Change
A wee video from a few years ago with Bryan Kerr and Donald McCorkindale in the context of the Church of Scotland General Assembly – about going paperless and making the most of electronic versions rather than printing off oddles of paper!
Yes you can scribble notes in the margins, stick in a post-it note! Yes, you can flick between several documents. Take time to become familiar with reading and using digital documents.
Change
All Zoomed out! Lots of online meetings on various platforms filling our days. But the most important meeting is a low tech offline one!
Are you making time for a meeting with yourself? Have you put it in your calendar and blocked off time to review, plan and priorise your day?
Below is my ‘Agenda’ for Morning and Evening meeting with self – and God.
I’m a big fan of AYOA and have used it for years to keep track of my projects and tasks – it may work well for you – it’s very visual, actually quite fun, and integrates with mind-mapping. The important thing is to have a trusted system – somewhere beyond your head to capture and process all the things that you have to do
Matters arising – any loose threads..?
At least half an hour now or scheduled for later today.
Change
“We need a sense of ownership.” How often do we hear that – or say that.
BUT, We tend to own things that other people create!
Authorship is better – get everyone involved – all the stakeholders in from the beginning – have everyone involved in co-creating the project, plan whatever.
And when we set up an event, have it all planned and then invite neighbouring congregations and denominations don’t give yourself an ecumenical clap on the back – it’s maybe welcoming and friendly… but true ecumenical working gets together from the start!
Brainstorming
I keep six honest serving men,
they taught me all I knew.
Their names are What and Why and When
and How and Where and Who
from The Elephant’s Child, Rudyard Kipling
Six Questions to ask about anything and everything?
Use them to brainstorm on your own or with a group
Further reading:
Brainstorming
It’s a silent G – pronounced ‘nim rots ny-arb’ No it’s not Gaelic! It’s Brainstorming reversed!
Instead of brainstorming around what you want to achieve… consider what you would do to ensure failure!
It really works well – people will talk much more freely because it’s fun and light hearted… it’s actually really creative and generative.
eg: how to ensure poor engagement with Christmas services.
Don’t advertise, tell everyone the church is closed, hide the minister’s iPad, sing unfamiliar carols, no decorations in Church… you get the idea
And then when you flip the ‘how not to’ ideas you will have loads of really helpful insights…
Next Brainstorm – whether in a group or on your own – do it in reverse…. Gnim rots niarb!
Bonus tip: it’s always good to have brainstormers do some storming on their own first so they ‘hear their own ideas’ before being drowned out by louder voices!
Change
Putting off until tomorrow is procrastination.
Putting off until a week on Thursday is strategic planning.
also check out: itsforministry.org/101-things-to-do
Change
Today 2nd June 2020 is World Mind Map Day! I’ve been an avid mind-mapper since the mid 1980s. During University studies which weren’t going too well, discovering mind-mapping transformed me from being on the brink of being ‘chucked out of Uni’ to turning in a piece of work to a lecturer who always said he marked out of 75% – and getting a 76%! It was a turning point in life! I completed the degree, and was able to help some other students to realise their greater potential too.
35 years on, I still mind map everything. Sermons, agendas, reports, shopping lists, brainstorms, decision making and so much more. It just works for me, it’s a brilliant thinking tool, mirroring the way the brain naturally works – making connections, linking ideas and keeping the big picture overview literally in mind.
www.tonybuzan.com is the go to place for all things mind mapping!
TED Talk: Hazel Wagner, explains mind mapping.
Change
Wassily Kandinsky’s best known painting is probably Color Study: Squares with concentric circles. Behind this superficially simple image ‘that any kid could paint’ lies years of experience, understanding and creativity.
Sometimes we have to allow our training and experience to find expression in simpler ways… engaging memorable ways.
Mark Twain is attributed with the thought, “my spontaneity has taken me years to prepare”
Often ministry appears to be in the simplest and ordinary things, shaped, influenced and informed by years of ongoing honing of our craft.
Change
www.itsforministry.org began life back in 2001 when internet hosting was very much a geeky thing in its infancy! Over the years it had hosted various bits and pieces and been a place to share ideas about Technology, Leadership and Change in a ministry context. Recently in Lockdown it became a useful place to share ideas as I and colleagues navigated the learning curve of moving the Church more online.
Part of that learning curve caused me to experiment, try various settings… and Oh dear… I broke the site… and didn’t have a back up.
Important tech tip number 1! Back up your work regularly!
Happy to report that www.itsforministry.org is up and running again and is sharing links, hints and tips on IT, tech, leadership and change in a ministry context…
If you are in a different field you may find many of the ideas and tips transfer – as I have gleaned much from the world of business, industry and other areas of life…
Change
Many many years ago, in Chicago Airport I think it was, I picked up a book that caught my eye. “How to be brilliant” by Michael Heppell. It was a brilliant read! I’ve read all the books he has published since, and even get a wee mention in the acknowledgements in “How to save an hour every day”! And about 15 years ago I attended one of his “Be Brilliant” day seminar events. His website https://www.michaelheppell.com is worth a look – and has lots of helpful pointers to a brilliant balanced life. I’m not sure I’ve got there yet – but keep moving forward!
Michael’s currently doing “How to be Brilliant” online on FaceBook. It started pre-Covid19 – Brilliant timing! Part of my new routine includes Michael’s “Magic Monday”. Today he put out a #300 challenge… which I rise to and will write at least 300 words for this site each day this week, and will promote the site aiming at 300 hits this week. Perhaps you would appreciate joining Michael’s How to be brilliant FaceBook Group – consider yourself invited!
Be brilliant… be blessed… and be a blessing…
Donald
