Ron Harris

It's time!

Time management. Ugh. About the only phrase I dislike more is “pain management.” Unfortunately, when you get older, you begin to hear “pain management” more and more from doctors and other health care providers.

I don’t want pain management. I want pain elimination!

What about time management? Well, it is one of those necessary evils that are part of our lives if we ever hope to accomplish much of anything. Everyone is given the same amount of time each day. Some sleep longer and have fewer hours to work or serve. Some order their days in such a way as to be extremely efficient. I applaud those folks.

There are numerous books and programs that can help you use your time better. Making lists. Prioritizing. Taking calls and answering emails at only certain times to limit interruptions. Lots of good ideas. I wish I could nail one of those plans down and live by it religiously. I know I would be more efficient. More productive.

However, I have found that sometimes interruptions are important. Sometimes that spontaneous event is valuable for relationships…with family…with friends…with ministry partners. Yes, they can be distracting. And yes, they can mean something gets pushed off for another day. But it may turn out that the interruption was the most valuable thing you did all day.

I am working on one area of time management. It has to do with my Bible study time. Judy and I enjoy time in God’s Word, both separately and together. In the mornings, she has her quiet time, and I have mine. Right now, I am reading through the Bible with one of the You Version Bible reading plans. At breakfast, we read a devotion from a respected Christian leader. This year it is a daily devotional book by Joni Eareckson Tada. Other years it has been thoughts from Billy Graham, Oswald Chambers, or Henry Blackaby.

In the evening at mealtime we read through various books of the Bible, reading the notes of outstanding Bible scholars, like Dr. Charles Ryrie. These are enlightening and lead to some interesting conversations. Do we miss some days? Yes. But we don’t get too concerned. We just pick up the next time and go on.

So, what am I working on with my time management? I am making my morning Bible reading come before I deal with emails or Facebook posts or messages, or some of the other ways my friends here and around the world contact me. It is so easy to roll out of bed, grab the iPhone or iPad and begin reading the texts and messages. But I am determined to read God’s Good News and His instruction book before I launch into the day.

[blockquote author="Matthew 6:33 (NLT)" link="" target="_blank"]Now that I think about it…this isn’t time management. It is heart management. What did Jesus say? Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

[/blockquote]

Everything I need. That might even include the ability to order the rest of my day in a way that honors the Lord and accomplishes His purpose. Worth taking the time.

by Ron Harris

What is Not Worth Doing Well?

Ken Blanchard has written several leadership books, including a classic, The One Minute Manager. I was reading another of his books, The Heart of a Leader, and came across a quote that surprised me.

Things not worth doing are not worth doing well.

It took me a couple of readings to see what Blanchard was saying. He related in this book how time management experts taught efficiency in all things. But Blanchard and others felt that it didn’t make sense for people to be doing a great job on a task they shouldn’t be doing in the first place. It didn’t matter how well they did the task if it didn’t need to be done!

Blanchard indicates, “People are often busy doing what seems to be extremely urgent but really isn’t. They spend a great deal of time moving papers rather than listening to their people....”

Have you ever felt that way? Have you come to the end of the day and said, “Did I accomplish anything worthwhile today?”

Blanchard goes on to say this.

“An effective leader must step back, look at the big picture, and make sure the important things are not being pushed out of the way by the seemingly urgent need of the moment.”

I wonder if the Apostle Paul felt this kind of pressure. I know he understood the importance of priorities. In writing to his fellow Christ-followers in Philippi he said,

[blockquote author="Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)" link="" target="_blank"]...this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.[/blockquote]

As a leader in Christian ministry, the most important things for you are not the items that have stacked up on your desk, nor the problem that was just rushed to you to be decided. The most important thing is reaching forward... seeing the big picture... and pressing on toward what the Lord has for you. Paul calls it the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Today...let’s avoid the things that don’t need to be done, and focus our energy...and our excellence...on that one thing God has called us to.

by Ron Harris

An Unusual Leadership Tool

What is your goal for your organization...your ministry? Most leaders would quickly say, “To be the best ___(name your type of media)_____ in the world...for the glory of God."

I agree that is a great goal. But what is it going to take to make that goal become reality? If you came up with an answer to that question, maybe that should be your goal. Let me explain.

A recent speaker at our MEDIAlliance Leadership Summit is the founder of a very successful architectural firm. Raymond Harris told me that early on his goal was to be the best architectural firm in the world. With that as his goal, he did some things that moved his firm toward that goal...but at a price. Harris told me that after ten years, he made a radical change in his goal. His new goal?

Be the best employer he could be.

The difference was profound. If we have a goal for our organization, we would expect to go all out to achieve that goal. We might achieve a level of success...but at a price. And that price might be the people in our organization.

Dan Cathy heads up Chic-fil-A, the iconic fast food organization. He is the son of founder Truitt Cathy. John Maxwell writes about an unusual leadership tool that Dan Cathy gave him and other executives at a gathering. It was a shoe brush.

A nine-inch, 100% horsehair shoe brush!

After passing the brushes out to the group, Cathy called Maxwell to the front to show everyone how to use this leadership tool. Maxwell writes, “Dan sat me down, kneeled at my feet, then began cleaning my shoes with the brush.”

Cathy explained that it didn’t matter what type of shoes the person was wearing...even tennis shoes...you used the brush to clean them. Dan Cathy concluded, “Then...when you are done...you stand up and give them a big hug.”

OK...you’re not going to read that in most leadership books. The point he was making...and the thing Raymond Harris came to understand...is that those who work with us are the most valuable element in our organization, and the best thing we can do is serve them, help them, love them.

Maxwell wraps up his thoughts by saying that if you add value to those who work with you, you will become a better leader.

Isn’t this what Jesus taught his disciples? The first should be last. Take care of others. Put others first. Treat them the way you would like to be treated. Wash their feet. Jesus led by example.

[blockquote author="Matthew 20:28 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.[/blockquote]

And Peter, passing along instructions, put it this way.

[blockquote author="1 Peter 4:10 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.[/blockquote]

So... grab that brush, and let’s get busy serving others.

by Ron Harris

The path to excellence

How do you move from good to best? From average to excellent? Most of us, if asked, would say we want to do excellent work. Whether it is on-air radio performance, television production, technical efforts, programming, or mentoring/managing, we want to do our very best.

Jim Collins, the author of Good to Great, says, “Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great.”

We can all come up with reasons we don't achieve excellence. There is the press of time. We have to get something done right away and stop short of that something achieving greatness. We have the barrier of the work load. We have so much to do, and we can’t give enough attention to take a project beyond what is good.

Yet, we have this nagging feeling that we are not living up to our potential...that we are not being as effective as possible...that we are coming up short on the “excellence” scale. The fact is, we are missing the mark of excellent work.

A couple of thoughts to help put you on the path to excellence. Thomas J. Watson was the visionary leader that led IBM in its early days. Among his many quotes, this one stands out to me.

[blockquote author="" link="" target="_blank"]

If you want to achieve excellence,

you can get there today. As of this second,

quit doing less-than-excellent work.

[/blockquote]

It is a matter of setting your mind on excellence, and rejecting anything that doesn’t lead to that standard. As of this second...

And, remember that as servants of the Lord Jesus, we have a higher calling than just excellence for excellence sake.

[blockquote author="Colossians 3:23-24 MSG" link="" target="_blank"]

...don’t just do the minimum that will get you by.

Do your best.... Keep in mind always that the

ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ.

[/blockquote]

And, as if God knew about your work load (He does!), His Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write this admonition.

[blockquote author="Galatians 6:9 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.[/blockquote]

The path to excellence?

• Set a high standard.
• Remember whom you serve.
• And start right this minute to do excellent work.
• ...for God’s glory and your good.

by Ron Harris

Conveying a Priceless Package

We call them conveyer belts. You may have another name for them. They are those big loops of belts and rollers that move packages from one place to another. When I go to the airport, my luggage is placed on one and is zipped to the plane…hopefully the right one!

You see them used in the unloading of a big truck, or in a warehouse. Nothing special. They just work. These things aren’t things of beauty, or seemingly worth much. In fact, it is the things they move around that are the things of value (except for my luggage).

I was discussing this with ministry friends in Austria a while back as we talked about Christian broadcasting. We often find ourselves immersed in the techniques of the craft we call media. Whether it is radio, television, or internet…we spend a lot of time on things like our voice, the delivery style, music selection, timing, and on and on.

It is best to think of these things like those conveyer belts. In and of themselves they are not worth much. It is the message…the Gospel…the Hope for the hopeless…the Light for the darkness…which we convey to the listeners and viewers that is priceless.

Now I have seen conveyer belts break down. Sometimes something blocks the way and packages begin to fall off the belt. When that happens, the important package isn’t getting to the place it needs to be.

The same is true if we are not skilled in our broadcast techniques. Poor craftsmanship, poor production techniques, poor communication skills can all be a barrier to God’s message reaching those who need it.

In our media ministry work, don’t love the conveyer belt and miss the priceless message it is delivering. Be faithful, diligent, skillful…but remember, we work not so others can say how good we are…but how good God is.

Keep your conveyer belt running smoothly. And don't forget, it is not the conveyer belt that is valuable. It is the package, the Good News, that is priceless.

Jesus loves. Jesus saves.

by Ron Harris

Building for success

Leadership expert John Maxwell says, “Few things build a person up like affirmation.” In fact, Maxwell goes on to point out that the dictionary says the word affirmation comes from ad firma, which means to make firm. And Maxwell adds that when you affirm people, you are making firm within them the things you see about them.

In his book, The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, Dr. Gary Chapman says that the number one thing employees want most for their work is...you guessed it...appreciation. If they don’t feel appreciated, a series of things may happen.

• There is a lack of connection with others and with the mission.
• Discouragement sets in.
• Complaints begin...about their work, their colleagues, their supervisors.
• The employee begins to think about leaving.

That’s not a path for success...for them or for the organization.

Through extensive research, Chapman, along with co-author Paul White, came to understand the critical value of appreciation if a business or ministry is to fulfill its goals and its mission.

As a leader, you can build up your team or erode their foundation. Words or acts of affirmation have great power. But it isn’t as simple as just patting someone on the back and saying, “Great job.” The leader needs to be specific in the commendation. And, not everyone responds to the same affirmation “language.” Chapman lists these five ways to affirm.

1. Words of affirmation
2. Quality time
3. Acts of service
4. Tangible gifts
5. Physical touch

While we can’t get into all the details of learning what each employee’s affirmation language is, it is well worth the study so that you can build up your staff, your team. As John Maxwell says, “Do that often enough, and the belief that solidifies within them will become stronger than the doubts they have about themselves.”

The Apostle Paul used words of affirmation often, commending the Christians scattered around his world for very specific things. Often his letters began with words of affirmation, like this to Christ’s followers in Thessalonica:

[blockquote author="2 Thessalonians 1:3 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing.[/blockquote]

Affirmation is powerful. Use it to build up others, and to accomplish all the Lord has for you and your team to do for His glory and His purpose.

by Ron Harris

...and the sin...

Does it happen to you? You’re reading a well know Bible passage…and those very familiar words capture your attention. I believe that is God’s Holy Spirit directing us…leading us…taking us deeper into the Word…applying it to our lives….

The writer of Hebrews penned,

[blockquote author="Hebrews 12:1-2a NASB" link="" target="_blank"]Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith….[/blockquote]

There is that phrase, “…the sin which so easily entangles us….” Is there a sin which comes to mind for you? There is for me. It is the one that easily snags me. Pulls me down. Diverts me from the race. Keeps me from being all God wants me to be. I hate that sin.

We don’t know for certain who wrote the book of Hebrews. It may have been the Apostle Paul. Or Luke. Or several other candidates. Whomever it was very likely had a specific sin in mind. A sin that easily entangled them in their spiritual race.

And the writer says to simply lay aside that sin. Wait a minute. That isn’t so simple. I’ve already admitted that it easily entangles me. That sin. That encumbrance. That stain. Just set it aside?

If Paul was the writer, we know that he was a very disciplined Christ-follower. And he encourages us to pattern our lives after his, even as he tries to follow the example of Christ.

So, is it discipline that allows us to set aside that sin? Discipline alone? That is one of the keys. We must take action, use our will, and set aside that sin. But since that sin easily snags us, we need more than just will power to overcome it. I believe the main element to defeating that sin is in the first part of Hebrews 12:2.

[blockquote author="" link="" target="_blank"]…keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith….[/blockquote]

Other translations tell us to look unto Jesus, or fix our eyes on Jesus. Not just glancing at Jesus…but giving Him our full attention. Look at Him and keep looking at Him.

That sin…yes THAT sin…will always be there. Satan is persistent and knows our weaknesses. But Jesus will also always be there, and with His presence and power, and our discipline and will, we can set aside THAT sin…the one that easily entangles us…and run the race that is set before us.

Which will it be today? Entangled in THAT sin? Or running the race with endurance…looking to Jesus? That is worthy of our prayer right now.

by Ron Harris

Prayer + Purpose = Power

Jonah. What a guy. The Lord calls him to go to Nineveh, and he heads in the opposite direction. Little did the ship crew know that letting him onboard their boat was asking for trouble. God sends the storm. The crew begs Jonah to pray to his God. (Their prayers to their gods didn’t get any response.) And finally, at his request, the crew throws Jonah overboard.

You remember what happened then? The storm stopped, and it was so dramatic that the crew offered sacrifices to Jonah’s God, and vowed to follow Him! Amazing.

Yet what transpires next is even more amazing. But first...some questions for you.

What do you think happens when you pray? Do you think your request goes into some little slot that has your name on it, to be gotten to when God gets time? Do you think it gets thrown into a pile of other prayers, and the Lord God responds when he finally gets down to yours? Or do you even think of this at all?

Yes, Jonah was swallowed by a big fish. God had planned for it.

[blockquote author="Jonah 1:17 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.[/blockquote]

Finally, Jonah came to his senses. And while in that big fish, Jonah prayed a beautiful prayer, recognizing the trouble he brought upon himself. He concludes with strong words of affirmation and a pledge to “...fulfill all my vows.”

Now, look at what happens next.

[blockquote author="Jonah 2:10 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.[/blockquote]

Boom. Just like that. Jonah prayed. God acted. Can you imagine the scene in Heaven at that moment? God...ordering a big fish to spit Jonah out on the shore. I mean, what were the angels thinking?

So, what do you think happens when your prayers bring you in line with God’s will for your life? Do you think God sits passively by, yawning, and saying, “Well, it’s about time.” Not at all.

Your Prayers plus God’s Purpose equals His Power.

The key is understanding that the most important thing we can do...the most important prayer we can offer as a Christ-follower...is to agree with God, repent, and get in step with the Lord’s will and calling on our life. And then, look out. God will move Heaven and earth...and maybe even a big fish in the depths of the sea...to fulfill His purpose through you.

What are you waiting for?

by Ron Harris

Are you an impact person?

[Note: I came across this previous Monday MEMO and thought it was worth repeating.]

Fred Smith was a mentor to some of the top thinkers of our day, including heads of corporations and Christian ministry leaders. My friend Brenda Smith, Fred’s daughter, is keeping his legacy alive by sharing some of Fred’s wisdom on a blog and website,
www.breakfastwithfred.com.

Some of the recent postings there relate to those of us who want to impact our world…especially as Christians in media.

In a post on “Get It Done People,” Fred Smith outlines what high impact people are like…what they do to remain a force for good and for God. Here is some great insight from Fred's list.

High Impact People:

1. Link passion and uniqueness - they find their particular area of genius and maximize it by utilizing it effectively.
2. Minimize religion and maximize spirituality - Christianity isn't a religion; it is a relationship. Knowing about God isn't faith but growing in trust and obedience is.
3. Endure pain to win the gold - Bob Richards, the Olympic vaulter, always asked budding athletes: "What do you with the pain?" Pain isn't optional.
4. Understand that discipline isn't punishment - an unruly, chaotic life achieves little. There is always a price to pay for accomplishment. Discipline allows the freedom of productivity. Good habits are there for the times you don't want to work.
5. Control their time and appreciate the dramatic moments - Just as I don't let other people spend my money, I don't let them spend my time.
6. Focus - scatter-shooting is for amateurs. Big game hunters don't go out carrying shotguns.
7. Are Energetic - Know what creates energy and what uses it and manage it well. High impact people are generally high energy, as well. They know how to harness the strength.
8. Balance their lives - They stay out of the rat race and avoid obsessions. They integrate all the spokes of their wheel, as my friend Zig Ziglar says. The ride gets bumpy when all the emphasis is on one area.

These are good thought-starters and goals for those who want to make an impact in this world for Christ and the Gospel. Let's follow the example of the Apostle Paul.

[blockquote author="Philippians 3:14 NASB" link="" target="_blank"]... I press on toward the goal for the prize
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.[/blockquote]

by Ron Harris