by Gary Reinecke | Apr 14, 2017 | Uncategorized |
Correct me if I’m wrong – but the image above represents a picture that many of us have in mind when it comes to creative & innovative thinking.
- a higher level of intelligence
- an experience that triggers a new discovery
- a last name like Jobs, Einstein or Da Vinci (does not hurt).
On the contrary, when you look closely at, you discover a muscle that, when exercised, can achieve extraordinary results.
A leader I was coaching, was contemplating ways to reinforce the missional values of his 7 year-old church. As he brainstormed ideas, the thought of sharing stories rose to the surface. Initially, interviewing people in the congregation, sounded like a good possibility. When challenged to think outside the box, he pondered the power of having an “outsider” (person who had been blessed by the ministry of people from the church) share his/her experience of being on the receiving end. The light bulb went on! This captured“why” the church is doing “what” they are doing. Over time, the “outsiders” inevitably explore the motive behind these selfless acts of kindness that are positively impacting the local parks, athletic teams, schools, business leaders and neighborhoods.
This idea did not come from a higher level of intelligence. Nor was it triggered by some extraordinary experience. By the way, the leader’s last name is Pope. If you would like to develop your muscles, or help those you coach, check-out the Creativity & Innovation Skill Builder under the menu with the same title. Here is the story of tranformation how the Sunnyside High School baseball team was blessed by God’s Generosity through the missional community members (Groves), anchored in Sequoia Church in Fresno, CA.
by Gary Reinecke | Apr 11, 2017 | Uncategorized |
To continue on the theme of disciplemaking movements this year, I propose a guiding question for you and those you coach:
What is getting in your way, to make disciples – who make disciples?
Reflect on that for a moment. What is your next step? …for those you coach?
I look forward to reading your response below.
by Gary Reinecke | Mar 18, 2017 | Coach Training, Leader Development, Personal Development, Uncategorized |
I rely on trusted and reliable feedback in my coaching, training & consulting.
One practice I’ve found helpful is to administer a brief survey at the conclusion of my coaching relationships, for instance. Based on that input I gain a sense of where my strengths and weaknesses lie.
Not surprisingly, executives (including pastors, church planters & missionaries) also value feedback. I read an article written by David F. Larcker, Stephen Miles, Brian Tayan, Michelle E. Gutman – published by The Miles Group and Stanford University. August 2013 (used with permission) that highlighted this point. The 2013 Executive Coaching Survey suggests:
Nearly 66% of CEOs do not receive coaching or leadership advice from outside consultants or coaches, while 100% of them stated that they are receptive to making changes based on feedback.
Feedback can be helpful. But it is really up to the individual what she/he does with it. If the data confirms the evidence then leaders will respond accordingly. In contrast, if that leader does not resonate with the feedback, then it is wise to reject it.
Let me give a quick example what I mean. I am coaching a young, competent leader. When we reviewed the feedback from a 360 degree assessment on his leadership effectiveness (see the Leadership menu) there were gaps between himself, his supervisor and his colleagues. Further, the gaps were not in a favorable direction. In other words, his self-perception was consistently higher, in several areas (I like it when it is the other way)! In response, this young leader took a curious approach. Curious what the variance in scores represented. And a proactive posture to address those variances in practical ways. Instead of making excuses, he determined to take action.
Remaining open to feedback is not always easy – but is an important trait of effective leaders.
by Gary Reinecke | Mar 10, 2017 | Uncategorized |
To continue on the theme of disciplemaking movements this year, I propose a guiding question for you and those you coach:
Who are you blessing in your community?
Reflect on that for a moment. What is your next step? …for those you coach?
I look forward to reading your response below.
by Gary Reinecke | Feb 13, 2017 | Church Growth, Church Multiplication, Coach Training, Disciplemaking, Leader Development, Uncategorized |
It is easy to get excited about coaching or a training initiative without understanding the true impact.
How many times have you heard colleagues discuss a new training process or coaching resource? And then get partway through the experience without understanding the impact on you or your organization. Wouldn’t it be worthwhile to consider the potential Return on Investment (ROI) before you start?
Consider a coaching relationship. When you or I establish a coach agreement we ask the leader to create goals. Over the course of the next year we work towards achieving those goals and assess the progress at the conclusion of our time together. Using the six levels described below you can see that we moved from Level 0 (scope, in my example) to Level 1 (reaction to the coaching process) to Level 2 (learning that occurred) to level 3 (applying the knowledge to the leader’s ministry).
There is a process to measure the ROI on training and coaching. Most of the coaching and training done in organizations settle for Level 1 or Level 2 evaluation – a few take it to Level 3. Here are the six levels:
- Level 0: Inputs
- Level 1: Reaction
- Level 2: Learning
- Level 3: Application
- Level 4: Impact
- Level 5: Return on Investment (ROI)
Review the descriptions above and consider a coaching or training process you are leading. Let’s say it is a leader development process that involves quarterly workshops with coaching in-between. Whatever it is that you are currently working on (developing small group leaders), or anticipate in the near future – what level of measurement are you incorporating in your process.
I’ve discovered that leaders are eager to know the ROI on some of the training and coaching that they are engaged. When they realize that it is possible to calculate and monetize the impact of their investment, it transforms the significance of the training/coaching because they are clear “why” they are making the investment.
Places where ROI is helpful:
- Organization-wide leader development training
- Coaching pastors, church planters, regional network leaders and movement leaders
- Coach training for church planting, parent church coaches or disciple-making movements
A helpful book on ROI, entitled “Show Me the Money” provides a more complete explanation. If you have questions, please e-mail InFocus for more information.
by Gary Reinecke | Jan 30, 2017 | Uncategorized |
How many times have you bought a highly recommended book just to let it collect dust on your shelf?
One of those books for me has been “The Fifth Discipline” by Peter Senge. This book has been and continues to be a strong proponent for creating a culture of coaching within an organization, whether it be a business, a church or mission agency. How is that you ask?
Let me explain the five disciplines of healthy organizational life according to Senge.
- Personal Mastery – is the discipline of continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision, of focusing our energies, of developing patience, and seeing reality objectively.
- Mental Models – are deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations, or even pictures or images that influence how we understand the world and how we take action.
- Shared Vision – involves the skills of unearthing shared “pictures of the future” that foster genuine commitment and enrollment rather than compliance.
- Team Learning – starts with “dialogue,” the capacity of members of a team to suspend assumptions and enter into a genuine “thinking together.”
- Systems Thinking – integrates the disciplines, fusing them into a coherent body of theory and practice.
With these as a framework for healthy team life, contemplate how the following might enhance your team.
- If you could help people continually see reality objectively.
- If you could challenge team members unpack their mental models.
- If you could engage people in a shared vision.
- If you could foster a value for team learning.
- If you could integrate these disciplines in a systematic way in your team…
What difference would it make?
I want to challenge you to pick-up the book. If it is on your shelf and you have already read it, browse the titles and subtitles or take note of text you highlighted. Now reflect on the points above and envision how the five disciplines might impact your team, organization, or ministry.
