the wide world of negotiation!

During the course of my professional career … so far … I have used these five tips below … to become a better negotiator.

1)  Whoever says the first number … loses.

2)  Don’t give away stuff before it is asked of you.

3)  Trust is the foundation of a solid agreement. Find trust in each other.

4)  Make negotiation personal. It’s a fast path to relationship.

5)  ALWAYS … tell the truth. Kiss number 3 above goodbye if you lie.

Here’s the deal … jerks don’t win long-term, sustainable agreements. They just don’t. Don’t fall into the trap of “me first” in each negotiation you approach … or in the long run … you will lose. Instead, build a foundation of trust. Desire mutual respect BUT be strong. Hold to your convictions. Determine your red line. AND … remember that more people are watching you than you realize.

A lot of negotiation is counter-intuitive. What feels right in your gut amidst your conversations … is not the best way to approach or answer. For example … being slow to speak, be willing to walk away, ask the question not being asked, & etc are all things that are required in a successful agreement … but just not necessarily natural.

Not enough? I am no expert … so here are three books I suggest on subject of negotiation (in order):

   
 

Bryan

 

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Have Some Compassion!

March 5, 2012 in MAG Relationships with 0 Comments

QUESTION: do you (and your church) have a global missions mindset? Why? Or, why not?

If you are a pastor or a church leader you need to watch this video. This video below … is a great example of one of your peers … explaining how Compassion International partners with you, your church, and their efforts.

If you or your church … are looking for ways to get involved with global missions efforts and want to partner with a solid organization … please contact me. I will help you make a meaningful connect with the team at Compassion that engages with church leaders … so you can make an informed decision on partnering together. Shannon & I are long-time advocates of Compassion International … please, consider partnering with them.

Discover more about Compassion International
 

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Motivating Employees Without Money

March 1, 2012 in Church HR, Church Staff, Leadership with 0 Comments

Show me the money!

No, not really.

In my time of leading others … here are five things I have discovered in leading others … that has nothing to do with money. With the exception of good salespeople who are rightly motivated by money … what I have found out … painfully at times … is that my employees (and likely yours) are less motivated by money and more motivated by the below.

1.  Be Worth Following – employees will follow a good leader. If you are a jerk – don’t expect people to follow you for very long. Have high attrition? Maybe you are the problem. Can’t get your team to execute fully? Look to see if you are worth following first. Employees will climb mountains, die on hills, and battle to the end for a great leader.

2.  Create Role Models – highlight those who are performing great in your organization. Teach others what you expect by highlighting the great things others are doing. By doing this … you motivate your employees to live up to a standard you exemplify in others.

3.  Give People Freedom to Make Decisions/Ideas – you didn’t hire people to micro-manage them did you? People (like nations) desire to be free. They want to work hard and be treated like an adult. They need to make decisions and have the freedom to mess up or succeed or both. Give people frameworks, goals, or standards to hit … measure them at agreed upon times … then, get out of the way. One word of caution … watch out for too much freedom. Certain people will take advantage of you in this area … especially people you know who are “control freaks.”

4.  Give Recognition – a $1,000,000 bonus is likely not coming. But, you can give out gift cards, trophies, plaques, awards, spa certificates, & etc. Gifts are great … but recognition in front of peers is all the better. Never underestimate the power of peer recognition. And, consider point #2 above.

5.  More YOU & Less me – much like life, it ain’t about you. It’s about the success of others. Their growth. Their success. Their pursuits. When you lead others it simply cannot be about you. Get off your high horse and get in the trenches with your team. When you make their work and success about them … you’ll garner a team of employees that can do just about anything.

One final thought. My favorite leaders that I look up to … are the ones that enable me to dream and grow. They hold me accountable to my ideas but expect me to execute. What about you?

QUESTION: In your organization … what are the attributes that motivate you and your employees?

Bryan

 

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Zero Tolerance List

February 29, 2012 in Productivity with 0 Comments

 

Remember Psychology 101 in college? The Pavlovian Response/Conditioning? When the phone “dings” or when the computer alerts you of a new eMail … are you just like the Pavlovian dogs who jump into action? Is that good or bad?

Or, how about the phone in general … is it for you … or for people to call you, text, or eMail you? Did you buy it for you or for others?

This raises the question for me … I have yet to answer … but is worth asking you for your feedback and comments.

QUESTION: What is on your Zero Tolerance List?

What are the things you need to stop doing so you can devote more time and focus to things you really want to focus on? Here’s a possible list:

  1. Twitter?
  2. Hootsuite?
  3. Facebook?
  4. IM’ing?
  5. Groupon?
  6. Texting?
  7. Google+?
  8. StumbleUpon?
  9. Angry Birds?
  10. Solitaire?
  11. Instantaneous eMail replies?
  12. Reading/watching news sites?
  13. Co-workers you like to chat with?
  14. Magazines?
  15. YouTube?
  16. Badges or notifications on your phone?

It’s easy to lose yourself and your daily momentum with things that take you off focus. Those “things” should be in your cross-hairs for your Zero Tolerance List. What am I missing? And, please don’t say our blog  :)

Bryan

 

Put it in Writing!

February 28, 2012 in Productivity, Project Management, Web, Internet, & IT with 7 Comments

No more excuses!

There are scores of tools out there for you to use each day to track your stuff, tasks, lists, reminders, and etc. Here’s a list of tools that we commonly see our MAG Executive Assistants using either for themselves or for our Clients. Have a look … then … start getting it in writing! Well, at least virtually ………

1.  Evernote

2.  Lino

3.  Action Method

4.  Listhings

5.  Remember The Milk

6.  Wunderlist

Think I have missed some really good ones not on this list? Let me know! Add your comments!

Bryan

 

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Unleash Your Inner Steve Jobs

February 27, 2012 in Leadership, Pastors & Church Leaders with 4 Comments

Everyone knows Steve Jobs. Well, almost everyone.

Lately, I have been consumed with all things Steve Jobs. I am so impressed by this man … not just because of his success in business … but also his commitment to leadership, vision, and a fierce commitment to adhere to principles.

I just finished watching a video on the Pixar story. Steve Jobs had his hand in that storyline as well. Whether it was Apple or Pixar … here’s what I have distilled from Jobs … from all the books, editorial memorials, articles, videos, and etc that have circulated since his death.

  1. Say no more than yes. Did you know that Apple had over 300+ products when Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997? He scaled those 300+ down to 10 in a short time for focus. He said no more than yes. What about you? Could you say the same? Are you brave enough to kill endeavors for greater focus & results?
  2. Be a master storyteller. Steve Jobs was the king of messaging. Your best ideas will collect dust if you can’t tell them to anyone. Many people refer to him as the greatest corporate storyteller ever. Do you inspire with your work? Do you connect with people at an emotional level when you talk about what you do or what you represent?
  3. Sell dreams not services/products. Steve Jobs was the genius behind this. Walk into any Apple store … and your possibilities can become infinite. Products alone cannot evoke dreams. People are the catalyst and the bridge to people’s dreams and passions.
  4. Be relentless in finding your passion. Many of the articles I have read – and in the videos I watched … Steve Jobs was relentless with himself and his team(s) about chasing down their passion and not letting go. Jobs once said, “People with passion can change the world for the better.” Further he said, “I’d get a job as a busboy or something until I figured out what I was really passionate about.”
  5. Go big or go home. Steve Jobs was the master of vision. He could cast it like almost no other. Vision is different than a storyteller. He mastered both. He desired “to put a dent in the Universe.” What about YOU? Does your “dent” register? If not, pound harder. Make it happen. Plan for impact. People will follow you.

In summation … Dream BIG! Focus. Capture your stories for others. Sell dreams of what is to come. Find passion in what you do … or die trying.

“Make a dent in the universe!”

Thank God … that God created Steve Jobs.

Bryan

 

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2 Hit Wonder?

February 23, 2012 in Church Culture, Leadership, Pastors & Church Leaders with 0 Comments

Starting over in your church may be the best way to enhance & grow your ministry. Even if it means killing your sacred cow.

This conversation happens a lot with me with church leaders.

“It worked well before. It’s fading. I am unsure of why. What should we do? Now what?”

Here’s what has happened. The “NEW-ness” has worn off. People crave “new & improved” language. Marketing geniuses will tell you that. Why would the people who attend your church act or say any different? They are consistently bombarded with New and Improved messages all day long. They are accustom to it. They intrinsically expect it.

The success that you rode off of … makes it harder to change. But you must. Success has a way of boxing you in. Success has a way of making you a legacy … not emergent per se. And, this legacy mindset is not just with you. It is in the minds of your faithful attenders too. Change will cause moans. Expect it.

NOW WHAT?!

Stuck? Here’s what I suggest:

  1. Find what is working … and ask you & your team … how can you improve it. How can it be made new? And, new should not be subtle. It MUST be bigger and better than the old. If it isn’t significant enough in change – plan on fallout.
  2. Start new ideas that are bold and risky. Calculate the risk but … make huge, hairy, audacious leaps of risk … not baby steps. People want new. Baby steps won’t get you there in enough time for people to follow.
  3. Encourage your team BUT tell them you are going to be an organization of change. Employees who don’t like this … celebrate their former successes at your church, get them a cake, and send them packing.
  4. Know the right time to start new changes & initiatives. Hint: it is not when the current ministry is already dying. It is when you already have momentum and are growing.

All the fancy pie charts, power points, keynotes, stats, and graphs cannot help you with the above.

It starts with YOU. Are you New & Improved?

Bryan

 

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Video Interviews for Pastors

February 21, 2012 in Church Staff, Information Technology, Productivity, Web, Internet, & IT with 5 Comments

Face to face interviews are great … if you can afford them and have the time.

Think about this … what if you could interview candidates via video … and see their responses … BEFORE you actually had your personal interview(s) with them?

Here’s a list of service companies that MAG has evaluated to speed up and streamline our interview system (and protect our time and money) during the hiring process.

1.  Take the Interview
2.  HireVue
3.  Green JobInterview
4.  JobOn

Know of any other service providers we missed in our list? We’d like to hear from you – if you know a provider like this – that is not on the list above.

Go on. Get your interview(s) on! At your pace and budget. Ain’t technology great?!

Bryan

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Babies & Toddlers in Worship?

February 20, 2012 in Church Culture, Church Design & Architecture, Other Stuff with 26 Comments

Interested in your opinion today … like always.

What do you think about the image above? Reasonable to hand this out if you are a certain type of church? Too much of a request?

Should babies & toddlers stay in a worship (big church) environment to be with the family … OR … would they potentially distract from a person who may be a first-time visitor (or, recently started attending) and on the cusp of deciding to have a personal relationship with Jesus? Or, what if you were a first-time visitor with a baby … and were handed one of these cards … would you come back?

Terrible idea? Great idea? What are your comments?

Bryan

 

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Unreasonable Idea: Clean Water

February 17, 2012 in Giving & Generosity, MAG News, MAG Relationships with 1 Comment

Did you wake up this morning and brush your teeth with clean drinking water? Did you need to boil your water first before you put in the coffeemaker? Did you start your day without thanking God for your clean drinking water? I did. I am not alone. There are so many of us who just take for granted the clean drinking water we have.

Here’s the deal … I am trying to help a good friend of mine … raise money for a SOLUTION to clean drinking water. Not a handout … and SOLUTION. You can give $1 to $500 … your call. Give it HERE.

For the past several years, my friend has been involved with a number of efforts in the developing world focused on helping people get larger, more reliable and safer water supplies. The culmination of those efforts is a partnership between him and Philip Wilson, an entrepreneur based in Guatemala, to build the first commercial-scale ceramic pot water filter production facility in the world. The business is called Ecofiltro. There’s information available at www.creategood.org. There’s LOTS of info in Spanish at www.ecofiltro.org and www.ecofiltro.com.

Below an aerial photo of the factory in Guatemala (blue roof) and the offices and employee housing areas (red roof). I’m thrilled to report that the factory is finished and the first batch of filters are being fired in the kiln!

   

The SOLUTION is this ………

The nearly TEN TIMES increase in production over the current facility will enable Ecofiltro to provide the filters to many more families and communities, and improve lives. They’ve conducted several studies and found that even the poorest families spend upwards of $15 to $20 per month for firewood. Once they have a filter, the money saved as a result of not having to burn firewood to boil water is primarily spent on food. This positively impacts their health both in combating chronic malnutrition and limiting the open flame in their huts to cooking.

Their goal is to expand annual production to 5 million filters and distribution to over 100 countries by the year 2020. To do so, I am asking you (our MAG readers) to get their story out. And if YOU are interested, this is where YOU could help. Ecofiltro have been sponsored and have the opportunity to become a Fellow in the Unreasonable Institute, which will result in international exposure for their effort. Here’s the cool part … the Unreasonable Institute has a “no rich Uncle” rule, so no one person can guarantee full funding. It takes a “village” to raise the money. More information about the Unreasonable Institute and how to sponsor (meaning, give your money away) Ecofiltro can be found here: Ecofiltro – The Unreasonable Marketplace.

Please give to this SOLUTION for clean drinking water … and please spread the word.

Grateful,


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