Kem Meyer's Blog, page 23
March 1, 2011
Normal guy does abnormal experiment…
This personal blog post by Joshua Jones (a regular working man, husband and father part of Granger Community Church) was vulnerable and inspiring. Real life and from the heart, I think it's a must read for anyone who has ever wrestled with giving up to go up.
"I wish I could explain what it is that ever causes us to hold anything back because God has proven time and again that if we will just release it to his authority, He will do far more with it for us than we could ever do alone. That being said, we still hold on. We fear letting go. It frightens us. Some things we know better than to do, but it's like our old selves creep in just enough to tighten our grip around the very things that could, and often do, destroy us."
"Generosity is something of a gift. The desire to give is a blessing straight from God. On this front, I admit that I was the straggler. Even in our former lives, I was blessed with a wife and children that had no problem giving to others. I, on the other hand, could think of no one better deserving of anything, than myself. Christ impacted me in this area directly. There were several areas that almost immediately changed upon the meeting of my Savior, and this was one of them. Gone are the desires to accumulate, replaced with the urge to give it all away." Read the full post…
Stories like these are abnormal. And, it's stories like these that change the world and motivate the rest of us. Thanks, Joshua, for sharing your story with us–the good and the bad. It's ALL good!
What motivates employees? Mo money? Actually, no.
In fact, money ranks #81. People rank #1. People matter.
Best Companies to Work For data visualization: What employees say – Fortune on CNNMoney.com.
February 28, 2011
5 things to remember about winning people over…
The toughest thing about fresh insight, new strategies and a personal passion to see it through is waiting for others to catch the wave! Am I right!? Here are five things to help you stay the course as you try to champion a dream, win people over and lead change of any kind.
It's a trip, not a destination. (Play on words intentional.)
If we're focused on the outcome, we'll constantly feel the frustration instead of the win. But, if we focus on the people over the project (or the process over the event) relationships will gradually strengthen and each little step will feel like a win on the way to our ultimate goal. Remember, it's less about technique than it is attitude.
It's not "all or nothing."
We can't change everyone and everything at once. There's going to be several steps forward and a couple steps back along the way. Don't let that discourage you if it's more of an exception rather than a rule. It's like a golf game. You're going to have some good holes and some bad ones. When you have a bad hole, move on to the next one. It's not game over.
Focus on a few rather than many.
Rarely, if ever, is a one-size-fits-all roll-out effective. We are going to have to spend more time with some leaders over others. And, what works to get buy-in from one person won't work with the next. It takes time to navigate through the personalities to discover what motivates and builds trust for each person. Invest in constant and ongoing conversations with your boss all along the way. Not to get things done, but to keep processing the wins, the struggles and the cost of standing still. And, then pick one or two leaders to invest in to build trust and create some key, visible wins. It will attract others to the cause and you'll gradually gain momentum and speed.
It takes time.
God isn't just using this change to help improve others, he's using others to help change us. Whatever time you think it's going to take to roll something out, multiply that by at least 3. It's not linear but multi- dimensional. There is more at play than we can see. With faith, persistence and a commitment to self-awareness the stars will start to come into alignment down the road. It took me about 3 years to start to see a tipping point for some initiatives I've led in the past–not 3 months.
You're never done.
While you will build more advocates in your camp along the way, it will never be 100% consensus. You will need to keep refining your vision casting, coaching and redirecting skills. There will always be new team members or difficult personalities unwilling or unable to change. What you can look forward to, though is the hard part being 20% of your job instead of 80%.
February 18, 2011
February 14, 2011
Wish you had CliffsNotes for Less Clutter. Less Noise. book? I gotz em…
The group blog project over at OurChurchDotCom is complete and I've gathered up all the links in one place just to make your life easier. You're welcome.
The real mad props go to Paul Steinbrueck for the idea and the effort to pull it together. Paul, you rock.
Myth: You are in control.
Myth: The more choices, the better.
Myth: Advertising creates interest.
Myth: It worked before, so it will work again.
Myth: People care about what you have to say.
Know your audience.
Remove barriers to entry.
Reduce the noise.
Tell one story at a time.
Untangle the web.
Rewrite your job description.
Ask, don't tell.
Find the yes behind the no.
Bring the glue.
Getting from here to there.
Special thanks to the 15 authors who took the time to abstract each chapter: Ed Cyzewski , Brian Beatty , Rick Phillips, Amber Hill, Thomas Irby, Kenny Jahng, Jeff Christian, Steven Fogg, Gabe Taviano, Adam Hann, Lee Ann Berthiaume, Russell Martin, Sarah Holbrook, Jennifer Armitage and Lisa Hamilton. Way to lead. Way to serve. Way to share.
February 7, 2011
Words come alive with images. Truth is revealed through art. Here is one example.
I am inspired and challenged by conversation through art. Everyone has questions, wants to make a difference and wants to know their purpose of life. Art is a language of our culture and people shape their values and faith from it. This art brings scripture to life in living color. Right here. Right now.
God's Photo from Granger Community on Vimeo.
Art helps to communicate truth and I am thankful for art that bring faith to everyday life…not just a Sunday morning.
February 2, 2011
I'm going to Cultivate in Cali – where culture, innovation & communication connect…
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I'm privileged to be one of the discussion leaders at this gig and I can't wait.
What's Cultivate? Glad you asked.
"It is said the collective wisdom of a group is more valuable than the expertise of one. Cultivate is a collective wisdom. It brings ministry and marketplace leaders to the table and asks them to leave their formal presentations at home.
Cultivate is about organized conversations, and each conversation will be designed to nurture collaboration without confining the experience to a box. Expect to be stretched. Expect to be challenged. Expect to culivate a new way of thinking."
Many different types of people will be there: CEOs, communication directors, lead pastors, designers, writers, web geeks, and more. If you are creative, strategic or practitioner responsible for influencing how your organization communicates, you'll want to be part of the Cultivate Conference.
I can't save your seat. You have to do that yourself.
January 18, 2011
December 23, 2010
How to avoid getting lost in translation…
With an increasing amount of podcasts, internet campuses, video venues and various other content syndication efforts becoming available… there are no doubt things we need to be aware of if we want to increase the scope and effectiveness of any communication.
Are there common mistakes we're blind to?
Are there "understood" graces that are extended?
What are Americans oblivious to?
What shortens the shelf life of our messages?
What can make our messages less exclusive to a geographic location and more inclusive to various expressions and locations?
I'll admit, it's hard enough filtering communication as not to alienate an individual–let alone a community region or even the globe. While the objective isn't to communicate all things to all people, it is important to make an extra effort to remove unnecessary roadblocks at every touch point. An obvious first step is to try to bring clarity to people who share your language but maybe not your soil. But, it's hard to self-edit (you can't see the whole picture when you're inside the frame). That's why an outsider's perspective is so important. Especially when it's frank and honest, the insight can be a game-changer. I asked my down under friend, Steve Fogg, to give us some thoughts to ponder about international audiences. He was gracious enough to reply.
7 Tips That Will Stop You Becoming Lost In Translation
A few years back there was a great movie called Lost In Translation. The main character, Bob is an aging American movie star who is in Tokyo to shoot a whisky commercial. He doesn't speak Japanese or understand the culture, everything is getting lost in the translation.
There is a funny scene in the movie that sums up his experience where Bob is on set of the whisky commercial. There are several exchanges with the director and a translator who inadequately translates the directors long and detailed instructions to Bob. Bob blows the shoot because the translator hasn't translated it well. Yet again Bob has gotten lost in translation.
Churches face a similar issue. Especially American churches who have church online experiences, podcasts and other various syndicated distribution, and with smaller regional and local churches are now getting access to the technology (that was once only once available to the largest churches) the issue is becoming exacerbated. Many of these churches are simply broadcasting their existing content without thinking about who they are communicating with online.
Simply put, often what works in your 'hood', may not translate well to an international audience (did I that translate that well [image error] . It's a cliché I know, but we now live in a global village and there are certain programming changes and speaking changes that you will need to make so you don't get lost in translation talking to others in the village.
Don't drop in local announcements in the middle of your message. If you really have to do your announcements, make them up front and leave at least a 2 second pause before you start your message. This will give a chance for video and audio editors to start their recording without it sounding like something has been chopped something off mid-sentence (if you are pre-recording your online broadcast).
Don't be an insider. Sometimes we use insider terms for campaigns, ministries or locations you will need to ensure that I will understand what you are talking about because I've never heard of it. Essentially preface your comment with a bit more background than you usually would.
Accents can be a barrier, but it can also sometimes help. Having an American accent can be a barrier when speaking – especially when if your audience is non-Christian, many will put up barriers because of the general perception of American preachers that you are all tele-evangelists that are only after their money. Seriously, that is a real perception out there. On the other hand in this creative video the accent didn't matter.
Don't talk about the weather. I'm not talking about being polite. Most people will be experiencing something completely different to what the weather is like where you are. Don't talk about the season unless you only want your message played in that season.
Don't use local slang. Dang, y'all, just saying, fall (we call it autumn) – we have absolutely no clue what you are talking about.
Don't reference local food outlets, stay generic. I don't know what Chick-fil-a is but it sounds, well, disgusting (I do now after checking it out on the web, but it doesn't translate well). Just tell me you were at your local chicken fast food store or burger outlet. Fast food culture here in Australia isn't as dominant or widespread as it is in the US.
Be yourself. I know it sounds contrary to what I've just been saying but you have to be you. It's impossible to wear the straightjacket of pleasing everyone all of the time, you'll just end up being a boring, lifeless presenter. Your own character needs to shine through in your unique communication style.
What are other tips do you have to avoid getting lost in translation? Leave a comment!
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