Kem Meyer's Blog, page 21
July 13, 2011
Fall Communications Coaching Network Open (SOLD OUT)…
I can't do it alone and there are times in my life when I need a good coach. I've talked about it before. The benefits of an ongoing professional alliance with one person (or a small team) creates unique benefits I can't get in other learning environments—it's a challenging, rewarding, provoking, empowering and highly-personalized experience.
Because of coaching networks in various seasons of my journey, I've been able to:
gain clarity & focus my efforts
sharpen my self-awareness & accelerate my personal growth
improve my personal effectiveness to positively impact lives around me
Anyone who knew me before and after every coaching season saw the long-term gains of the short season of investment. Not only am I thankful for those opportunities; I'm an advocate for others to find them. I've been able to lead three seasons of Communications Coaching over the past couple of years and have always said I'll make room for more as long as there is a demand. Even with tight budgets and tight schedules, people are still reaching out. So, I'm kicking off a new network starting this fall.
Who: It's for anyone who leads, influences or supports local church communications before, around and after the weekend message. And, while a coaching network isn't for everyone, it's a highly unique and rewarding experience for anyone who is a part of it. Three seasons of coaching networks has produced a diverse alumni list. See for yourself.
What: We'll tackle the challenge of clearly communicating everything happening across departments and campuses without competing against each other and shutting audiences down in the process.
Why: Maybe you (or someone you know) is in a season or crossroads and needs customized, focused, up close and personal attention in a safe forum where they can be blunt about the challenges they face and get frank, encouraging insight in return.
When: This document holds the rest of the details you might be looking for (including dates, costs, alumni reviews, etc.).
How: If this sounds like something you want to be a part of, complete the application by August 1. By design, it's limited to only 12 participants (and there's only six spots left). NOTE: Just yell if you want your name on a waiting list. Things happen. And, if they do, you'll be ready.
I'm looking forward to seeing who shapes this season.
Tip:We're hosting coaching networks for Executive Pastors and Guest Services at the same time to make it easier for teams to leverage the time and travel investment. That's how we roll and we thought you might, too.
Fall Communications Coaching Network Open (but only 6 spots left)…
I can't do it alone and there are times in my life when I need a good coach. I've talked about it before. The benefits of an ongoing professional alliance with one person (or a small team) creates unique benefits I can't get in other learning environments—it's a challenging, rewarding, provoking, empowering and highly-personalized experience.
Because of coaching networks in various seasons of my journey, I've been able to:
gain clarity & focus my efforts
sharpen my self-awareness & accelerate my personal growth
improve my personal effectiveness to positively impact lives around me
Anyone who knew me before and after every coaching season saw the long-term gains of the short season of investment. Not only am I thankful for those opportunities; I'm an advocate for others to find them. I've been able to lead three seasons of Communications Coaching over the past couple of years and have always said I'll make room for more as long as there is a demand. Even with tight budgets and tight schedules, people are still reaching out. So, I'm kicking off a new network starting this fall.
Who: It's for anyone who leads, influences or supports local church communications before, around and after the weekend message. And, while a coaching network isn't for everyone, it's a highly unique and rewarding experience for anyone who is a part of it. Three seasons of coaching networks has produced a diverse alumni list. See for yourself.
What: We'll tackle the challenge of clearly communicating everything happening across departments and campuses without competing against each other and shutting audiences down in the process.
Why: Maybe you (or someone you know) is in a season or crossroads and needs customized, focused, up close and personal attention in a safe forum where they can be blunt about the challenges they face and get frank, encouraging insight in return.
When: This document holds the rest of the details you might be looking for (including dates, costs, alumni reviews, etc.).
How: If this sounds like something you want to be a part of, complete the application by August 1. By design, it's limited to only 12 participants (and there's only six spots left).
I'm looking forward to seeing who shapes this season.
Tip:We're hosting coaching networks for Executive Pastors and Guest Services at the same time to make it easier for teams to leverage the time and travel investment. That's how we roll and we thought you might, too.
July 12, 2011
Sarah Cunningham gets me talking about jealousy, leadership, gossip & going shirtless.
A few months ago, Sarah Cunningham sent me a brief email exploding with personality and vision. If you've never heard of Sarah, too bad for you. She's really got it going on. (Do people still say that?) Anyway, she's an author and one of the women behind STORY Chicago and People of the Second Chance. Back to the email.
Sarah invited me to be part of series of posts exploring the competitiveness that often exists between women. The series was inspired by responses to a previous post she wrote about Living Outside Myths. What better way to get into the subject than by connecting with some of her author and leader friends who might be perceived as "competitors."
Brilliant. Pulling like-minded people together to tackle topics head-on and influence healthy community. Yep. That's how she rolls.
Sarah: You're a talented leader, so people probably take you to be a super confident person. But do you ever find jealous thoughts creeping into your mind and if so, how do you avoid them?
Kem: I think we all have feelings of insecurity—there are days when I look around and feel like everyone else is running circles around me. I'm tempted for a nano second to be discouraged by my own inadequacies, but I bounce those thoughts in a heartbeat. Whenever unproductive sniveling thoughts like that creep into my subconscious, it's my little internal alarm to re-focus on first things first. And, MY first thing, might be different than YOUR first thing. And, for anyone who might be jealous of me? I encourage them to join me in the land of reality. I know there's no one out there who has it all together—me included.
I have good runs where I'm early to bed, early to rise, proactive and productive. I'm responsive to my team, I'm smiling, exercising, blogging profusely, sharp and in complete control of my schedule. I meet the kids off the bus, serve a home-cooked meal to my family and surprise my husband with unscheduled date nights.
Then, there are those other runs where my schedule starts to control me and I consume comfort food, stop exercising, stop sleeping, get weeks behind on email, forget to turn off the bath water and flood the bathroom, mow over the phone, feed the kids cereal and sleep through date nights. One time I was in so over my head, pulled so many different directions that I actually left the house without my shirt on. I'm not lying. I did that. Left for work and completely forgot to put my shirt on. I remembered my coat. I just didn't have a shirt on under it. I was at the office before I realized it.
So it's all about moving back and forth between the two extremes for me and spending time on both sides to appreciate the place I'm supposed to be. We're all struggling to do the best with what God's trusted us with —nothing more—nothing less.
Go ahead and dig into the rest of the interview and other posts in the series.
June 29, 2011
Why analytics are top priority & how to keep them simple…
How do you make sure you're doing what you think you are? Metrics matter and it's about more than numbers. If this isn't a top priority for someone in your organization, it should be. And, here's why–vulnerability. What you don't know can hurt you. (Here's one dramatic example.)
Here's the good news. This effort doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Even if you don't have one database to pull from right away, you can start by pulling significant insight about audience behaviors and trends (in the numbers and stories) from online stats. You'll be surprised how quickly those snapshots reveal what's simply activity and what's actually effective. It's a quick and free place to start.
This year, my team has rededicated themselves to emphasizing this function as a top priority. There's a number of reasons, but this biggest is responsibility. Many people have and will continue to sacrifice to see our new vision come to fruition. We are committed to being good stewards of the investments of our people by making sure we track our progress. Rome wasn't built in a day and the roll out of our new vision won't be either. By regularly checking and reporting on as many areas of our vision as we can, we'll make sure the bigger goal doesn't get lost in the daily details.
How are we doing it? In a word–advocate. When everybody's got it, nobody's got it. In order to close the gap, we've grabbed the ball to proactively manage business intelligence (conceptually and practically) on an ongoing basis. It doesn't mean we're the data or technical gurus. It doesn't mean we have all the answers. It simply means we're keeping this priority in the front of our minds at all times looking for simple and clean ways to get more data in and out to equip more people by gathering and distributing information horizontally and vertically.
And, we're looking at the whole picture–hard and soft. Many areas of our new vision, success of a series or influence of an event can be tracked by the stories of the people who have been touched our involved, as well as the attendance, traffic and giving numbers.
GET GOING! You just need someone to:
Stimulate conversation. Establish context for decisions through organized and impromptu discussions. Provide opportunities for information exchange between teams.
Keep an eye out. Watch for and address inconsistencies; in data and systems. With a "shared ownership" mindset, help discover how the pieces fit together and determine next steps to maximize ministry.
Provide resources. Anticipate people needs and address system concerns by gathering and distributing information horizontally and vertically. It doesn't have to be fancy. A simple overview can provide a ton of value to a lot of stakeholders. Here's a sample of our 2011 Q1 Overview.
"You measure what matters," right? Well, yes, but that's only half the story. Because, if ""
June 28, 2011
Need help organizing efforts to communicate for a cause?
Communication is tricky. Especially organizational communication. There's so many people involved–on the inside and out–to keep up with it. How do you communicate:
INSPIRATION: information that motivates people to action.
OWNERSHIP: mission, vision and values across departments and campuses.
INCLUSION: a common vocabulary for diversified audiences.
BALANCE: just enough but not too much.
LONGEVITY: not just the here and now, but for ongoing future.
These are loaded objectives and there's two common responses to the challenges–control everything or just give in to the free-for-all. Both approaches are counter-productive.
It's not as complicated as we tend to make it. There are simple approaches to a seamless message. There are uncomplicated strategies that make a noticeable difference.
In less than two weeks, I'll be leading a one-day workshop about Communications here at Granger. We'll look at the very real challenges of organizing communication efforts and get practical about how to remove barriers–inside and out.
If you're looking for a fresh perspective, an encouraging nudge, a few "aha" moments and an example or two–get here on Friday July 15. I'd love to spend the day with you.
Oh, and you might want to grab a few teammates to bring along. There's more than one workshop to choose from.
June 27, 2011
Five missing ingredients in great teams…
[image error]
This is a picture Mark Beeson took at our Senior Management Team strategy retreat earlier this year. It was a week of hard work and great rewards. (If you want more scoop about the retreat, Mark, Tim and Mark got it.) When I ran across this photo earlier this week, I got to reflecting…
I've had the chance to work with and be a part of many great organizations over the years in a variety of sectors– local advertising, regional business consulting, national technology products and global financial services. And, I've had the privilege of working with some outstanding leaders and talented professionals who continue to impact who I am and how I do things to this day. But, in all of my experience I've never been part of a team culture as unique and as enriching as the one I am a part of at GCCwired. Not only do I recognize it's unique, but others do, too. I regularly answer questions about our staff structure and approach to "team." While there's no secret to success, there are a few ingredients I've observed we're consistently missing around here.
No super stars. There are no lone rangers, no individual heroes. As a matter of fact, when I was hired I was told that I would not be celebrated or held accountable to my own personal success but for the success of the team around me. That's how important team is. It's a no ego fly zone
No games. All roads are closed to the whambulance and complaining is as fashionable as skin-tight jeans and a mullet. We assume the best in each other and make sure all talk stays about the issues, not people. If there is something that needs to be worked out, it's handled simply and directly. It's a no drama zone.
No posers. There are no boxes to fill, but roles that are shaped around individual gift sets. Sure there are tasks to be done, but it's not for the goal of assembly line production or identical thinking. Individuality is a good thing and comparisons are a waste of time. Strengths are celebrated. Weaknesses are starved. It's a no clone zone.
No failure. Creativity, progress and growth are encouraged even when it involves risk. When I make a mistake, I might get coached to try it different next time, but I never get in trouble. It's a no fear zone.
No put-downs.Value is communicated different ways to different people. And when the focus is mission, not mirroring-the whole culture changes. Harry Firestone said "You get the best out of others when you give the best of yourself." It's a no superiority zone.
That was a brief fly-by. If you're looking for more practical tips on creating healthy staff teams, you're in luck. Tim Stevens published a four part series on culture building. Enjoy.
June 23, 2011
Upcoming workshops, coaching, leadership & training events…
Here's some upcoming learning events you, or someone you know, might want to be a part of. Don't pass up the opportunity to get equipped and encouraged.
1. Friday, July 15 | WIREDCHURCHES WORKSHOPS | Granger, IN
Specific and practical one-day events that run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. We want to meet you! You save when you bring a team–hit them all
Less Clutter. Less Noise. Communicating beyond bulletins, brochures and bake sales. (me)
Simply Strategic Volunteers. Finding and keeping great volunteers. (Tim Stevens)
First Impressions. Make great first impressions that last. (Mark Waltz)
2. Thursday-Friday, August 11-12 | Global Leadership Summit | Live Simulcast in Granger, IN
Harvard's Len Schlesinger, Mayor of Newark Cory Booker, marketing guru and best-seller Seth Godin, audacious pastor Steven Furtick, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Mama Maggie Gobran, D.C. Public Schools Michelle Rhee, Author Dr. Henry Cloud, Starbuck's Howard Schultz, Dorito's commercial-making pastor Erwin McManus and more.
Fast Company asks, what would Jack (Welch) do?
3. Wednesday-Thursday, September 7-8 | COACHING NETWORK FALL KICKOFF| Granger, IN
Designed for influencers who are highly committed to strategic, interactive, out-of-the-box learning opportunities and are willing to invest the time, energy and money for the journey. The backstory: why I do it.
Want to see an interactive alumni list? Yeah, I thought you'd like that.
The network is limited to 6-12 participants screened through an application process. Taking applications through August 1.
Communication Strategy
Guest Services
EnterMission Coaching
Executive Pastors
4. Thursday-Friday, September 22-23 | AND Conference | Granger, IN
Do we focus on an inviting environment for new people with attractive music, arts and experiences to reach them for Jesus? (Some call that attractional.) Or do we focus on meeting people's needs where they are and help them become disciples right there, realizing they might never attend a church service with us? (Some call that missional.)
The answer? We think it's both. That's where The Genius of AND comes in. If you put the power of an attractional AND missional strategy together, you can continue to offer a safe place for more people to come in AND go out to reach more people where they are.
High learning environment.
Experience last year's sessions.
June 22, 2011
Proofreading is more than spelling. Snapshots why context & coherence matter…
"Coherence is aligning what we deliver with what we say we deliver."
–Coherence by Rick Bailey
I snapped these photos recently. Great reminders that everyone needs a second set of eyes to see our own blind spots.
[image error]Committed to quality…except when it comes to the font size (check out the 'y.')
[image error]Massage, facials, body treatment, YOUTH SERVICES? (awkward)
Sometimes the picture we're drawing isn't telling the story we think it is and we're the last to know. When is the last time you asked someone to check your work–not just for typos, but for coherence, context and layout? Seriously, build this into your ongoing production processes like a sobriety test for your organization. Coherence in the details is essential–not an afterthought.
Hey, it happens to all of us.
[image error]Commutation?
May 23, 2011
There was no DJ, but I was on the radio…
A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by Mel Lawrenz from the Brook Network about my book. Here's the two part interview, for anyone who's interested. As for the rest of you who aren't my mom, you're on your own. [image error]
Part 1 (9 minutes): How do we manage the overload?
Part 2 (10 minutes): I have done my job if I have learned something new.
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