Provertivity A Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Moment

by James Duvall | Jul 16, 2018 | Productivity

A proverb (from Latin: proverbium) is a concrete, straightforward, wise saying, widely known and shared that teaches a truth based on common sense or experience. I am always on the lookout for new ‘proverbs” that I have not heard, ready to jot them down and store for later contemplation and teaching content. At times these morsels of wisdom can inspire me to feel like nothing is impossible. And, at times they can cut like a surgeon’s scalpel to reveal the issue of my soul. I am also a student of productivity. I strive to be very intentional in living my life in a productive manner, not to get more done, although a byproduct, instead to get the right things done. Intentionally living this way, I enjoy living with more of a sense of ease and wellbeing. So I had one of those peanut butter meets chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup moments. You know, two entirely different things collide and create a magical blend of candy goodness. Okay, maybe this idea is not quite that. But I thought, what if a great proverb were to collide with a productivity principle? You would get my new made-up word PROVERTIVITY! Each month, I plan to take one proverb and a productive principle and provide a few thoughts around the combination. Now, I am a Christ Follower and have grown up with proverbs being a reference to a book of wisdom, in the Bible, entitled Proverbs. Although I will pull some of these timeless, biblical truths into this series, I will also share wise sayings from around the world and from some of my favorite modern-day mentors. I will release a new post each month. I would love to get your feedback on the posts, and if you have a proverb that you want to share with me, leave it in the comments below or email me at james@liveleadlast.com. Now for the first installment of POVERTIVITY…

“The faintest ink is more powerful than the strongest memory.” — Chinese Proverb

How many times have you heard something, been asked something, or you had an idea, only moments later to forget? I can’t keep count of the number of times I have run to the grocery store to pick up one item, arrived at the store, filled my cart with everything but the one thing, checked out, returned home, only to then realize that I had forgotten the item I went to the store for in the first place. It’s real life, people! Our memory will undoubtedly let us down. And, unfortunately, it will sometimes be at the worst possible times. I love this proverb! It seems like common sense to write things down, so you don’t forget. But we all know that common sense is not common practice. So, instead, we think we can remember all the little pieces of information swimming around in our fishbowl brain, oblivious to the predators of time and distraction that are waiting to eat one of our small fish for a snack. Most studies show that you can hold around four pieces of information in your working memory. That is not a lot! And, the information in your working memory begins fading as quickly as thirty to sixty seconds.

“Your brain is for having ideas not holding them.” — David Allen

Michael Harris, in his book The End of Absence: Reclaiming What We’ve Lost in a World of Constant Connection says memory is an “inventive act.” Unlike computer data, human memories are dynamic, not static. When you recall something, your brain assembles the memory from neurons in different regions of the brain, each contributing different aspects, such as appearance, sounds, feel or taste. This would be why the recounting of a story may vary in detail each time retold. Harris quotes psychologist Charles Fernyhough saying, “memories are created in the present, rather than being faithful records of the past.” So, let’s get practical. Here are three things you can start right now, never to let another one of your ideas, notes, or tasks get lost and to remember to pick up the milk or whatever that thing was you were supposed to get when you went to the grocery store.

1. GET A TOOL

Always have a tool with you to capture information. I use an app on my phone called Drafts 5. The reason I like it is for the ability to very quickly open the app and instantly start typing the information. I also love that it integrates with all my other tools including, Evernote, Nozbe, One Day and Fantastical. You may not be digital and like to roll old-school, analog. That’s totally cool. Have paper and writing tool with you at all times. I have good friends who use the pocket size moleskin journal. It’s pretty easy to whip out and write down a note.

“I would advise you to read with a pen in hand and enter in a little book short hints of what you find that is curious, or that may be useful; for this will be the best method of imprinting such particulars in your memory.” — Benjamin Franklin

2. HAVE A TRIGGER

A trigger is an event or action that will kick off an automatic reaction. Having a trigger to remind you to use your tool will be very helpful as you begin the discipline of writing everything down. One easy trigger to use is “If This Then That.” My friend Frank Bealer wrote a little book called, The Myth of Balance: Thriving in the Tension of Ministry, Work, and Life, where he lays out some practical teaching about the “If This Then That” trigger. Here is how it works. You tell yourself “If this happens, then I will take out my note-taking tool and write it down immediately.” Here are a few examples. “If anyone asks me to do anything, then I will immediately take out my note-taking tool and write it down. Or, “If anyone gives me information, I will immediately take out my note-taking tool and write it down.”

3. REVIEW THE NOTES

The magic in writing everything down is that you have the confidence that you can go back and read the notes you have taken and make a plan to accomplish the tasks that you have been asked to do. There is a small caveat. You have to review the notes and do something with them. Just writing them down does not help, if you never look at or review what you wrote. I would recommend that you take time on a daily or at the minimum weekly basis and re-read all the information that you have put in your tool. So, whether your ink is on a moleskin journal, a yellow legal-pad or digitally shining back at you through the glass of your smartphone or a computer. It will, without doubt, help you be more successful and productive than trying to keep it all in your brain. Oh, you may even remember to get the milk.

[et_bloom_inline optin_id=”optin_3″]

SAY IT LIKE YOU BELIEVE IT! 5 Steps to Writing and Using Daily Declarations

by James Duvall | Jul 9, 2018 | Personal Development, Self Leadership

Recently, my pastor spoke an incredible message on the power of declarations. A declaration is statement, not of what is, but of what will be. The Bible is full of declarations made over individuals; David, Gideon, Peter to name a few. Declarations are powerful because our words are powerful. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit — you choose.” The words we choose to speak over our lives determine our destiny.

I have been using personal declarations as part of my daily disciplines for the past two years. I have personally witnessed the transformation that happens through declaring what will be in the midst of what is. I am confident that anyone can create and experience the power of making persona declarations in their life by following these five steps.

STEP 1: CHOOSE WHERE YOU WANT TO CHANGE, GROW, LEVERAGE OR IMPROVE.

Where are the places in your life where you want more, desire more significant impact, or you feel stuck? These are places to focus and build declaration statements around. Where do you want to see change in your life, relationships, finances? Are there negative thoughts or past failures that wear at your confidence and self-esteem keeping you feeling defeated? What hopes and dreams do you have for the future? Are you the person you want to be?

These are the types of questions to ask yourself as you begin the process of creating your declarations. I have found that using the framework of my life domains when creating or editing my declarations is helpful. I like the six F’s; “Faith, Family, Fitness, Fun, Faculty (Work) and Finances.” that Rory Vaden shares in Procrastinate on Purpose: 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time. Each one of my daily declarations, declares the person I am becoming in one of these areas.

Right now, as an action item, take out a piece of paper, take a few minutes and write out some areas in each of the domains of your life where you want to change, grow, or improve. These could include the way you are as a spouse, a parent, a provider. They could be things that point to your health. Whatever they are, these will be the building blocks for your declarations.

STEP 2: CRAFT YOUR DECLARATIONS

This will take the most time as you want to make sure that your declarations are structured in a way to transform your thinking. Here are a few things to consider when structuring your declarations.

Make your declarations personal:

Remember these statements are for you. They are not for anyone else. You are going to declare these over your life. Start each statement with the singular first-person personal pronoun “I.”

Make your declarations in the present tense:

The second word in your declarations should be “am.” There may be occasions where”have” or “will” work better as the second word. Remember, you are declaring who you will be or where you will be, not who you are now or your current situation. Declarations are faith statements. You are declaring what will be as what is. Remember“…faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Make your declarations positive:

Use big, positive, empowering adjectives to declare who you are becoming. I use words like great, blessed, and highly successful. Remember these are your declarations. This is not the time to be meek and humble. This is the time to be bold and call out the person you want to be or the outcome you want to achieve. As a note, you may want to stay away from superlatives. There is a big difference between saying you are great or you are the greatest at something.

Make your declarations descriptive:

Don’t stop at merely stating who you want to be or what you want to achieve. Add phrases that describe what the declared reality looks like. These statements will begin to shape the way you act, which will, in turn, move you toward your desired destination.

One of my daily declarations is “I am a great husband.” That statement by itself does not say much. However, I describe the actions that define what being a great husband to Lisa looks like… “I intentionally look for ways to cherish Lisa by taking advantage of opportunities to serve her (her love language), surprising her with unexpected gifts and planning special experiences. Finally, I describe the desired response from Lisa, “Lisa esteems me as her loving and faithful soulmate.”

Make your declarations meaningful:

Your declarations should stir your emotions. They should cause you to well up with a sense of resolve, confidence, and excitement of who you are becoming. If a declaration does not inspire you to be your best self, I would encourage you to scrap it.

STEP 3: STORE YOUR DECLARATIONS IN AN EASILY ACCESSIBLE PLACE

It seems like common sense, but as we all know, common sense is not common practice. So, if don’t have a plan for where you will store your declarations, you will probably have to regularly look for them. If they are not easily accessible, the chances of you leveraging them are slim to none. As the old adage goes, “out of sight out of mind.”

There are several smartphone applications that are specifically geared for writing and accessing affirmations. You can experiment with them to see if one works for you. Search your smartphone app store for “affirmations”, and you will find a substantial list.

I keep it pretty simple by keeping mine in a note in Evernote. I keep that note as a favorite in Evernote. So every morning, wherever I am, I can open my phone and quickly get to my declarations. You could even go old-school, analog and write them or print them out on paper and tape them to the inside of a journal or Bible. The point is to keep them very accessible so that you can quickly get to them on a daily basis.

STEP 4: READ YOUR DECLARATIONS DAILY

There is power in repetition. The act of consistently reading (out loud) your declarations will begin to shape your mindset and align your actions toward the person you are becoming. I prefer to read my declarations at the start of my day as part of my morning quite time routine. However, don’t limit this exercise to one time a day. You may want to state your declarations at times when you are feeling vulnerable. They will be valuable at times when you need a boost in your confidence. They can be used to pick you up at times when you may have failed to lived up to your best self, and need to be reminded of the person you are becoming. You can never leverage your declarations too often.

STEP 5: BE ON THE LOOK OUT!

I have been amazed as things happen in my life that relate directly to the declarations I have made. You may have heard of The Law of Attraction. It says that we attract into our lives whatever we are focusing on. We have all experienced it at some time in our life. Have you ever been looking to purchase something like a specific car? Maybe you are thinking about buying a red Subaru, and it everywhere you look, you see red Subarus. Probably nothing mystical about it. You have probably passed red Subarus every day of your life. But now, you see them everywhere due to your mind being focused on and sensitive to spotting them. It is no different for the outcomes that we experience in our lives. As you begin making your declarations, you will be focused and sensitive to seeing them fulfilled. Be on the lookout! What you declare with your mouth will become a reality in your life.

Declarations have changed my life for the good. As a result of speaking declarations, on a daily basis, over my life I am a stronger Christ follower and a better husband, father, leader, and friend. I want to challenge you to take the time to go through the steps outlined and experience the power of declarations for yourself.
[et_bloom_inline optin_id=”optin_3″]

IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW

by James Duvall | Jun 20, 2018 | Personal Development, Self Leadership

This past week I had the opportunity to speak at church to a new group of interns during their summer experience. There could have been so many topics I could have talked to these young leaders about that could have added significant value. I thought I would put in a post the content of the direction I decided to go. I felt a call to vocational ministry when I was fifteen years old. At the time I thought my calling would lead me to a life of real impact (stardom) through music. After graduating high school, I packed up my ’79 Plymouth Duster and headed to Nashville, TN, the promised land of music wannabes. After starting my college career in Nashville, I quickly realized that a dynamic singing voice came a dime a dozen. At about that same time, I began serving in an inner-city ministry to students. I really found what I thought was a sweet-spot working with those students and as God stirred in my heart, I decided to change my major from Music Business to Christian Education. After meeting and marrying my wife, Lisa while at college, we left Nashville and served in student ministry at a church in Ohio and then in Kansas before coming to Christ Fellowship in 1996. I was a young, confident student pastor stepping into a ministry position at a church, that was at that time, the largest church I had personally ever been a part of. Wow, if I had the opportunity for a do-over in some areas, I would take it in a heartbeat.

THREE THINGS I BELIEVED BACK THEN:

1. Personal growth was something that just happened over time.

Looking back, I placed a lot of trust in my calling and natural abilities. I believed that they would sustain me for my entire ministry career. I was too nearsighted (focused on the moment) when I should have been much more horizon focused (looking toward the future). I also acted as if I had an unfair advantage to all my peers. I mean come on, I was on staff with Tom Mullins and Dr. John C. Maxwell. I think I must have believed that mere proximity was all I need to grow. I didn’t read all the free John Maxwell leadership books that I received as a staff member at Christ Fellowship. Why would I, I had probably heard Dr. Maxwell teach the content in a staff meeting or at one of the conferences that he held at the church. Wow, what a faulty belief.

2. I had all the time in the world.

I was young. I was just starting out in my ministry calling. There was no timetable to accomplish the dreams I had. I never worried that time could run out on those dreams and ambitions. I believed that the people who needed to worry about that kind of stuff were those who were in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. Their time was running out. Okay, now that I am in my mid forty’s, I look back at that snotty nosed kid and think you were so wrong!

3. Reading books was a waste of time.

This may be a reason why all those free John Maxwell leadership books never got read in my twenty’s and thirty’s. I now realize I had a severe case of “EXCUSE-ITIS.” There were all kinds of “legitimate” excuses for why reading books was not something I could do.One really good excuse was that life was busy and who had time to sit around all day reading books. And seriously, after a hard day of “ministering” to people, I needed veg-time on the couch with my good friend the television remote control. Another self-defeating excuse that I used, leveraged the fact that I have dyslexia, adding in me being a reader.  It takes me too long to get through a book, so I will just not put myself through the pain of reminding myself of how slow I am. There were probably more excuses that I used.I was sneezing excuses all over the place. All I know is that I had a bookshelf of unopened treasure sitting in my office.

THREE THINGS I KNOW NOW:

So, if I could go back and tell my twenty-ish self a few things, here are three things that if I had known, would have propelled me farther than I am today.

1. Personal growth demands continual self-leadership.

The difference between people who maintain a continued upward trajectory in their leadership and those who flatline is self-leadership. Early in our leadership careers, success is based primarily on execution. The better you are at executing a role, the more promotion you receive. However, there comes a day when someone younger, quicker, smarter, or more talented than you will come along and be able to do what you do better than you. The thing that will set you apart and help you expand your leadership longevity is going to be how intentional you were at developing yourself. By being diligent about self-leadership, you move from influence as a result of execution, to influence as a result of who you are as an individual.

“What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.” — Abraham Maslow

Self-Awareness is the beginning of real growth. You can’t know the path to get to where you want to go if you don’t first know where you are. A great place to begin the journey of self-awareness is through the use of assessment tools like DISC, Meyers Briggs, Enneagram and EQ-i 2.0. Another powerful tool for self-awareness is honest feedback from those who know you best and love you most. On your quest for personal development, it is crucial to adopt a growth mindset.   There are 2 different mindsets; fixed mindset and growth mindset to describe the underlying beliefs people have about learning. You have a growth mindset when you believe you can get smarter, you understand that effort makes you stronger you will put in extra time and effort to pursue higher achievement.  Stay curious (Google everything)! Don’t discount the ideas of other too quickly thinking it could be too old-fashioned, or not relevant. Some of the best teaching on personal growth is going to come from mentors that are no longer living. Let me introduce you to one of those people, Jim Rohn who said the following about self-leadership.

“The most important question to ask is, what am I becoming?” – Jim Rohn

“Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job. If you work hard on your job, you can make a living, but if you work hard on yourself, you’ll make a fortune.” — Jim Rohn

2. Time is your most valuable commodity

Unlike money, time is a nonrenewable and nontransferable commodity. Once it is used, it’s gone. Once it is used, it’s gone. A.W. Tozer wrote, “Time is a resource that is non-renewable and nontransferable. You cannot store it, slow it up, hold it up, divide it up or give it up. You can’t hoard it up or save it for a rainy day – when it’s lost it’s unrecoverable. When you kill time, remember that it has no resurrection.” In case you did not know, every single human being gets the same allotment of time, twenty-four hours a day, one hundred and sixty-eight hours a week. It doesn’t matter how rich or how poor, how educated or uneducated, we all have the same…no more no less. Kevin Kruse, in his book 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management says, “Time is unique because it’s the one true equalizer.” This is why you need to learn how to do three strategic things with your time.

Prioritize it!: What are the most important things that you need to do to accomplish your responsibilities, complete your goals and fulfill your dreams? Using a tool like the Eisenhower matrix is an excellent framework to start identifying those things.
Protect it!: Did you know that every day you could be getting robbed and not even realize it is happening? It is true! Without adequate protection, thieves will rob you blind of your time. A great process to put guardrails around your priorities is through a tool called time blocking. Like a budget gives a purpose for every dollar you make, time blocking gives a use for all the time in your day, week, month and year. If you don’t protect your time, it will be stolen by something or someone else.
Maximize it!: Highly productive people focus on minutes instead of hours. You can start doing the same. Thinking in smaller units of time will enable you to maximize your time.

One way to maximize your time is by compressing the amount of time that you give to meetings, projects, and tedious activities. There is a law called the Parkinson’s Law that states work expands to fill the time available for it completion definition. So, If you give something 3 hours to do, it will take you the entire 3 hours to complete. But if you give the same project 30 minutes to do, you will get it done in 30 minutes. Compress 60-minute meetings to 45 minutes and 30-minute sessions to 20 minutes. This one small change will allow you to maximize your time.

3. The single most effective strategy for personal growth is a regular, disciplined reading habit.

“You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” — Charlie “Tremendous” Jones

There is no other practice that I know of that has the overwhelming benefits to a persons life and leadership than the habit of consistently reading books. Here are ten proven benefits from reading books.

Reading make your mind stronger – The brain is a muscle and reading keeps your mind active preventing it from becoming weak and unhealthy. Mental stimulation can prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Reading improves your verbal and written communication skills – AAs you read you learn new ways to form sentences, share ideas and express emotions.
Reading makes you smarter –All the bits of information fill your brain and you never know when that information may come in handy. Knowledge equips you to overcome any challenge may face.
Reading improves your vocabulary –You are introduced to new words, phrases and expressions. Just today, my wife Lisa made the comment about how she had to look up words she didn’t know in a book she is reading.
Reading improves your memory – With every new memory you create new brain connections (synapses) and fortify existing ones.
Reading enhances critical thinking skills – You make decisions every day and some of them are critical. The requirement of reading for a person to think through and process information strengthens critical thinking.
Reading improves focus and concentration – Reading requires your mind to dial in on what is being said through the text. This discipline carries over into other aspects of daily life.
Reading builds self-esteem – Did you know that If you were to read three books about a topic, you would know more about that topic than 99% of the population. That would make you an expert. How is that for building self-esteem?
Reading makes you more interesting  - People who are well read can recall stories, illustrations, history, funny antidotes, and information about all kinds of topics.
Reading it the ultimate leadership differentiator – It’s a sad reality that only one in four Americans read a single book in the last year. Just think how reading a book a month could separate you from the pack as a leader. Not all readers lead, but all leaders read!

If you want to start the discipline of reading. I would encourage you to focus on reading a small number of pages per day that you know you can accomplish. Ten pages is a good starting point. If you commit to reading ten pages each day, you will read around 12 to 13 books in one year. If you are not sure what books to read, I have a lot of the books that I have personally read listed in my RESOURCES with Amazon links for each. The most critical step to creating the habit of reading it to start. I know it is impossible to go back in time and talk to myself and to hope that I would take my advice and act on it. But, I know it is possible that after reading this post, you could take my advice and start growing yourself, prioritizing, protecting and maximizing your time, and begin the daily discipline of reading books. I leave you with one last quote…

“My father used to say that it’s never too late to do anything you wanted to do. And he said, ‘You never know what you can accomplish until you try.'” — Michael Jordan

PUT YOUR INBOX TO THE T.E.S.S.T.™

by James Duvall | Sep 16, 2017 | Productivity, Self Leadership

Email is a productivity thief. If I could take the familiar passage from the Bible about Satan being like a roaring lion and apply it to email, it would read something like…

“Be alert, have a plan! Your enemy, Email, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someones time and attention to devour.”

Seriously! Email kills productivity. I’m always working my plan for email and learning from others how to make it better. While reading Personal Productivity Secrets Do what you never thought possible with your time and attention… and regain control of your life by Maura Nevel Thomas, I was intrigued by her T.E.S.S.T.™ Process for dealing with paper and emails. Although it is similar to my process that you can read about in ZERO emails in your inbox?: How I get my Inbox to Zero and Keep it That Way, the process is excellent. Here are the building blocks of T.E.S.S.T.™ …

“Take immediate action” – Apply the “two-minute rule.” Can you accomplish the task in two minutes or less? If so, do it.“Empower yourself and others” – Pass the task along to someone else.

“Empower yourself and others” — This is a much more inspirational way of saying delegate it to a person, or people who should do would be better to do the action required.

“Suspend” – If you don’t have all the data you need, don’t do anything until you do. You can add this to a next action to get the resources you need to determine if you or someone else should complete any work required.

“Store” – Any information you want to keep, but does not require action can be filed away in a trusted system where you can retrieve it when needed.

“Trash” – Any information you do not or will not need in the foreseeable future, DELETE. There are numerous ways that you can go about processing your email.

I think the T.E.S.S.T.™ process is a fresh and intelligent way of working through your inbox. I would also recommend you get the book Personal Productivity Secrets to read more about the T.E.S.S.T.™ process as well as other helpful productivity teachings on topics including; attention management, mastering your technology, and controlling communication. You can read more of my thoughts on email and how to take control of your inbox in my post: Process Email Like a Productive Pro!: Three Ways Conquer Your Inbox.

[et_bloom_inline optin_id=”optin_3″]

IT ONLY TAKES A SPARK

by James Duvall | Apr 14, 2017 | Creativity

One day, my wife Lisa and I were driving together on our way to the church. Lisa was getting ready to lead a day of creative brainstorming with all the ladies on staff, focused on upcoming women’s event.

Lisa asked me about my thoughts on creative brainstorming, and I began to unpack my thoughts on the subject. I shared with her that in a brainstorming session, I am always looking for the sparks that have the potential to be a creative flame. As, Josh Linker puts it, “an idea is like a spark.” Following that line of thinking, Dante Alighieri, a major Italian poet of the late middle ages said, “From a little spark may burst a flame.” It is all about the idea.

Our conversation continued, and I laid out the types of people who are often found in and are essential to the life and success of the creative idea becoming a reality, ready to inspire, innovate, and bring expression into the environment in which the creative flame is carried. So, the following is what I shared with Lisa and I think is a helpful tool in the creative process.

There are four types of people needed in the creative process and a fifth type that should be avoided at all costs. The four are Generators, Expanders, Refiners, and Implementers.

GENERATORS
The Generators are the people the “generate” lots of creative ideas. Although not all their ideas are brilliant, there is typically a multitude of them, and usually, there are a few sparks that have the potential for combustion. Generators tend to think without boundaries or restrictions. Generators need the right environment for ideas to flow. Setting up a space that stimulates creativity will encourage the flow of potential genius. Provide resources that will stimulate creative thought. Simple tools like crayons, markers and moldable clay can open up the opportunity for ignition of a fabulous idea.

EXPANDERS
Expanders are the people who may also have a lot of creative ideas but thrive on helping a spark catch flame. I love the show “Duel Survival.” It features two guys, placed in various survival situations, where they are required to use all their skills to survive until they find a way out of the geography where they are stranded. I love watching their various techniques of starting a fire. Usually, one survivor creates some contraption out of different materials that they have salvaged to ignite a small burning ember in what looks like a bird’s nest. The other survivor blows on the ember, while at the same time shielding it from the wind until it is a small flame. In a similar way, the Expander fosters a creative spark into a more defined idea by breathing into it. The Expander can often be heard saying “Yes and…”, “that is good, and you could…”, either drawing more out of the idea or adding to it. Expanders have the ability to add depth, texture, and substance to the creative spark until it is a small flame of potential.

REFINERS
Then there are the Refiners. These people are vital to the creative process. They tend to be more concrete in their thinking. Refiners determine if and how a creative concept can happen. These people tend to be concerned with the logistics, finances, legalities, etc. of the creative idea. As a warning, be careful about having Refiners in the creative brainstorming session. When creative sparks begin flying, Refiners get nervous. They see every spark as a potential flame that will need managing. Another reason you want to be careful of a Refiners involvement in creative brainstorming is the threat of drowning creativity. If you put to much structure to a spark too soon, it can extinguish the spark before it has a chance to catch fire. With that said, Refiners are vital to the creative process in bringing reality and clarity to the creative idea. As an individual who tends to flourish in the Generator/Expander world, I have found that many of my great ideas cannot and don’t happen unless I have some strong Refiners on my team.

IMPLEMENTERS
The last group that is vital to the creative process are the Implementers. These are the people who can take content, after it has been through the creative process, and manage the execution. Like an Olympic torch carrier, they transport the flame from one location to another. The role of Implementer is vital in a multi-site church like Christ Fellowship, where the same program, creative element, and experience is reproduced at all locations at the same time. The Implementers own the creative flame as their own and make sure that it is presented with the passion and intention of the creative team.

Every year at Christ Fellowship, we do three days of Christmas services leading up to Christmas day. We put a lot of effort and energy into making our Christmas services fresh, inspiring and highly creative. The creative brainstorming usually happens several months before, during the summer. A room full of creatives spends the day throwing ideas up on the board seeing what will stick. Generators and Expanders work together to find that one idea and fan it into a flame. Over the next four to five months, Refiners are working with the Generators and Expanders to bring resource and logistics to make the flame a thriving fire ready to be delivered to the church. All this is wonderful, but if there are not effective Implementers of the fire to each one of our locations, the execution can take some of the heat out of the fire. When all four groups are working together in unity, a creative spark becomes a fire that dances, inspires, and brings a sense of awe and excitement in the execution.

Oh, there is that fifth group that I mentioned should be avoided in the creative process. They are the Quichers! These people seem to carry a fire extinguisher where ever they go. They carry an “it can’t be, shouldn’t be, won’t be done” attitude that can dampen any potential for a creative spark to take place. Protect the creative process from these people at all costs.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »