Comments on: Outcomes or Execution?

By: Best Blogs of the Week | Planting Space

Best Blogs of the Week | Planting Space — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:51:56 +0000

[...] Outcomes or Execution? [...]

By: JD

JD — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:44:19 +0000

Great post! I love it when we are encouraged to look at a popular parable in a different way. In regards to the comment about feeling sorry for the one talent I have to think that the servant knew the expectations. When the master returns he says, You knew I has a hard man, right?
We also need to realize that just because we are the leader doesn’t mean we know everything. Once we discover that some one is gifted in an area where we are not it is typically best to let them do their thing, rather than jumping in to micro-manage it.

By: Rob Shepherd

Rob Shepherd — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:57:24 +0000

Great post. Question. Once you free other leaders/volunteers up how do you (personally) keep them accountable if they aren’t winning?

By: Hal Hunter

Hal Hunter — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:51:06 +0000

No, I don’t. But it wasn’t expressly stated in the argument what their constraints are. And I have discovered it is better not to leave too leave unsaid what constraints are inviolable.

Thinking further about it I feel a little sorry for “one talent guy.” He worked for (actually, was owned by) a “hard” man (“difficult” in HCSB) of whom he was “afraid”. He had no guidance from the boss- just a challenge he was not up to. He was so risk-averse even investing with “the bankers” didn’t occur to him. Maybe this was not just a failure of the slave to perform, but the boss to select, prepare and brief the help and set reasonable expectations and adequately define a win.

I used to work for a giant monster mega-bank. We joked that they used the “jumping horse” method of management development. How do you breed jumping horses? You run them up to a fence. Those that jump the fence you breed; those that don’t you shoot.

I think what you are saying has to do with avoiding micro-management while supplying adequate coaching, training and support for our teams.

By: tony

tony — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:45:51 +0000

come on, hal. you don’t think i’m suggesting we should allow our teams to use “inappropriate means” to accomplish our mission do you?

By: Hal Hunter

Hal Hunter — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:25:19 +0000

If we were without scruples, outcomes and methods would be disconnected, but as Christians, we don’t have that option. Let’s argue from the absurd; we are suffering from a shortfall in giving. As Administrator, I am expected to help increase giving. I could increase the amount in the plate by giving the ushers shotguns. It would be a short-lived, and totally contrary to our core values, but it would solve the giving problem.

Sometimes leaders have to let subordinates try and fail- sometimes they will come up with fabulous ideas that would never occur to us. But the ends never justify inappropriate means.

By: Susan

Susan — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 14:41:49 +0000

This is great! This is where we’ve been moving the past year or two — it aligns totally with org development — empowering people — and allowing leaders and organizations (churches in our case) move to the next level. It’s a way to honor the giftings of others and to add value by not only giving away responsibility but authority which is balanced with accountability (outcomes). In working with churches, we’re partnering with them to move to outcomes not ministry (job) descriptions. If we set the outcomes through key accountabilities and boundaries (the never do) then people are free to acheive the outcomes in any way that fits their leadership, their team, their giftings. It’s amazing what can happen!
We use an IPOD which has
Initial key accountabilties (critical outcomes)
Preferred key accountabilites (desired outcomes)
Optional activities (may do if initial & preferred are hit)
Discouraged (may never do — moral, character, and leader specific).

It takes teams to a whole new level; it has staff focused on outcomes and staying at the 20000 foot level not 20 foot task level.

By: Rog Hill

Rog Hill — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:10:46 +0000

Tony, wow, that is a great insight to that story.

By: David (@dg4G)

David (@dg4G) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:37:41 +0000

Thanks Tony – this is a great lesson and I know will help see my own leadership, in church and business, move to a new level. I love how God’s Word keeps revealing new things time after time – His blessing is new every morning indeed!

By: Bill Bliss

Bill Bliss — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:48:31 +0000

Tony,

Focusing on casting a clear vision allows the people to be creative to obtain a great outcome. When this is allowed by the leader, it also fosters growth, which in turn prepares people to gain talent, experience and confidence to do greater things. I think this is one of God’s ways of preparing us to do the works He has prepared for us (Eph 2:10). We hear about (and certainly experience) how God uses “trials” to help us to learn things. These trials are typically associated with hardships. I think of Joseph and a great book entitled, God Meant It For Good. These trials, we are told, happen in part to prepare us for things or experiences that God wants us to do in the Kingdom – the growth opportunities that a leader provides are along a similar track. I believe that Jesus will ask the leaders among us what we did with the talents (people) He gave us. I so want Him to say, “Well done.”