Work Smart

How organized are you?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2010-02-04T12:15:21+09:00

We all want to be organized. We all want to be better organized. The problem is that we might not be clear on what it means to be organized. For example, does being organized mean…?

Having SMART goals, having goals, or having values?
Using spreadsheets to track progress or being able to tell stories about progress?
Having a clean desk with everything filed away or having a messy desk with everything in stacks?
Planning ahead or seeing what happens?

My answer?

Being organized doesn’t mean having SMART goals, having goals, or having values—being organized means being aware of your priorities.
Being organized doesn’t mean using spreadsheets to track progress or being able to tell stories about progress—it means being aware of progress on your priorities.
Being organized doesn’t mean having a clean desk with everything filed away or having a messy desk with everything in stacks—it means being able to access the resources you need to address your priorities.
Being organized doesn’t mean planning ahead or seeing what happens—it means being intentional about pursuing your priorities.

So, what can you do? Reflect on the following 6 questions: On a scale of 1-10 (10 being high)…

How aware are you of your priorities?
How aware are you of your progress on your priorities?
How able are you to access the resources you need to address your priorities?
How intentional are you about pursuing your priorities?
So, how organized are you?
How organized do you want to be?

Remember, being organized helps you pursue God’s calling. Get better organized. Today.

Reduce your frustrations

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-12-28T09:50:20+09:00

Do you want to reduce your frustrations so you can get on with what God's calling you to do? If so, reflecting on these 5 questions can help.

How can you manage yourself more effectivey at work?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-12-21T08:44:29+09:00

If you want to get more done in less time at work, think about how you can manage yourself more effectively at work.

Get organized

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-12-18T15:09:47+09:00

Before getting organized, make sure you're clear on what being organized means and how being organized can help you more effectively carry out your mission.

Use the strengths God has given you

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-10-26T10:42:01+09:00

How faithfully and effectively do you use your God-given strengths?

How faithful are you in using your God-given strengths?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-10-19T11:53:49+09:00

Each day you pursue God’s calling—at home, at work, at church. Each day you focus on being faithful. That’s good. In pursuing God’s calling, being faithful is vital. Because being faithful is vital, I want you to consider a question: How faithful are you in using your God-given strengths? Or to put it another way, How faithful are you in using God’s blessings?

God has given you a calling. And He has prepared you for that calling by giving you specific strengths: He has worked in your life to teach you key truths and given you a unique network of relationships, a variety of abilities, distinguishing character traits, and a range of experiences and education.

So, how faithful are you in using your God-given strengths? How faithful are you in using God’s blessings? (How faithful are you in using your talents? Remember the Parable of the Talents? Remember how the master responded to the servant who buried his talent? Not using your talents in the name of being faithful is a little like burying them.)

Answering these questions is vital. Answering these questions can help you pursue God’s calling. Answering these questions can help you make sure that you are playing your proper role in the Body of Christ and help you avoid being an “eye” that strives to faithfully be a “foot.”

So, what can you do? Identify the strengths (blessings) God has given you. Ask yourself, How faithful am I in using my God-given strengths? Help someone else reflect (you can use the questions in the sidebar). If you are a supervisor, ask yourself: How faithful am I in using the strengths God has given to those I supervise? How can I more effectively leverage the blessings God has given those I supervise?

Remember, faithfully pursuing God’s calling involves using the strengths God’s given you.

How can you improve your planning?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-07-31T15:01:06+09:00

You want improve in planning. You know this is going to feel like climbing a steep set of steps, so you decide to take it 1 step at a time.

Question: How can you climb the next step?

To find out:

Read about the 5 developmental steps (below).
Then, use the reflection questions to identify what you will do to climb the next step.

Here are the 5 steps.

Pay attention

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-07-21T15:52:11+09:00

If you want to get your goals done, pay attention to them.

How much time should you invest?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-07-07T08:03:07+09:00

Reflecting on 4 questions can help you figure out how much time you should invest in each of your goals.

How much time do you want to invest in each of your goals?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-07-01T13:03:54+09:00

You want to carry out your God-given mission: To empower Christian leaders and organizations to close the rhetoric/reality gap.

You have reflected on your mission, prayed and thought about what God would have you do in the next 5 years, and established a 2-part vision:

200 Christian staff from 40 Christian organizations with increased capacity/results
15 Christian organizations with total of 25 new annual capacity-building goals

You have also developed goals that address your vision: To increase capacity/results for…

30 Christian staff through coaching
75 Christian staff through consulting
40 Christian staff through networking
40 Christian staff through resourcing
150 Christian staff through training

Question: How much time do you want to invest in each of your goals?

What are your goals?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2010-02-08T11:38:00+09:00

You want to achieve your mission. So, you get out of the office and take time to identify 5 key goals. Good. When you return to the office, you focus on achieving your goals all week. Good.

And then things head downhill:

In week #2, you notice that you’re not quite as focused on your goals.
In week #3, you have a crazy week where you can’t work on your goals.
By week #4, you can’t remember 2 of your goals. Not good.

Question: What’s the problem?

Answer: You didn’t document your goals.

This means…

You can’t easily review your goals.
You can’t easily use your goals to schedule your next action steps.
You can’t easily find out what your goals are when you can’t remember them (something which happens to everyone).

Tip: Document your goals. Today.

Can God help?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-12-12T08:36:10+09:00

You’re working on a vital project. You need help. Which 3 of the following would you most likely do?

Reflect on what you know.
Talk with colleagues.
Read books and magazines.
Get coaching.
Check the Internet.
Get help from a consultant.
Look at relevant files on your computer.

Have you identified the 3 things you’d most likely do? Good.

Question: What key option is missing in the above list?

Need some hints? It doesn’t cost money. It’s available 24/7. You can use it anywhere. It gets results.

Answer: Asking God for help. God knows everything and wants to help you. So, ask Him for help. Today.

How are your mission, goals, and daily activities connected?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-10-13T08:30:00+09:00

Think of an activity you’re doing. Got one in mind? Good.

Question: Why are you doing that activity?

Tip: You need to be able to answer that question for each activity you’re involved in.

What should your answer include?

An activity.
The goal your activity addresses.
How working on your goal helps you accomplish your mission.

What does an answer look like?

I’m updating my curriculum maps for Social Studies 8. I'm doing this because I want my students to experience a coherent curriculum. When my students experience a coherent curriculum, they learn more. And when they learn more, they get equipped to impact the world for Christ.
I’m fixing a sticky door hinge so that students can get to their classes on time. When students get to their classes on time, they can learn more. And when they learn more, they get equipped to impact the world for Christ.

Bottom line: Clarify how your mission, goals, and daily activities are connected. Today.

What’s God doing?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-08-21T08:29:09+09:00

Good news—God has a plan. He’s already at work. And He’s prepared ways for you to join Him in His work (Eph. 2.10). So, you have the opportunity to be part of God’s plan and work. You don’t have to go figure it all out by yourself or do it all by yourself.

Point: Join God in what He’s already doing.

3 questions:

How clear are you on what God is already doing?
How clear are you on how God wants you to join Him in His work?
How willing are you to join God in what He’s already doing?

Tip: If you need increased clarity on what God is already doing:

Pray daily for a minimum of 2 weeks.
Read God’s Word daily.
Seek wisdom from 5 of God’s people.

Remember: Join God in what He is already doing. Today.

Schedule your key priorities first

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-05-13T08:08:42+09:00

Make sure you schedule time for your key priorities before you schedule time for other things.

How can you manage yourself more effectively?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-06-19T07:24:51+09:00

By focusing, working smart, and pursuing excellence. To get an idea of how you can manage yourself more effectively, take the following assessment (download). Write the number in the blank that comes closest to representing how true a given statement is for you right now. Use the following scale:

4: Consistently • 3: Usually • 2: Sort of • 1: Rarely

Focus
___ I focus on joining God in what he is already doing.
___ I focus on doing right things, before I focus on doing things right.
___ I focus on my God-given mission.
___ I have defined my mission in terms of SMART goals.
___ I understand how my mission, goals, and daily activities are connected.

Do right things

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-02-11T15:36:35+09:00

Want to increase your effectiveness? Do right things, then do things right.

DRAW others out to focus on science-related issues

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-02-07T18:24:14+09:00

You're at school, and you want to help others grow. Instead of giving advice or suggestions, ask questions that fit the DRAW protocol:

Define: Get the facts defined.
Respond: Get the facts responded to in terms of feelings/experiences.
Analyze: Get the facts, feelings, and experiences analyzed.
What’s next?: Get next steps considered.

Here's a set of DRAW questions you can use for a faculty meeting conversation about science-related issues.

Want to achieve your goals?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-09-29T14:01:38+09:00

The point is not to have goals. The point is to achieve goals. To achieve your goals, take 4 steps: pray, put, take, and reflect.

SMARTen up your goals

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-09-26T14:52:06+09:00

You’re pursuing God’s calling. Good. Three weeks ago, you developed a list 5 goals that are part of pursuing God’s calling:

Pray more.
Make spouse happy.
Answer email immediately.
Coach students.
Provide training for Christian schools.

Now, you’re seated at your desk, reflecting on your goals.

Achieve your goals

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-07-15T17:41:09+09:00

Goals help. Goals help you get focused, get energized, get organized, and know what to say “yes” and “no” to.

But having goals is not enough. You don’t just want to have goals—you want to achieve goals. You want to achieve your goals in order to pursue your God-given calling. Is there something you can to do increase the likelihood that you’ll achieve your goals? Yes!

Make email work for you (and not the other way round)

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-09-12T15:40:44+09:00

Email is a useful, but limited, form of communication. Being a good steward of the resources God has given you includes making email work for you—and not the other way round.

Question: How can you make email work for you?

Eliminate your frustrations

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-04-09T08:27:59+09:00

What frustrates you? What has frustrated me includes not having proper travel gear, not having necessary software, and unclear job expectations.

Notice, I listed what has frustrated me, not what frustrates me.

Target your strengths

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-02-13T08:26:24+09:00

Imagine you’re a basketball coach. You have a player who scores 27 points per game, shoots 46% from the 3-point line, and gets 14 rebounds per game. You’re pleased with his performance.

But you’re puzzled.

Pay attention to your goals

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-12-12T08:24:00+09:00

You’re at the end of a hectic week, the kind where you can hardly remember what happened. You’re sitting at your desk, doing some reflection. You’re noticing that you’ve accomplished some goals (building your network list and preparing a message) and that you haven’t accomplished some other goals (developing a debriefing tool and a conflict resolution workshop). You wonder why some goals get done, while others don’t.

Get support, encouragement, and accountability

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-10-24T08:22:13+09:00

You’ve documented your goal: To develop a community of practice for Christian school curriculum coordinators.

You did a careful study of the current situation, considered options for moving forward, and documented your goal. That’s good. Now you’re ready to start.

Secure resources—then start

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-08-26T09:18:32+09:00

You have a plan. Before you start working, try to get the resources specified in the plan.

Get organized

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-06-10T10:52:48+09:00

A good way to get organized is to do the behaviors that organized people do. Here are 3.

Principals, use the Rule of 3

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-05-16T08:48:53+09:00

Looking for a way to address your challenges? Try using the Rule of 3.

How to write a SMART goal

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-05-02T15:49:23+09:00

To help work colleagues grow, DRAW them out by asking questions

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-04-10T10:49:11+09:00

You're at work, and you want to help others grow. Instead of giving advice or suggestions, ask questions that fit the DRAW protocol.

Schedule your key priorities first

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-04-09T10:08:14+09:00

You’ve gotten away for a bit and identified some key priorities, including spending more time with family, regularly getting exercise, and getting coaching each week.

But when you come back, you hit reality.

Know where you are and where you want to go

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-02-13T08:28:53+09:00

Knowing where you are and where you want to go helps you make effective decisions.

You’re at the train station. You need to buy a ticket. How much should you spend? That depends on where you are and where you want to go.

It's self-management, not time management

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-02-05T08:33:31+09:00

God calls us to manage ourselves within the time He gives us, not to manage time.

“And” learning, not “or” learning

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-01-18T15:09:01+09:00

You’re planning a workshop for an organization. You’re talking to the contact person about the objectives, and the contact person keeps talking about skipping the application so there’s more time to cover more content. I’ll be you’re frustrated.

Draw out, don’t put in

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-01-15T08:24:23+09:00

You want to help others pursue God’s calling, so you give advice. But it doesn’t really help. Sound familiar? Instead of putting advice in, try drawing out.

Define your goals

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-12-13T07:34:58+09:00

You’re focusing on working smart, not hard. And you want to move forward on this. Good.

What can you do? Define your goals. How? By making your goals SMART.

Think big

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-10-15T11:37:41+09:00

Want to work smart? Think big. To get an idea of how you can think big, take the following self-assessment.

Clearly communicate results

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-08-24T11:22:35+09:00

You’re in the staff lounge, and the basketball coach walks in.

You: How’d the game go last night?
Coach: Pretty well.

Do right things first

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-08-22T12:06:22+09:00

Imagine: You have arrived safely and on time—which is important because your wife, who is in the car, is in labor. You both wore seatbelts. You drove the speed limit and obeyed the traffic lights. You feel good—until you realize you are at the wrong hospital.

Share your thoughts about life and success

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-06-13T13:42:54+09:00

Encourage others to pursue their God-given calling. One way you can do this is by sharing your thoughts on life and success. Here are some of my thoughts.

Use a scorecard to “budgetize” your God-given mission

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-05-03T10:39:22+09:00

Your organization’s budget system works. Your organization uses common categories and common line items. Individuals track expenditures. Individual data is compiled into the overall budget. Your organization uses budget data to make decisions. What if your organization could do the same with its mission?

Your mission statement is a powerful tool—use it

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-10-26T11:46:13+09:00

Christian school staff know answers, know what the answers mean, and use the answers appropriately. Just ask Christian school staff, and you’ll find out.

It’s self-management, not time management

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-03-07T11:45:47+09:00

I don’t try to manage certain things. I don’t try to manage gravity. I don’t try to manage the revolution of the planets around the sun or the rotation of the earth on its axis. And I don’t try to manage sunrise or sunset.

Want increased results? Get coaching!

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-05-22T11:44:55+09:00

You want to achieve your God-given mission. To do so, you need increased results. And to get increased results, you have developed a plan.

What is success?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-07-14T11:44:29+09:00

Everyone wants success. The questions is, “What is success?” Defining success will help you work smart. Consider the following possibilities, develop your definition of success, and share your definition with colleagues.

Want to increase your productivity? Stop working!

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-10-04T11:44:05+09:00

That’s right. To increase your productivity, stop working. You have 167 unanswered emails in your inbox? Stop answering email.

Use curriculum mapping to increase CLASS

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-09-06T11:43:43+09:00

Working smart means mapping curriculum. And the good news is that mapping curriculum can help you increase CLASS.

Know when to lead

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-12-05T11:43:13+09:00

Kim Essenburg, Christian Reformed missionary and English 10 teacher at Christian Academy in Japan, reflects on leadership: Their 4 answers? Foot. Brain. Nose. Heart.

Use reflection to leverage your results

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-12-14T11:42:44+09:00

You: A couple of months ago, I made a real commitment to getting better results in my personal life and in my ministry. Me: What’s happened since you made your commitment?

Danglestalk

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-02-01T11:42:16+09:00

Dangle. Like a wind chime. Arms limp, hands open, feet air-perched. Fiercely await Wind.

Use MOSAIC compliments today to inspire others

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-03-19T11:40:37+09:00

Give others MOSAIC compliments, compliments that connect daily activity to the mission. Here are 3 examples.

Curriculum mapping helps

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-04-18T10:43:08+09:00

Tom Postema, department chair coordinator at Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ), describes how curriculum mapping helps CAJ.