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Brainstorm Session – Step 3 In A Strategic Ministry Plan

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brainstorming

This is number 3 in a series of 5 posts that outline a process for creating a strategic plan for ministry in your business.

So far in this series, we have crafted a mission statement that states, from an eternal perspective, why our business exists. We have also counted the various categories of people that will come into contact with our business on some level and identified them as our mission field.

In this post, we will look at how we, in the course of doing business, minister to those in our mission field in a way that impacts them for eternity.

Buck Knives Company

Probably the best example I can come up with is the Buck Knives Company. For decades, they have integrated the Gospel message into the course of business by including a small, printed Gospel testimony (pictured below) in the box with every product. As a result of years of doing this, they have multiple vertical file cabinets filled with letters and notes from customers that were touched by these Christ-centered messages.

ministry in business

So the question you must ask is this:

What is the true product of the Buck Knives Company, the knife or the Gospel message?

Let me ask you this…which one will last longer?

Brainstorm Session

This example from the Buck Knives Company aims to impact customers. What about employees and their families? What about your suppliers & vendors or any other groups we came up with when we identified our mission field? Well, that is what this step is all about. We have some brainstorming to do!

It is time to gather your team. Depending on your preference, you can include a large group of employees or you can start with your key people (that are bought in to the mission and vision). Depending on your size, you might even break into several groups. Either way, the point is to engage the participants in a creative session to determine opportunities and processes to minister to others while doing business.

This is a time for free-flowing ideas, not critique. That can come later.

Taking the three-fold definition of ministry I gave you in the last post (evangelism, discipleship, and service), encourage the participants to come up with ideas for each of the categories. You also may want to list the various mission field categories we identified last post (employees, customers, vendors, etc.) to help generate ideas.

The participants need to feel comfortable offering any idea that comes to mind, without the fear of rejection. This is a time for free-flowing ideas, not critique. That can come later. Any and every idea needs to come out. While one idea may later be scratched from the list for some reason, it may generate another idea that is a winner. Let them flow!

Expand Participation

While this is certainly a simple step in the process, don’t overlook it. Even if you start with your key people, I encourage you to later bring everyone into the process. You will likely get some ideas that would never have surfaced otherwise. Plus, you get much better buy-in when everyone is involved.

Now that you have your list of ideas, keep them handy. We will look at what to do with them in the next post. If you are interested, here is a list of 101 ministry ideas from C12 Group that you can use as thought starters. Feel free to implement any of them as well, but don’t use this list as an excuse to skip your brainstorming session!

Have you done this before? What were the results?

If not, are you willing to try it now?

When are you going to schedule it?

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Mission Field – Step 2 In A Strategic Ministry Plan

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This is number two in a series of posts on effective Strategic Ministry Planning for your business. In my last post, I described the value and characteristics of an effective mission statement for your company. Today, I will address the potential mission field for your company.  In business language, this is your target market or target audience.

mission field

Ministry Defined

In order to effectively determine where we are going to do ministry, I think it best we first define exactly what we mean by ministry. In this context, we are going to define ministry in three parts.

First is ministry in evangelism – leading those people without a saving faith in Jesus Christ to come to know Him. Not all people are wired for this type of ministry, but there are also people who are wired specifically for this type of ministry. These people cannot wait to share the love of Christ with someone else – friend or stranger.

Next is ministry in discipleship – helping those with faith in Jesus to grow in that faith. As Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 12, some are just gifted to teach. Some may enjoy doing so in a group while others may prefer a one-on-one discipling relationship. Either way, this is a critical part of ministry.

Finally is ministry in service – this consists of acts of love and kindness done in the name of Jesus. Just like some people are wired for evangelism and some are wired for teaching, this ministry requires those who embrace serving others.

Relational Ministry

When you think about it, the best ministry for Christ (regardless of which category) is done in relational contacts. God created us as relational beings. Look at Genesis 2:18 where He says it is not good for Adam to be alone. We need each other, therefore our ministry needs to be relational in the same way.

As a result of this line of thinking, we can see that every relational contact in the course of doing business is an opportunity to do ministry. Let’s take a look at a method of determining these mission field opportunities.

Mission Field

Courtesy of the C12 Group, we can use this Marketplace Mission Field worksheet (click to open in separate window and print out) to identify just how many opportunities your company has for ministry in a year.

Employees

    Employees– How many part-time and full-time employees do you have in your company? Do not count them in the same way you might for a financial report (0.5 for part-time or using Full Time Equivalents). If it is a person that gets compensated for their work, count them as one!
    Family Members– How many family members do your employees have in their households? Count them all! If you don’t know, just figure 1.5 family members per employee as an estimate.
    Applicants– How many applicants do you have in a given year? Consider all jobs and all applicants – whether online, by phone, or in person. If they inquire about a job with your company, count them.

Customers

    Current Customers– How many current customers does your company have? How many will you have this year?
    Past Customers– How many customers have you had in the past? In your database?
    Future Customers/Prospects– How many customers or prospects will look at your business this year? Even if you will not sell them, count them if they will have any contact with your company or any advertising from your company this year. Think about your website, trade shows, direct mail, flyers, etc. If they will get some impression of your business, they fall into this category.

Suppliers/Vendors

    Current– With how many suppliers and/or vendors are you currently doing business? Count the number of their individual employees that come into contact with your company, not the number of companies.
    Future (potential)– How many people come into your business in the period of a year to solicit your business (whether you do business with them or not)?

Others

    Competitors– How many individual contacts do you or your employees have with your competition? Some of these could actually fall under the vendor category as well. Don’t double count!
    Trade Associates– This category could include trainers, coaches, consultants, outside marketing reps, factory or franchise reps, etc. Count them all!
    Others– You may have thought of some not mentioned here. Add them in as well, but make sure to let me know what I missed. I want to add them to the template!

Total Opportunities

Now, all that is left is for you to total all of the above categories. Because of our website and the reach we have through nationwide vehicle searches, our number came to several million possible impressions! That is an unusually high number, but I bet your number is much higher than you were thinking before this exercise.

Folks, this is a real number representing the mission field opportunities you and your company will have in the next 12 months to impact people for eternity. Certainly, some of these will be greater opportunities than others. But regardless of the level of contact with your company, these are real people that could, in some way, see a different eternity simply because you decided to let God guide your business. How big is that?

Next time, we will begin to think about HOW we can impact this mission field.

What were you thinking before this exercise?

What was your company’s number?

Does that light a fire in your heart?

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Mission Statement – Step 1 In A Strategic Ministry Plan

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In the last post, I described how our company just began our Strategic Ministry Planning process. Using the C12 Group material from their Strategic Plan for Ministry seminar, I will take you through the 5 Step process to make this happen in your company. We will begin with the mission statement in this post and cover the next steps in future posts.

Mission Statement

Mission Statement

The first step in this process is crafting the mission statement. While the vast majority of large companies and corporations today have mission statements, the number of those statements that effectively achieve the true purpose of a mission statement is likely small.

Does This Describe Your Company?

Too many companies hire a consultant, take a couple of hours batting ideas around in a conference room, and come up with a nicely word-smithed sentence or two, using the latest industry buzz-words. Then they proudly print this statement on a poster or plaque and hang it in the lobby to impress customers.

If this describes your company, I apologize if it sounds harsh. I do not mean it that way. However, do you really think this type of mission statement is effective at guiding the company? How many employees use this type of statement on a daily basis to make decisions? How many even know what the mission statement is or why it is important? Right now is the time to change it!

If your company is different and is effectively using the mission statement, then congratulations! Consider your company among the best! If your company does not even have a mission statement, then now is the time to create one!

Various Methods

Some experts will tell you that your entire team has to come up with the mission statement. Others will say the number of participants is not important. You really have to figure this out on your own.

As for our company, I enlisted our leadership team made up of four key managers plus myself for the project. I brought my vision for the company in a couple of rough drafts and we went from there. Our final product effectively captured my vision, but was an improvement over my drafts.

The C12 material says this about mission statements:

They capture the organization’s purpose or fundamental reason for existing, stated in a way that resonates with both employees and customers.

5 Characteristics of an Effective Mission Statement:

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Short and easy to memorize[/typography] – A mission statement needs to completely capture the essence of the company, but it cannot be so long that employees cannot remember it or explain it easily. This one is from POS Insurance Company…

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Serving Him by serving you.[/typography]

If you expect it to be used as it should be, your company’s mission statement should be one carefully crafted sentence. The max should be two sentences. It should be easy to remember for every employee.

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Decision-making tool[/typography]– It should be able to be used effectively as a plumb line for making decisions on a day to day basis. Consider the mission statement of the Newport News Shipyard…

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]We build good ships here, at a profit if we can, at a loss if we must,
but always good ships.[/typography]

Clearly, this one can be used by employees to make decisions in every area of the business.

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Inspirational[/typography] – The mission statement should capture the heart and soul of your company. It should excite employees toward action in the direction it describes. Here is the C12 mission statement…

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]To change the world by bringing forth the Kingdom of God in the marketplace

through the companies and lives of those He calls to run businesses for Him.[/typography]

As this one does, it should reflect your company’s commitment and values. If it does not inspire you, who will it inspire?

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Sense of ministry[/typography] – This is obviously a characteristic that will not be true for all companies – only those committed to business as ministry. For these types of companies, the mission statement should reflect the call of the leader to Christ-centered ministry and inspire others to join in. Look at this one from the Martin Newby Management Corp….

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Sharing the love of Christ while providing unique management services for the manufactured housing industry.[/typography]

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Timeless[/typography] – Rather than changing with technology and markets, an effective mission statement should be timeless. It should endure the fads that come and go, providing guidance over the long term. I like this one from Pruett Builders…

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Sharing the love of Christ while building homes and relationships with excellence.[/typography]

Combining your company’s core purpose and values into an integrated and memorable mission statement is as challenging as it is important! An effective and often-used mission statement can inspire and direct team members to a worthy goal, while its absence leads nowhere.

Do you have an effective mission statement?

If so, are you maximizing its impact in your company?

If the answer is no to either question, are you ready to start?

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Do You Have A Strategic Plan…for Ministry?

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When was the last time you worked on your strategic plan for any portion of your business?  How much time did you take to do that?  How many people were involved in the process?  What were the results?  Do you think it was time well spent?

Strategic Planning

Quarterly Planning Session

For our company, the last time was this past week (Tues-Thurs).  We spent several hours over several days leading up to Wednesday in drafting rough plans for our 4th Quarter Strategic Planning session.  We went off-site all day Wednesday for the actual session.  Then we spent Thursday compiling the notes and finalizing our plans.

I think we spent a total of 20 hours with various combinations of 15 people.  I figure it was a total of roughly 200 man-hours for our quarterly planning.  We came away with solid plans and forecasts for our focus areas over the next quarter.  I think it was time well spent.

Maybe your experience is similar.  Maybe you spent more time, maybe less.  Either way, strategic planning is a critical part of running a business.  It is necessary to keep a team focused on the right things so that maximum energy is applied where maximum results will be seen.

Strategic Plan for Ministry?

So, that begs the question, how much time have you spent in strategically planning the ministry aspect of your business?  Is this even something that is on your radar?  If not, should it be?  Shouldn’t we be spending more time determining how God would have us use our business as a vehicle for His ministry?

Strategic ministry planning is the same as strategic business planning, but it more specifically focuses on how we will allow God to use our businesses as vehicles for ministry.  It is a process in which you map out the following, as they relate to doing ministry through your business.

  • Purpose
  • Target Markets
  • Strategies & Tactics
  • Timetable
  • Reporting & Accountability

I can tell you that this is something that I have worked on in streaks for the past eight years, but I have never formalized the process.  Nor have I ever been intentional about involving others on our team.  It’s not that we have not done anything, but we certainly cannot point to a consistent planning process in the ministry area.

That is changing now.  Over the past several weeks, I have selected three key members of our company’s leadership team, described my vision for increased ministry through our business, and asked for their interest level and motivation for taking our ministry planning to another level.  All three are “all in” and committed to this process.  Now that the team is drafted, we have to determine our plan.  Since this is new territory, I went outside for help.

Seeking Outside Help

I have been a member of C12 for almost six years now.  You can read more about this organization and its tremendous benefits here (C12Group.com).  One of the many opportunities offered by C12 is something called a Strategic Plan for Ministry seminar.  The seminar is given by the founder of C12, Buck Jacobs.  If you ever want to meet someone who absolutely bleeds with passion for business as a vehicle for ministry, it is Buck Jacobs!

Anyway, my team and I went to this seminar this past week and came away with a clear path to creating a Strategic Ministry Plan for our business.  Over the next several posts, I will be outlining this path for you.  In addition to that, over the next several months I will be reporting on our team’s progress toward a more strategic integration of ministry into our business.  I hope this information is as helpful to you as it has been for us.

Have you considered intentional planning for ministry in your business?

If so, what steps have you taken in this direction?  

If not, what is stopping you from taking the first step right now?

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After the Exit Interview, Now What?

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In my last post, Ten Reasons for an Exit Interview (with Purpose), I described why you should always execute an exit interview with departing employees.  So, you did the exit interview and got some feedback.  What are you supposed to do now?

First of all, you may actually receive positive feedback from the departing employee!  Don’t be shocked!  If you are doing some things right, be excited and appreciative for the compliments.  However, for the sake of this discussion, let’s focus on the not-so-positive feedback.  What do you do with that?

  • Do nothing at all.

    I am just kidding!  (Just out of curiosity, did you find that to be ridiculous advice in this context?)  Unfortunately, that is exactly what most people do with this information.  If they even complete an exit interview at all, it is most likely done to complete a checklist of termination paperwork.  Then the potentially valuable information is discarded as unworthy of their time!  Or maybe the feedback was painful and difficult to face head-on.  Regardless of the reasons, this is NOT a recommended step to take!  Read on…

  • Validate the feedback.

    Sometimes you will simply get sour grapes from a disgruntled employee.  While this is sometimes true, it is a mistake to assume it will always be that way.  Take what you heard, sift through the emotions (yours and theirs!), and find the nuggets.  If you have not observed the issues yourself, consult other employees that you know to be objective.  Get their perspective.  Simply put, do your homework and find out if there is validity to what you heard.  Pray for wisdom and discernment as you do this!

  • Determine if there is a pattern.

    What if you find the issue(s) to be true?  Okay, so something went wrong or a part of your business did not meet your standards.  Maybe you received negative feedback about you or your style.  What next?  Find out if it was a one-time problem or, more likely, a pattern.  Is it the result of a broken process or an isolated personality conflict?  Don’t gloss this over.  Dig through the rubble or smoke and determine the root.  If it is an isolated situation, move on to the next issue.  If it is a pattern, read on…

  • Find the best solution(s) and correct the problem.

    While this sounds simple, it is too often left undone.  Even if you remained objective through this whole exit interview process, it is possible that remaining employees may not.  They may be holding the sour grapes!  Whatever the situation, if the issue you have uncovered is legitimate, you need to push through to correct it and make sure it does not reappear.

  • Follow up with the ex-employee – thank them!

    Why not?  Do not allow pride or busyness keep you from thanking them for their productive feedback.  Let them know of your appreciation as well as your efforts to take action.  You do not have to go into detail about what you found.  Just let them know that their words did not fall on deaf ears.  They will appreciate it and you will be blessed as a result.

  • Commit to 100% execution of exit interviews in the future!

    Assuming you followed the whole process from beginning to end, then you can see the benefits of completing exit interviews with every departing employee.  If your company is too big for you to do them personally, then assign the responsibility to someone else, but make sure they grasp the value of the process.  Communicate to them the importance you place on the feedback.  Set up the process to make sure there is accountability in its execution!

What is your experience?

Are there any steps you would add?

Have you committed to exit interviews?

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10 Reasons for an Employee Exit Interview (with Purpose)

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I called a friend the other day and asked him out to lunch.

While that may not seem unusual, consider that this friend had worked for our company up until that week and was terminated for non-performance.  Now are you interested?

I told him that my offer to buy his lunch had two main purposes.  First, I wanted to take the opportunity to learn from him whether there was anything he thought we could do better as a company.  He is also a Christian and could give me insight about that aspect of our company.  While I think I have a good feel for what happens from day to day in my business, I always hear something in an exit interview that surprises me.  If I am open to it, I can always learn something from an ex-employee.

My second purpose was to take the opportunity, with his permission, to offer advice to him.  I had observed him for close to a year and I felt I had a perspective that could help him.  If I am truly in this business for an eternal impact, why would I not intentionally mentor another Christian when I have the chance?  I felt we had a good enough relationship that he would give me that chance.

I learned about a couple of things that we could improve on immediately.

We had a great lunch and it went just as I expected.  He gave me some honest and thoughtful feedback.  As always, I learned about a couple of things that we could improve on immediately.  Also, as I expected, he was open to my feedback on his performance and future work opportunities.  With our company, he was not in a job that fit his strengths.  We discussed another job he is already considering as well as some he has not considered, based on my assessment of his strengths.  All in all, we both profited from the meeting.

Typical Reasons to Conduct an Exit Interview…

    1. Gain a new perspective about your own business (or department, team, etc.).
    2. Learn what you are doing well…or not so well.
    3. Confirm what you may already know (but have not verified) to be true.
    4. Uncover real reason for leaving company (if voluntary termination)
    5. Make peace with an ex-employee

Additional Reasons from a Christian Perspective…

    1. Gather frank accountability feedback on your witness
    2. Give them frank accountability feedback on their witness (if they are a believer)
    3. Offer advice, mentoring for their future.
    4. If applicable, recommend resources for help (substance abuse, financial distress, etc.).
    5. If appropriate (your witness is intact and ex-employee is non-believer), share the Gospel!

What are your thoughts on this list?

Are there any reasons you would add or remove?

Does your company execute exit interviews?  If not, should you?

If so, do you have a success story to share?

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3 Sources of Godly Wisdom

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wisdom

I made the decision to turn my business over to God.  I was going to run it as a Christian business with an eternal purpose.  Now what?  What does that really look like?  To tell the truth, I had no idea what a Christian business was or what it looked like. I did not even know where to start, so I went to look for help.