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March 15, 2012: Volume 1, Number 10
In This Issue
CONDITIONING FOR THE COURSE: How to be a Pace-Setting Leader
Feature: "WHO SAID WHAT?"
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
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CONDITIONING FOR THE COURSE Pace-Setting Leadership

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Tom shook his head in disbelief. On Sunday he announced the choir director's resignation. On Monday, three congregation members had called to ask why the choir director had been fired. Had Tom been unclear in sharing the staff change? How had his messaged been skewed so badly?

Tom is not alone. You've probably experienced the same phenomenon: a message changes as it passes from one person to another, often resulting in confusion or hurt.

But healthy leaders can take steps to combat cascading messages. In this issue's feature, "Who Said What?", learn how you and your team can be equipped to represent messages well, rather than allow them to cascade.
Dalton and Vicki 12/10
A few spots are still open for the April Spiritually Healthy Leader� workshop on pace-setting leadership. Don't wait to register. 

 

Keep growing!

 

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Dalton and Vicki
CONDITIONING FOR THE COURSE:
How to Be a Pace-Setting Leader
"How can I know I'm embracing God's vision for my life ... or simply following the direction I want to go?" We get that question all the time.
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No matter what your circle of influence -- home, the workplace, the community --  you can know that your goals align with God's and lead others to do the same. During April's Spiritually Healthy Leader� workshop, Conditioning for the Course, you'll learn how to identify God's vision for your life and put it into action positively and creatively.

The workshops are not closed small groups; registration is OPEN. Best of all, the series is flexible. You can select one or all or a combination throughout 2012. Consider bringing your ministry team to the Conditioning for the Course workshop on April 12. Learn more about SHL� WorkshopsRegister now.
featureFeature:   "Who Said What?"
Jenna and her friends sat in a circle to play a game. Jenna started by whispering a secret to Brandon, who was seated next to her. The others couldn't hear Jenna and she could tell the secret only once. The secret was a simple sentence: "Mike really likes stuffed green giraffes."

women whispering to each otherBrandon repeated the secret to the guest next to him, with only one chance to say it correctly. And so it continued around the circle.  Finally, the last person reported to the group what she heard: "Mark retches loudly when Stella laughs."

Everyone giggled behind their hands. Stella glanced around nervously. Then she burst into tears.

Jenna's friends demonstrate a common problem among both children and adults: a message can change as it is passes from one person to another. By the time a message reaches the end of its stream, the end result often bears no resemblance to the original.

Sound familiar?

Cascading messages can wreak conflict in an organization and hurt in relationships. (Imagine Stella's humiliation.) But you can proactively build healthy communication in your home, your office, your small group, or your organization. Take these steps to equip people around you to represent messages well.
  1. Simplify. Make your message clear and concise. Send just one point per message. Clarity diffuses confusion.
  2. Verify. Ask people to repeat the message back to you to confirm it before they pass it along.
  3. Test. After you've sent a message, spend time in the middle of the chain to understand what is heard and what is passed along. You'll discover at what point in the chain your messages are changing. Then you can set about correcting those weaker links.
The enemy desires mixed-up messages. It's one of his favorite tools - one he uses to breed divisiveness.

God, on the other hand, is not a God of confusion but always encourages truth. He can enable you to inspire well-ordered communication that builds up relationships, rather than tearing them down.

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Growth Point


Simplify, verify, and test your messages.

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Scripture


For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33, RSV)


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Prayer Points

  • How can I simplify my messages so they are less subject to confusion?
  • What are some ways I might have to work to fix weaker links in my message chain?
  • It can be tempting to blame others for poor messaging. How can I be part of the solution?
What People Are Saying ...
"You two are so awesome together in JESUS. Thank you so much for coming to Holy Cross [and presenting two workshops] with an open heart, sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. I look forward to begin unpacking the two seminars in various ways, personally and with the staff and top leaders."

Scott Perry, Senior Pastor
Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Los Gatos, CA

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