The start of the calendar year is an excellent time to take a step back and look at the big picture.
To look at what you’re working on within your organization.
To look at who you’re working with at your ministry.
At Development and Leadership Coaching, we hear weekly from one organization or another that they want to make a significant hire, such as a Development Director.
Our advice?
Let’s talk it through.
There is a time and place for bringing in a Director of Advancement, but more times than not, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find you have talent right under your nose. The perfect fit, who already knows the ins and outs of your ministry, simply needs repositioning.
Think big picture.
Reinvention is innovation.
I define reinvention as making intentional decisions to eliminate, reduce, simplify, automate, or create work that exponentially increases your organization’s effectiveness, results, efficiency, or capacity.
The process of making intentional changes is significant. Most leaders we work with don’t stop long enough to step back and say, “Okay, what am I doing that’s not effective anymore? I’ve been doing it for ten years, and for eight of those years, it was great, but if I’m being honest, it’s not getting the results it used to. What are some things I’m doing with my organization that I can’t do anymore as the leader?”
Do a full accounting.
Create a list of all the work you do closest to those you serve.
List anything that fulfills your obligations, adds value, and communicates.
Write the list on a yellow legal pad – it doesn’t need anything fancy.
Next, list what helps maintain your systems and internal workings.
Finally, craft a list of ten things to eliminate. Rank them in order, easiest to most painful to surrender.
Ask yourself, what are the tasks that only you can do?
Hold onto those.
Let go of the rest.
Therein lies the innovation. These lists become the job descriptions of your repositioned team members.
The potential is in the process of reinvention.
Imagine the possibilities if your organization as a whole walked through this self-inventory. Limitless innovation is yours for the taking!
Keep moving forward.
Let’s stay in touch via text. I want to hear from you and encourage you along in your leadership journey this year!