Ron Edmondson » Innovation

Saturday’s Dream Stretch: One World Problem

Ron Edmondson — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 13:19:40 +0000

It’s Saturday…time for another dream stretch! I promise not to take this into perpetuity, but I really do believe the world needs a few more dreams. You can read more about my thoughts in the first dream stretch post HERE.

Today’s dream stretch is a little tougher, but it’s a good one. I hope you will play along.

Answer this question:

If you could solve one world problem today, what would it be?

Dream big…remember that in dreaming there are no limits of money, time, knowledge, etc. Do you want to eradicate cancer? Are you ready to end the world of AIDS? Would your dream be clean water throughout Africa? Is poverty your issue? Be specific, yet dream big. What are you most passionate about solving?

(If you are reading this from my Facebook or Twitter account, please comment on the blog so others can read it also.)

Thanks for dreaming with me. Is there another dream stretch idea I should consider?

Ted Talks: Paul Romer’s radical idea: Charter cities

Ron Edmondson — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:10:56 +0000

This video from Ted blows my mind. I love big dreams…I love mind-stretching exercises…this one helps me think bigger than I might normally think. It’s 18 minutes long, but it’s worth watching. Whether you agree with this line of thinking or solution to global problems is not the issue here, but feel free to share them. I’m sharing this because I love how big Paul Romer is thinking.

What do you think? Will this work? More than that, does it make you think bigger?

7 Reasons I Choose My Kindle Over an iPad

Ron Edmondson — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:51:07 +0000

I am not a techie, but I am Mac guy, so I was mesmerized, like many of my techie friends, with Apple’s new iPad. This week when Steve Jobs introduced it, I felt an instant urge to hold one. Did anyone else get that urge? (Please don’t give me an idolatry lecture…I know my priorities…I’m not obsessing, but I am fascinated.) Being one that is always looking for ways to improve my productivity, I can see how I would make use of such a product.

The most frequent question for me this week, however, has been what would I do with my Kindle if I got an iPad. If you don’t know, my boys got me a Kindle for Father’s Day and I love it. I wrote about it HERE. Granted I haven’t held an iPad in my hands, but I have pondered my “dilemma” this week, and I have come to the following conclusion:

I can think of 7 reasons I will keep my Kindle. Here’s why:

The Kindle feels more like a book than I think the iPad will. Putting the Kindle in a leather binder gives me the look and feel of holding the “real thing”.
The screen on the Kindle seems more like a book. If the screen on the iPad is like my MacBook Pro, I wouldn’t want to read long passages on it.
The Kindle is limited to being a reader. This has been seem as a plus for the iPad, but when I’m considering it as a reader it’s a criticism for me. When I’m doing serious reading, I don’t want to be distracted with other things I can do with the device.
Amazon is so easy to work with. I’m confident that Apple will pull off a great database of books, but Amazon certainly knows what they are doing. (I wonder if the two great companies will find a way to partner.)
The battery life on the Kindle is amazing. I don’t get that kind of result from my iPhone or MacBook. (As a matter of fact, my Mac power is running low now…)
My boys gave me my Kindle. ‘Nuff said…
Sometimes simplicity is a good thing….Complex is often overrated.

There are my top 7 reasons for keeping my Kindle and not being disappointed if I don’t immediately get an iPad when they are released. Still, if my boys are tired of socks and underwear again this year…

What about you? Do you want an iPad? Will you get one? Do you own a Kindle? Will the iPad cause you to put aside your Kindle?

Start the discussion here.

When A Leader Gets Too Comfortable…

Ron Edmondson — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:08:53 +0000

Pretend for a moment that this is your scenario…

You are a leader. You worked hard, experienced some sense of success and now you like where you are in your career. You have finally figured out the system, got the right staff or team, and there are no current problems. Life is comfortable.

My advice: Now may be the best time to consider a change.

The fact is that if you are comfortable now, you will likely be bored soon. Leaders need change, stretching, and an opportunity to improve something to stay excited.

You don’t necessarily have to leave your organization, or even your current position. You may already be at the top, but you may need to expand your responsibilities. You may need to dream a new dream. You may need to challenge yourself outside your comfort zone again.

It’s what keeps leaders motivated!

For more on this thought process, read my previous post: One Contrast Between a Leaders and Managers.

5 Questions for Genuine Life Change in 2010

Ron Edmondson — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:19:39 +0000

This time of year, many typically reflect on the year that is gone and wonder what lies ahead in the New Year. Sadly, many of those same people will end 2010 no better off than they ended 2009 or any other year, because they will continue to repeat the same mistakes and live out the same bad patterns and habits they have always lived.

If you want to make genuine, sustaining changes this year, consider your answers to the following five questions. For best results, write your answers to these questions on paper. There is a certain finality of purpose when you invest time and energy recording them.

Is my life headed in the right direction? If you continue living your life the way you have been living it, will you eventually achieve the dreams and plans you have for your life? If not, then move to question number two.

Am I willing to make changes? You will never make change that lasts if your heart is not into making them. Be honest.

What are a few changes I can make that could have the greatest impact? Don’t try to change too much at one time. It could be in your finances, health, relationships or church attendance, but usually a few changes, whether major or minor, will have significant impact. If you are overwhelmed with the changes needed, read THIS POST.

What disciplines are needed to realize these changes in my life? You may need to get up 15 minutes early each day. Perhaps you need to read one chapter of a book each night. Maybe you want to start taking your lunch to work to save money. Think through some practical ways you can discipline yourself to stay on track.

Who can hold me accountable? Recruit someone to help you achieve your objectives. Give them the changes you want to implement and allow them the freedom to question your progress periodically. Ultimately your success is dependent on you, but knowing you will be asked often keeps you moving in the right direction.

This is a great year for changes to occur. I hear frequently that 2009 was a difficult year for many. There appears to be a renewed hope in the year 2010. Many of the outcomes the New Year brings, however, will be greatly determined by your willingness to allow positive changes in your life. Let me encourage you to make wise choices for a positive and productive year.

One important closing thought. It is my firm belief that the only way to experience real life, the way we were intended to live it, is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have that relationship or it is not as strong as it should be, start there. If you need help, email me at ronedmondson@me.com

What changes are you making in 2010?

The Delicate Balance Between Yes And No

Ron Edmondson — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:06:23 +0000

As a leader, I prefer to say yes. I love when our staff comes to me with a proposal for a new ministry or a new expenditure and I can simply say, “Yes, go for it!” I love being the guy who gets to encourage another person’s big dream. I am not a fan of micro managing. Saying yes allows me to empower others to do their work well.

Even so, in my position, I often have to say “No”. I have to consider the amount of money and energy expended as it relates to the entire church organization. Honestly, there are times I feel like the dream killer more than I get to be the dream enhancer, because I often have to be the “No” voice, but the fact is, as with any organization, we operate with limited resources and sometimes saying no is the right decision at the time. In these times, I have to walk the delicate balance between saying yes and saying no.

Some of the questions I try to consider when weighing a decision between yes and no are:

Does this decision benefit the entire church, or just one ministry? It is okay if it helps only one area, but that has to be a part of the equation in making a decision.
Is this decision in keeping with the overall vision of the church? Ultimately, it is important that the entire organization is heading in the same direction.
Has this decision been thought out adequately and any known fatal risks eliminated?
Does the leader of this area have the experience or expertise to lead a successful venture? If he or she is not qualified for the task, then is he or she willing and able to solicit help from others?
Are there other areas that have greater needs because of current demand or potential within the organization?
Will this decision solicit adequate buy-in from the entire staff and organization?
Is this the best timing for the new venture? Would waiting enhance or inhibit the decision’s success?
Is the cost reasonable compared to the benefit received for the project?
Is the volunteer or staff labor adequate to sustain the effort?

In the end, it is often a judgment call of whether to say yes or no, but thinking through the answer is one of the keys to making wise decisions and ultimately to leading well.

How do you balance the difference between saying “yes” and saying “no”?

For more thoughts on leadership, click HERE.

4 Reasons Change Is Difficult

Ron Edmondson — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:07:22 +0000

Change is necessary if organizations want to continue to improve and grow, but change instantly raising resistance from some people. Change requires a certain amount of faith. Faith is much easier to believe, and even to preach, than it ever is to live by.

In my experience, there are at least 4 major reasons why change is difficult. Understanding them and identifying with the resistance of change can assist leaders in helping other team members adjust to change.

The four reasons are:

It’s unknown –One of life’s greatest fears is the unknown. It causes us to resist those things for which we cannot easily discern an outcome.

It’s challenging – Change stretches us out of our comfort zone. Some of us like to be stretched more than other people do.

It’s uncertain – When we change, we are often introducing untested waters. We prefer certainty.

It’s unpopular – The resistance to change is universal. Change invites animosity and tension.

What changes have you been avoiding that you need to make?

Read some tips on implementing change HERE and HERE.

Shotgun Versus Rifle Approach To Planning

Ron Edmondson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:12:47 +0000

Too often we shot gun versus rifle our day. When we try to accomplish too many tasks in one day, we are seldom effective at very many of them. The more scattered your plans, the less effective you will appear and appearance most likely will mirror reality. With the shotgun approach, a person tends to run from activity to activity quickly, but never really accomplishing any one project well.

The key to having a successful week is to carefully plan a realistic list of activities for each day, with specific objectives, and rank them from the most important to the least important. Then check off each item as you work through the list, accomplishing as many as you feasibly can per day.

You will be surprised how much more you can accomplish when you use the rifle approach to planning instead of the shotgun.

Which weapon best describes the way you structure your day…shotgun or rifle?

Choose your weapon wisely!

For more thoughts on innovation, click HERE.

Capturing The Best Ideas For Your Organization

Ron Edmondson — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:19:23 +0000

A couple times a year we do an extended weekend staff retreat at Grace Community Church. This weekend we are headed to Nashville for an all staff planning retreat. An added twist is that our spouses will join us on Friday night for fellowship and then on Saturday morning for a special brainstorming session. (We think they may have better ideas than we do!)

I was reminded in planning for this retreat of an important leadership principle:

Some of the best ideas for your organization…

Are probably not at a conference…

They are not in a book…

They are not even at your competition or sister organization…

While these are great places to learn new ways of doing things…

Some of the best ideas for your organization…

Are with the people who know your organization best…

The people already on your team…

Your challenge is to draw those ideas out of them….

(The fact is they may have learned their new ideas from a conference book, or from someone in another organization, but the collective knowledge is critical to moving your vision forward.)

How are you capturing the best ideas for your organization?

For more thoughts on innovation click HERE.

False Assumptions About Our Church

Ron Edmondson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:09:28 +0000

In the four years Grace Community Church has been a church we have received much praise from people that love what we do. Hundreds of lost, hurting people have chosen to unite with us. We have had some previously churched people join us who felt we were a better fit for them or their family, but mostly we have reached people who previously did not attend church. Most exciting to us is that we have baptized more adults than children in our four years, indicating to us that we are truly evangelizing and not just helping people swap churches. It has been a wild, exciting, thrilling time watching God shape us over these first few years.

Along with the praise, however, there have also been many false assumptions and even criticisms made about who we are as a church and who we are not, mostly from people who do church in a different way from us. It seems I hear a new wave of those each time we have a growth spurt, which we are currently in this fall. The fact is that we are not the church for everyone, but that has been hard for some people to understand.

Here are a few false assumptions that come to my mind about who we are or are not as a church:

We get many offers to host an evangelist or hold a revival, but if you advertise your speaking ministry in a 3-piece suit, you are probably not a good fit for our church. For some churches that would work fine, but for our church it’s just not a good fit. Please don’t be offended by that.
We frequently get request from other family or friends of people asking, “Can you send someone to visit _______?” We don’t knock on doors or do home visitation. It’s not that we don’t care, but it is simply not our method of recruitment. Again, for some churches this works great, but we are trying a different approach.
We get many requests to book groups for special music venues, but if you sing Southern Gospel music exclusively, you are probably not a good fit for our church… I even love some Southern Gospel music, but it’s not the style we have chosen for our church.
Yes, it’s true we don’t currently advertise unless it is to support a cause we believe it, but not for the purposes of increasing church attendance. We think that should happen as our people invite their friends and family…
Yes, it’s true we allow people to serve in most volunteer positions without first passing a litmus test. We believe (and have seen) that serving can often help change a person’s life.
We don’t have Sunday school, but we do teach the Bible. We do small group meetings in the homes…
If the Bible makes an issue clear, we land on that clarity. If it is simply a matter of tradition, me may dismiss it if it gets in the way of our vision to reach people for Christ.
With the previous said, we do have some traditions. We meet at the same time and place each week, for example, but everything traditional is subject to change. We actually like change if it helps us better complete our vision.
We haven’t watered down the Gospel…
We haven’t tried to alter the way to salvation… (It’s all Jesus for us too!)
We aren’t trying to offend you…but if you are offended by how we do church, we are probably not the church for you….
We don’t believe we are the only church in town where people can find truth…
We are not the church for everyone, but we are a church…
We aren’t like every other church. That in itself doesn’t make us better or worse…

…We just do church differently. Please do not be offended just because we are different. It takes all of us working together, even though we look different on Sunday mornings, to do the Kingdom work. Look at our people, see if they are becoming more like Christ, loving God and loving people more, and make assumptions based on those results.

The great news is that we are a church for many people. If you are not currently attending a church and maybe have had some false notions about church yourself, come give us a visit soon. You may be surprised how much fun we have! And, by the way, everything you hear about how friendly our church is, how much we love our community, and how welcoming we are to others….ALL TRUE!

Are there any false assumptions made about your church?