Barnabas File

Leaders will often say that the people in their organization are its most important asset.     Many probably believe this.     As I have been thinking about the development of clergy leaders, I wonder if lay and denominational leaders believe this.     Is there sufficient investment in retaining, developing, and maintain clergy leaders?      In his book  The Systems Leader , Robert E. Siegel suggests that investing in staff should be a priority concern. Let’s look at his observations and apply them to our church and denominational settings.   First, Siegel observes that it is cheaper and easier to retrain that replace. He writes, “Studies show that it often costs less to reskill a current employee than to recruit, hire, and train a new one. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, finding and training a new employee can cost as much as six to nine months of their salary.”    This means reskilling existing pe...

We often talk about the value of coaches and mentors in professional development but give little attention to the value of peers in helping us achieve what we are seeking.   In The Career Game Loop , author Jessica Lindl emphasizes the importance of peers to our development.  They can be older, younger, or the same age.  The key is that you share a desire to learn and grow, and you are willing to make a mutual commitment to the relationship.  Peers can provide both accountability and inspiration.    Peers can hold each other accountable by giving attention to the following:   Setting goals.  We can share with our peer where we are and where we want to be, then articulating both specific goals and timelines to achieve them.   Sharing progress. We need to keep in touch regularly with our peer to motivate us to make headway between conversations.   Asking for feedback.  Questions and feedback from a peer can he...

When I began coaching, my colleague Mark Tidsworth introduced me to the concept of “positive psychology.”  I have come to appreciate how this approach, pioneered by Martin Seligman and others, can enrich and inform my coaching.   Basically, positive psychology is like the "glass half full" approach to understanding people. Instead of just focusing on what's wrong with us, it's all about what makes us feel good and live a good life.   Think of it this way:   It's not just about fixing problems:  It's about figuring out what makes us happy and how to get more of that. It's about our strengths:  Instead of dwelling on our weaknesses, it looks at what we're good at and how we can use those things. Happy feelings matter:  It looks at why feeling things like joy and gratitude are important. Getting lost in the moment is good:  That feeling when you're totally absorbed in something you love? That's important for feeling good. Friends are key:  Good ...

I am not an apologist for social media—it can be divisive, time-consuming, and distasteful. Even so, I continue to post regularly on Facebook.    Here are my reasons:   Posting reminds me to celebrate the good things of life—family, friends, special occasions.  I am reminded of the blessings of present and past relationships.  That’s why you will see lots of pictures of my grandchildren and great grandchildren!   Posting allows me to connect with a large community of people with both similar and diverse opinions.  Many of these are trusted friends and colleagues. I want to maintain that contact, not matter how tenuous. Posting is a way to encourage others.  I share scripture, key quotes, and ideas that have caught my attention.  There’s enough negativity out there; let’s encourage each other with positive ideas. Posting gives me the opportunity to teach.  That may sound a bit presumptuous, but I consider mys...

Do you have what it takes to be a coaching leader?  A coaching leader is someone who encourages another person to identify his or her goals, discover the resources available to pursue those goals, develop action plans together, and then walk along beside that person in the process of achieving the person’s goals.  A coaching leader can apply these skills in working with groups and teams as well, multiplying his or her impact as a coach by including others in the process.   A coaching leader is strong in the elements that Daniel Goleman attributes to emotional intelligence:   Self-awareness. Self-regulation. Motivation. Empathy. Social skills.   These are skills that can be learned once a person understands his or her own emotional intelligence profile.  The more that you, as a leader, can manage each of these areas, the higher your emotional intelligence.  Emotional intelligence is essential to be an effective coaching leader. In ad...

A friend got very upset with me once when I said, “I don’t treat all of my children the same way.”     He thought this was very unfair, but I tried to explain that my desire was to relate to them in a way that was appropriate to them as individuals.     I am sure that I did not always succeed, but I realized that each of them was unique--the needs of one were very different from the needs of another.    I loved, and still love, all of them but the important thing was that I attempted to provide what I thought each one needed.   So here is my secret:  I don’t coach all of my coaching clients in the same way!  Why?  Because they are individuals with different needs, experiences, and capacities.  Each person has their own particular way of processing experiences, learning, and acting.  If I fail to take that into account, our coaching relationship will not be effective.   For example, one client may k...

The Gallup organization did a  meta-analysis  of 100 million employee interviews to identify what makes a highly engaged team.  The key factor is the manager, but one with a particular style of leading.  In a recent blog post, Jim Clifton reported, “ Gallup has discovered -- through studying what the best managers do differently -- that great managing is an act of coaching, not one of directing and administrating.” At the center of compassionate accountability is coaching.  Good managers engage in regular coaching conversations to encourage, develop, and support team members.  In the blog, Clifton suggests several ways to implement this game changing strategy in an organization. 1.    1.   Recognize that Millennials and Generation Z individuals want to learn and grow.     Coaching provides this opportunity. 2.       Announce to your organization that your leaders will move from administer...

A t some point, I discovered that you learn more by teaching than by being a student in a course.  For four years, colleague Beth Kennett and I have taught an Introduction to Coaching class as part of Summit Coach Training from Pinnacle.  In teaching, I have rediscovered at least ten concepts that I think every coach should remember.  1.   1.   The client is central.     Coaching is really all about the client. The client sets the agenda, and the coach provides the process.     If you have any concerns about what to ask or how to proceed, ask yourself, “Does this serve the client?” 2.       Coaching is really a partnership.     It is a collaborative activity.     Bob Dale spoke about coach and client as “thought partners.”     It is a partnership that fosters creativity on the part of client and learning on the part of the coach. 3.       You are not a “...

The first real “job” for which I was paid was as a math tutor.  Considering that I failed Calculus in college, this is rather ironic.  I was a junior in high school and my math teacher recommended me as a tutor for an eighth grader.  The parents paid me ten dollars a session.   As I began working with this young man, I realized pretty quickly that he already knew what he was supposed to do.  He understood the calculations and was probably a better math student than I was!  The key was focus.  He needed someone who would just sit with him, respond to his work, and provide encouragement.  I did not need to be an expert; I just needed to be there.   I find myself in the same situation very often as a leadership coach.  As I talk with a client, I discover that not only does the person have the best knowledge of the situation we are discussing, but he or she has some ideas about how to address it in a p...

Something exciting is happening in our culture.     Churches and their leaders are being called upon to step up and provide hope and community in these challenging times.     This is a time for believers to engage.    In recent years, many religious leaders have seemed content to sit on the sidelines, wring their hands over the “decline of the church,” and avoid the charge of Jesus that “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40, NIV) Bold leadership--foot washing and witness--go hand in hand, but this only happens when leaders are empowered and supported.   In his new book,   Coaching as Spiritual Practice: Deepening Faith While Deepening Impact  Edward Hammett suggests one strategy to provide that kind of support.   “I would like to propose that churches, denominations, judicatories, and districts begin to cooperate to employ a coach in ...

Effective coaches are on a journey—not only to improve their skills but to understand themselves.     In so doing, they can increase the quality of coaching they offer to their clients.    One way to do this is to identify and strengthen their own level of social and emotional intelligence.   The connection between coaching and social and emotional intelligence (SEIP) is profound and multifaceted. Emotional intelligence is not just a desirable trait for a coach; it's a fundamental skill that underpins effective coaching and drives positive outcomes for clients.   Social and Emotional Intelligence provides a strong foundation for effective coaching in several ways. Building Trust and Rapport: SEIP, particularly empathy and social skills, allows coaches to create a safe, open, and trusting environment where clients feel understood and comfortable sharing their vulnerabilities. This rapport is crucial for a successful coaching relationship. Unde...

“I haven’t failed.  I’ve just found a thousand ways not to make a lightbulb.”—Thomas Edison   In  The Career Game Loop , author Jessica Lindl reminds us that failure is a necessary part of personal and professional growth.  She writes, “For great achievers in games and in life, failure isn’t something to fear. Failure isn’t an endpoint, and it isn’t a reflection of who they are.”  She makes these points:   First, failure is inevitable. When you try something that you (or no one else) has ever done, you can expect that you won’t be successful the first time.  One of the things that holds back innovation (especially in churches) is the idea that something needs to be perfect the first time out of the box. Let’s give each other a bit or grace and freedom to make mistakes.   Second, failure is data.  Something is a failure only if you fail to learn from it.  When something doesn’t work, it still provides da...

Each of us wants to give our best in the places where we serve, but have we given adequate attention to developing the skills needed to succeed?   In her book  The Career Game Loop , author Jessica Lindl suggests two types of fundamental skills to consider in employing someone:   technical skills  and  durable skills.   Technical skills would be understanding new software, new coding language, or new tools.  For those not in the gaming industry, these might be effective oral communication or basic computer skills. Often these are specific to a particular industry or type of work.  Durable skills include adaptability, resilience, and emotional intelligence.  These are valuable in any context.   Lindl writes, “These abilities often get mislabeled as  soft skills , suggesting that they possess less power or import than technical skills.  But the reality is that durable skills take us farther, faster, ...

Several decades ago, Richard Bolles wrote  What Color is Your Parachute?  on identifying and pursuing your career goals.  In some ways,  The Career Game Loop  is “parachute” for a new generation.   Author Jessica Lindl’s background is in computer gaming.  Her book applies the process of gaming to the world of career discernment, development, and achievement.  Even if you are not a gamer, you will appreciate the approach (and learn a lot about gaming along the way).  Lindl recognizes that one’s career path is no longer linear and provides a new model to take its place.   The process is basically four stages:  choose quest, level up, job hunt, and job craft.  There are echoes of Joseph Campbell’s “hero’s journey” because that is what good games are all about.  Lindl develops each stage in depth with not only personal stories but examples of gaming development.   There’s a lot to absorb...