The People Puzzle

I had the opportunity to attend a workshop today for Christian school administrators. It was sponsored by the Ohio River Valley district of the Association of Christian Schools International. The keynote speaker for the conference was Phil Tuttle, President and CEO of Walk Thru the Bible Ministries. He shared four, one-hour sessions on the topic, “Solving the People Puzzle,” which focused on building stronger relationships.

The material was good; Phil's delivery was humorous and yet effective; and the personal insights gained were numerous. The content of this blog will not be an attempt to convey a summary of the workshops, but rather to share a few quotable quotes and nuggets of truth that I took away from the conference.

For example, as Phil was sharing about the importance of using our strengths within ministry, he referred to the satisfaction that we often experience when we are exercising our God-given gifts. Sometimes the expectations of a position or the requirements of certain responsibilities demand large amounts of time and energy. But, when we are doing what God has wired us to do, the fatigue that often accompanies the sacrifice is balanced by the impact of our effectiveness. Phil said, “There is a big difference between being tired in the work as opposed to being tired of the work.” I thought this insight was worth writing down – being tired in the work is an indicator that I am exactly where I should be....using the gifts I have been given in an optimal setting. Being tired of the work indicates just the opposite – being employed outside of my strengths... missing the sweet-spot where passion, gifts and opportunity come together.

A second nugget of gold was found during a discussion of leadership. Leaders that are determined to succeed and driven toward their vision listen with a unique set of ears. Phil shared that this type of leader hears the word no differently than others. When the determined leader hear that word, he/she has the following ear-set: “No doesn't mean no; it means keep talking.” I appreciate the resolve to which Phil was referring – that refusal to give up because someone has rejected your idea... the determination to continue striving even when the path takes a unexpected turn...the strengthening of the pace when the race gets difficult. Most leaders (if not every leader) have been rejected and told no. The key to success is often what the leader does with that discouragement.

Third, a rather humorous quote that I recorded today came in the midst of a discussion around the topic of complainers (parents or faculty or even students) who want the school to completely change a policy or procedure to meet his/her personal preference. Sometimes the comment is made like, “lots of us have been talking and we feel that ….” or “I think if you would survey the student body you would discover that ….” Phil shared that there were many times that he felt like saying to such people, “This school is not a democracy – it is an autocracy and I am Otto.” This is not the statement of a servant leader but I sure identify with the frustration that often accompanies trying to explain school culture to some stakeholders.

The fourth nugget was another quote. Phil was sharing about organizational skills and the value of attending to details; he also warned about the dangers of perfectionism. Wanting to be right and to do right and to provide quality within our schools is a strength for many leaders. But he challenged us to beware of overdoing the detail to the place of paralysis. He said, “Perfectionism is the thief of joy!” With this characteristic (perfectionism) flowing through my veins from time to time, this statement rang in my ears with the song of sobriety.

My final take-away from today's conference came from Phil's talk on confrontation. Confrontation is difficult for most people, but some leaders have more of an aversion to it than others. One leader that attempted to avoid tension and sidestep confrontation came to the conclusion that ignoring confrontation only lead to train wreaks and major explosions. So, this leader made it a habit to enter his office first thing in the morning and review the most difficult thing facing him that day... then he did that first, in order not to avoid the difficult tasks via the pitfall of procrastination.

All in all....a pretty productive day. Several concepts to contemplate....a few gems to treasure...a tool or two for the administrative kit...now all I have to do is remember them and apply then at the right time.