Virtual Regeneration

Seven Principles For Every Project

by Rick Warren

As a pastor, you need to be able to put together projects efficiently and effectively. Whether you are starting a new church, planning a new ministry, opening a new building – or just preparing for next weekend’s services, you need to mobilize people on a common task. That’s leadership in a nutshell.

Nehemiah, a great biblical model of leadership, had a monster project on his hands when he returned to Jerusalem to help rebuild the wall of his ravaged city, Jerusalem. And he did it. How he tackled that project can give us insight on how to handle our own ministry projects. When we look at his rebuilding plan, seven key principles he adhered to become clear.

1. The principle of simplification
Nehemiah kept his plan simple. He didn't randomly assign jobs; he didn't create a whole new organization; and he didn't force any complex charts.

He kept his plan very simple. He organized around natural groupings of people already associating together, such as the priests, the men of Jericho, and the sons of Hassenaah. The point is: don't create an organization if you don't need it. If an organization already naturally exists, try to work through it and with it. Sometimes a new leader comes into a situation, and the first thing he does is start changing the whole organization. Think: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The simplest organizations are strong organizations.

2. The principle of participation
It’s a pretty simple rule: work with those who want to work. Amazingly, a lot of leaders never learn this principle. They spend all their time trying to corral the lazy and the apathetic, instead of working with those who want to work. I call that corralling goats.

Look at what Nehemiah did. He got almost everybody involved in the building of the wall. He had the clerics, the goldsmiths, the perfume makers – men and women, city and country folk. Everybody was moving bricks and making mortar.

But there was one exception. "Next were the people from Tekoa, though their leaders refused to help." (Neh. 3:5 NLT)

Nehemiah’s response was to ignore the shirkers.

In every situation you’re going to have workers and shirkers. Nehemiah just ignored the latter and focused on those who were willing to work. He didn't lose sleep, get bitter, or waste time trying to corral them. If you're a leader, don’t worry about people who don't want to get involved. Focus on those people who want to get involved.

When I first started Saddleback, I didn't know this lesson. Every time we planned a project, a work party, or an event, people would show up, yet I would still be disappointed by all the people who didn’t show up. God finally showed me that I should get excited about those who came!

3. The principle of delegation
When you're organizing, you should make specific assignments. Think about what would have happened if, after Nehemiah's pep rally when he got everyone excited, he then said, "Just go start working wherever you want to work." That wouldn't have worked!

Instead, Nehemiah divided the wall into sections when he did his midnight ride. He kept it simple, and then he delegated specific assignments.

When you delegate:

• Break down major goals into smaller tasks. When we started Saddleback, I made everybody a committee of one. Each of us had assignments. One person managed the printing of the bulletins while another set up the nursery. Everybody had a specific task.
• Develop clear job descriptions. Your workers deserve to know what is expected.
• Match the right person with the right task. The wrong person in the wrong task causes chaos. It causes all kinds of motivational problems. Delegating is more than just passing off work. You need to understand what the task is all about and what the person is good at, and then get them together.
• Everybody's responsibility is nobody's responsibility. Somebody needs to assume specific responsibility.

4. The principle of motivation
When you organize any project, help people “own” it. In Nehemiah, you see again and again men making repairs near their houses. If you lived in Jerusalem, where would you be most interested in building the wall? Probably by your house!

Allowing for ownership in a project helps increase motivation. I think Nehemiah is also saying, "Make the work as convenient as possible." Nehemiah allowed people to work in their area of interest. That's a key principle of organization – good organizations allow workers to develop their own areas.

5. The principle of cooperation
B.C. Forbes, the man who founded Forbes magazine, said, "You spell success: T-E-A-M-W-O-R-K." Cooperation is a key principle to good organization. I read recently that geese can fly 72 percent farther when they're in formation than when they fly by themselves.

When we cooperate together, when there is teamwork, there is great growth. Cooperation is a greater motivator than competition, and it lasts because you feel like you're together on a winning team.

Good organizations provide a supportive climate of trust and teamwork. In the Bible, when referring to Christians in the church, the phrase "one another" is used 58 times. It's as if God's saying, "Get the message! Help each other!" There is no such thing as Lone Ranger Christians. We are together in this. We're a team. There is tremendous power in cooperation.

God can overlook almost anything in a church, but God will not overlook disunity. In the first 10 chapters of Acts, 10 times it says, "they were of one accord … of one heart … unified." When you have unification like they did in Acts, you’ll have the power of Acts.

Snow is a beautiful demonstration of what God can do with a bunch of flakes. Snowflakes are pretty frail, but if enough of them stick together they can stop traffic. Alone, I couldn’t have made much of an impact on the Saddleback Valley, but together, the Saddleback Church family has touched tens of thousands.

6. The principle of administration
Even after you delegate, you must supervise the work. Nehemiah walked the line, inspecting the work. Tom Peters, in his book Passion for Excellence, calls it MBWA - Management By Walking Around.
Nehemiah knew which part each man built because he went out, checking up on people. This also allowed him to find out what was going on.

Good organizations establish clear lines of authority. People do what you inspect not what you expect.

7. The principle of appreciation
Good leaders give recognition. For instance, Nehemiah knew the names of those working on the wall, and I think that's a mark of a good leader. He even listed them in his book, and now here we are thousands of years later, and pastors across the world are mispronouncing the names of Nehemiah’s helpers. He cared enough to recognize these men and women for their work.

Do you know who's doing a good job in your organization?

If you do, are you telling them they're doing a good job?    

Nehemiah had a huge task in front of him when he organized people to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. Yet he did it. God gave Nehemiah a plan with these seven principles for a reason – they work.

What project can you use them on?

Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick is author of the New York Times best seller The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church, which was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th Century. He is also founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for ministers. Copyright 2007 Pastors.com, Inc. All rights reserved.

Quotes of the Week

I came across these quotes this past week and thought you would like them too.

"Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won't, so you can spend the rest of your life like most people can't."     - Author Unknown -

"Success is a journey, not a destination." - Ben Sweetland -

"Some people dream of great accomplishments, while others stay awake and do them." - Constance Newman -

And my absolute favorite........

                            "Save the World, after all, its the only planet with chocolate!"

                                                           - Author Unknown -

Business Lessons Learned At The Mall

By Tim Knox

Normally in this column I dispense highly-intelligent small business advice in response to thought-provoking questions submitted by future and fellow entrepreneurs.  This week, however, I have a couple of questions for myself, one of which makes me wonder how truly intelligent I really am.

Q: Dear Me, I recently took my teenage daughter shopping at the mall.  The experience raised two questions.  (1) What business lessons might be learned from such a foray into teen commerce; and (2) What the heck was I thinking?
-- Sincerely, Me.

A: Dear Me, great questions!  Let me answer them in reverse order since the second question is probably the one causing you the most concern. 

What was I thinking? 

Only the good Lord knows.  I vaguely recall complaining that my fifteen-year-old daughter, who we’ll call “Chelsea” (because that’s her name), didn’t spend enough time with her dear old dad anymore. 

It’s a complaint that every dad of a teenage girl formerly known as “my baby” has made at one time or another.   I also recall my insightful wife telling me that if I wanted to spend time with Chelsea now that she was a teenager I would have to do it in her element, which happens to be any large structure with the word “Mall” on the side. 

A fitting analogy would be that if you want to spend time with a moody tiger you have to go into the jungle to do it. 

No offense to my mall merchant brothers and sisters, but a trip into the deepest jungle is more appealing to me than a trip to the mall.  I get no joy out of trudging from store to store, attempting to communicate with salespeople from other planets, browsing discount racks of last season’s dollar merchandise and peering into windows at mannequins that seem to be in some sort of inanimate pain (why can’t they make a happy mannequin?).   

Bottom line: I’m a guy.  It is programmed deep within my genetic code to hold such things in high disregard.  But so strong is my love for my daughter that I pushed my true feelings aside and off we went to the mall last Saturday morning.  I called it, “Driving the green mile…”

I was perfectly fine walking through Sears (a real man’s store).  I held my own when we cruised through Spencer’s Gifts (I found the Ozzy Osborne bobble-head doll to be quite life-like), but when we walked into one of those stores that specialize in clothing and accessories for the younger generation my psyche all but shutdown.   Within minutes I found myself standing at the back of the store holding my daughter’s purse while she tried on small swatches of material that the store was trying to pass off as clothing.   

It was there, standing among the mopey mannequins and teeny-tiny underwear and designer nose rings, that I realized I was witnessing good old American commerce at work.

This leads us back to the first question:  are there business lessons to be learned from a trip to the mall?   As the young folks would say, “Dude, definitely!”   

The following observations can be applied to most businesses, not just to retailers that cater to Generation Why.

Know Thy Customer Well.   
Not just from a demographic standpoint, but up close and personal.  Even from my limited vantage point behind the rack of neon tube tops it was easy to identify the store’s typical customer: young, hip females; ages mid-teens to mid-twenties.  They wandered through in groups of twos and threes.  I suppose that going to the restroom in public and shopping are the two things females must do in groups.  It makes perfect sense when you realize that for teenage girls (and many grown women, I’m told) shopping is a social activity, an excursion to be taken with friends.  The smart retailers know this and design their stores to be as much a social hot spot as a retail establishment.  From the hip/cool music blaring from the overhead speakers to the hip/cool young sales dudes to the hip/cool posters on the walls to the hip/cool selection of merchandise, this store was a teenage girl’s retail heaven on earth.

Target Your Product To A Growing Customer Base. 
Teens represent one of the fastest-growing segments of the consumer population, registering a growth of 16.6% between 1990 and 2000.  Teens also wield significant buying power - both in their own right and in the context of their family purchasing decisions.  Recent studies have shown that teenagers age 15 to 19 spend as much as $100 per week, much of it on clothing and accessories.  That’s why this expanding segment of the buying public is increasingly being targeted by smart marketers like Old Navy, The Gap, The Buckle, Pac Sun, and many others.  As the old business saw goes, “Sniff for money, then follow your nose.”

Provide Great Customer Service. 
I’ve preached this sermon before.   Know what your customer expects and always over-deliver.  Cater to their whims.  Ask their name and use it with respect.  Make them feel like your friend, not your meal ticket.  Make their experience a good one and they will return.

Good Employees Make All The Difference. 
Hire enthusiastic people and train them well.  The manager of this store, who looked sixteen but privately professed to be twenty-six, was one of the best salesmen I have ever seen.  He dressed like his customers.  He spoke their language.  He knew their likes and dislikes.  He was well-versed on fashion trends.  He pointed out things that might be of interest to them and immediately agreed with whatever their opinion was. 

“You’d look great in this shirt,” he told a giggling gaggle of girls.  It didn’t seem to matter that he wasn’t speaking to any one of them in particular.  They all giggled some more and trotted off to the fitting rooms to try on shirts.  You could almost hear the cash register ring.

Upsell, Upsell, Upsell. 
Millions of dollars have been made by asking one simple question:  “Do you want fries with that?”  When it came time to checkout the young manager went into upsell mode by saying things like, “That’s a great shirt you’re buying… we have a really cool pair of shorts to match that!  These earrings are on sale.  They would look awesome with that necklace you’re wearing!” 

My daughter giggled and blushed with each compliment – slash - sales pitch and if I had not been the one holding the credit card, she would have bought everything he was selling.

During the ride home Chelsea made the defining comment of the day.

“What a great store!  I bet they sell a lot more stuff because of that cute sales guy!”

Business wisdom from the mouths of babes… 

I should’ve had sons.

Tim Knox is an entrepreneur, author, humorist, and speaker. Visit www.timknox.com for more information

The Entrepreneur’s Checklist

By Tim Knox

I was asked the other day what personality traits I thought were important to entrepreneurial success.  I gave the standard reply about passion and perseverance and hard work, but after giving it some thought I later came up with my own top ten list for entrepreneurial success. This is by no means a definitive list, but I’d be willing to wager that if you don’t have at least a majority of these traits, your chances of business success will be greatly diminished.

You must be self motivated.  If you don’t have the wherewithal to bounce out of bed each day without your spouse drenching you with cold water, chances are you don’t have the self motivation or discipline required to be an entrepreneur.  Business demands that you take action based solely on your own volition.  You have to motivate yourself to pick up the phone and make sales calls.  You have to motivate yourself to get in the car and visit customers.  You have to do a hundred things every day that will not get done unless you make yourself do them.

You should have experience in the type of business you plan to start.  If you can’t locate your car’s engine you have no business buying a oil change franchise.  The most successful business owners have prior experience in the industry in which they have set up shop. Consider working in an industry at least part time for a year before jumping in with both feet.

You can’t be afraid of hard work.   If you think working for someone else is hard work, try starting your own business.  You will be required to give every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears you can muster.  You will have to work long hours and be on call 24/7, at least in the beginning.  If the mere thought of hard work makes you tired, maybe you should just keep your cushy day job.

You need the support of your family.   The first question I ask anyone who tells me they want to start a business is: “What does your spouse think?”   When you start a business you may have to spend more time away from the family than you like.  The business may also put a strain on you financially.  You will have enough obstacles in your way without having to worry if you have the support of your family and those closest to you

You must be able to climb back on the horse.  One of my favorite sayings about business is: “If it was easy, everybody would do it.”   Starting a business is hard work and the odds for failure are against you in the first few years.  If you want to ride herd on your own business, you must be willing to fall off your horse a few times without giving up.

You must have a thick skin.  If your feelings are easily hurt, keep your non-threatening day job because business is not for you.   Many days in business, rejection waits around every corner and you must be able to handle rejection without letting it beat you down.  You will experience rejection from customers, business partners, bankers, and investors, just to name a few. 

You must interact well with others. Being a business owner means that you will have daily interaction with a variety of people, from your own employees to vendors to customers to investors.  You must have the ability to effectively manage people without offending them; the ability to accept good advice from mentors and politely discount the bad; the ability to overlook mistakes or quietly rectify them; and the one I have trouble with: the ability to tolerate incompetence without losing your cool (at least not on the outside).

The deeper your pockets the better.  The number one cause of business failure is a lack of money.  Before you start your business you should have enough capital to see you through the first year or until the business can sustain itself.

You must be able to delegate.  Running a business requires the performance of dozens of simultaneous tasks and it’s foolish to try to handle them all yourself.  You must surround yourself with partners and employees whom you can trust to perform these tasks as you would yourself. If you can’t dish out responsibility without worrying over the result, your business growth will be pretty limited.

Previous business ownership is a plus.  Prior business ownership is not a prerequisite, but it can’t hurt.  Many successful entrepreneurs have the skeletons of past businesses rattling around in their closet.  Business is a lot like marriage: you learn a lot of things on the first one that may come in handy the second time around.  You can see why I didn’t go into marriage counseling.

Tim Knox is an entrepreneur, author, humorist, and speaker. Visit www.timknox.com for more information

Email Attachments

If you are like me, your in-box is filled with emails that have several attachments to each of them.  And, if you are like me, you are spending way too much time clicking on each attachment and saving them to your computer individualy.  But did you know that you don’t have to save them one by one. Microsoft Outlook allows you to save all the attachments simultaneously! (this was one of my DUH! moments)

Just follow these steps:

1. Open the e-mail containing multiple attachments.
2. From the pull-down menu in Microsoft Outlook, click File > Save Attachments.
3. When the dialog box opens with the attachments listed, click OK.
4. Browse to the folder where you want to save the files, and then click OK.

Why is it that its the simple things in life that always seem to elude us?  Please tell me I am not the only one who didnt already know this!

Are You Mentor Material?

By Tim Knox

Q: I’ve been approached by a young man who asked if I would be his mentor.  I’m flattered by his interest, but I’m not sure I’m cut out to be a mentor.  In your opinion what makes a good mentor? 
-  Kenneth P.

The mentor/mentee relationship is very much like that of a parent and child.  The younger, less experienced child mentee will look to you, the older, more experienced parent mentor, for guidance, wisdom and advice.    They will come to you with questions and expect you to have all the answers.  They will bring to you their problems and expect you to solve them. And if you don’t give them the attention they think they deserve they may pout and complain about you to all their friends.

In short, if kids get on your nerves, Kenneth, don’t even think about being a mentor.  Buy a goldfish or even better, a rubber plant.  They require far less attention and everyone will be much happier in the long run.

Typically, there are three things every good mentor should have: time, patience, and a genuine desire to help another person succeed without expecting anything in return.   If you have an abundance of those things, then being a mentor can be a highly rewarding experience.  If not, please see the rubber plant reference above. 

Why do some people make excellent mentors while others do not?  It’s all about motive.   Are your reasons for being a mentor unselfish or are they self indulgent?  Are you considering becoming a mentor because you truly feel that a mentee might benefit from your wisdom and experience or is it because you like being the center of someone else’s adoration?   

You should not become a mentor just to feed your own ego because you will be doing your mentee a great injustice because there will be no give and take to the relationship.  I know many successful entrepreneurs who consider themselves mentors, but truth be told they simply revel in holding court and having younger entrepreneurs hang on their every word as if its gospel.  They care less about hearing their mentee’s questions than they do about hearing the sound of their own voice. 

As my mama would say, “If you talk just to hear your own head rattle,” then mentoring is not for you.

One of the keys to a successful mentor/mentee relationship is to set some ground rules and stick to them.   Sit down with your prospective mentee and discuss the expectations of both parties, i.e. what do you and the mentee expect to get out of the relationship?  It’s a given that the mentee is seeking your time, wisdom and advice, but if you as the mentor don’t also get some kind of mental satisfaction your interest in the relationship will quickly wane.

Discuss how often you will get together.  Will you meet for lunch once a week or for an hour in your office several times a month?  It is important that you create an actual meeting schedule and stick to it.  Without a set schedule life will get in the way and you will cancel more meetings than you attend.

Next, set some guidelines and limitations. How often can your mentee call?  Is it OK for them to call your cellphone or should they go through your secretary?  Can they drop by the office anytime? Can they call you at home after 5pm?

Set some goals for the mentee.  Assign them homework, give them a task.  The relationship must be more than just chewing the fat.  The point is to help the mentee grow, personally and professionally.  Give them a list of books to read. Recommend seminars they should attend.  Have them outline their business goals in writing, then you set milestones and hold them accountable for reaching them.

From your side of the fence, don’t be afraid to share your successes and failures.  Let your experience be their guide.  Help them identify opportunities and avoid pot holes that you may have hit along the way. Don’t be embarrassed to tell the truth, especially if it can keep your mentee from making the same mistakes you did.

As a mentor you should also introduce your mentee into your circle of friends and associates.  Sponsor them into Rotary, take them to luncheons, and introduce them to others who might also help their careers.

Being a good mentor also means that you are a confidant; your mentee will share not only his business problems and goals, but also his personal feelings, his secrets, his plans, and his angst.   Respect the mentee’s privacy.  Your discussions should not be fodder for your next poker night.  When something is told in confidence, respect that or get out of the mentor business.

One final point, a successful mentor/mentee relationship should not be a temporary relationship, but one that in ongoing, that grows and evolves until the day you are no long mentor and mentee, but peers.

My own mentor, who probably has no clue that he holds that spot in my life, started out as an investor in one of my companies.  As our business relationship grew so did our friendship and I found myself calling on him many times for advice.  We eventually became business partners and today we are peers.   

I tell him he is the entrepreneur I want to be when I grow up. 

He tells me to shut up and pay for lunch. 

That’s how the process should work.

Tim Knox is an entrepreneur, author, humorist, and speaker. Visit www.timknox.com for more information