Setting Priorities

As a task-oriented person, I like to make lists. Even more, I like checking off things on the list that I have completed. In fact, when I do something that is not on the list, I sometimes add it to the list so that I can mark it completed.

Lists are most effective when we prioritize the items on the list. Most of us have more things on our “to-do” list than we have time to do. This means that we must make choices.

There are a number of ways make choices. Recently I came across the Eisenhower decision matrix. This comes from a quote attributed to President Dwight D. Eisenhower:

"I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent." Eisenhower did not claim this insight as his own but attributed it to an (unnamed) "former college president."

The four quadrants of the Eisenhower matrix are urgent and important, important, urgent, and

neither. Note the diagram posted here and the appropriate actions: Do, Decide, Delegate, or Delete.

In my coaching, I often use a simpler technique for a busy leader to make choices. I ask the person to make a list and then evaluate the list based on three questions.

First, what’s on this list that only I can do?

This decision is not made on the basis of my being special or essential but because I have the specific assignment, gifts, or ability to do this thing. This action is core to my responsibility as a pastor, clergy leader, or administrator. Even so, a task in this category can sometimes be delegated to others. More about that below.

Second, what is on this list that someone else can do? This may be because it is their core responsibility. Perhaps they can do it better than I can. This is also the opportunity to delegate and help others develop new capabilities. Every leader should be training someone who can step into his or her place. We grow leaders by delegating and coaching. For example, preaching is a primary responsibility for every pastor, but if a member of staff has demonstrated interest or shown potential in preaching, you can provide opportunities for that person to fill the pulpit and provide feedback as he or she develops skills in that area. This requires more of an investment of time initially but can lighten one’s load in the long term.

Third, what’s on this list that no one should do? This may be the hardest decision to make. There are things that are “nice to do,” but they are not essential. Occasionally, something will fall to the bottom of my “to do” list. If it stays there for several weeks and is not completed, I often find that the apparent need has vanished. The truth is that some things just don’t need to be done.

Making good use of one’s time is a challenge. With practice, we can learn to choose what is important, what someone else can do, and what no one needs to do.

Comments

Check these out

Confessions of a Recovering Southern Baptist

I am grateful for my heritage as a Southern Baptist. I was exposed to the Bible and worship from a very young age. I grew up in a church in south Alabama that supported the Cooperative Program of missions giving. This meant that our church had the benefit of being part of a supportive group of local churches and the educational opportunities that afforded. Our state convention provided varied and effective ministries with groups like orphans, ethnic groups, and college students. We supported missionaries at home and abroad. We had good Bible study and training literature (which we paid for, of course). I went to an accredited seminary and paid a remarkably low tuition. Wherever you went on a Sunday morning (in the Southeast and Southwest, at least), you could find a church that sang the familiar hymns and studied the same Bible lesson. In hindsight, I realize that this Southern Baptist utopia was imperfect. There were significant theological differences, often geograp

The Bible Tells Me So

As I read the story of the Good Samaritan during my devotional today, I was reminded of the times that I have heard the story in the Christian education setting of the local church--as a youngster in primary and intermediate classes (old terminology), as a young adult in college classes, and then as an adult, often teaching the passage myself. The characters and story line are very familiar due to these experiences of Christian education. These are challenging times for Christian education in the church. Like so much of what is happening in the church today, the old forms do not seem to support present needs. What once worked no longer seems to be effective. Christian education or the formation of believers is in a state of flux. In an article on ethicsdaily.com , retired professor Colin Harris addresses this issue. He points out that the period of the 60’s and 70’s “saw the beginnings of a loss of vitality within the educational dimension of church ministry, as the

Metaphors of the Kingdom of God

In a recent blog , consultant Seth Godin addresses the power of metaphor. He points out, “The best way to learn a complex idea is to find it living inside something else you already understand.” In other words, “this” is like “that.” “When you see a story, an example, a wonderment,” says Godin, “take a moment to look for the metaphor inside.” Jesus turned this around. In the use of parables, he told a story or provided a metaphor and challenged his hearers to see the truth within. For example, in his teaching on the Kingdom (or Reign) of God in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus compares the Kingdom to such things as a mustard seed, yeast, a hidden treasure, a net, a king, and a landowner. His hearers are encouraged to use their imaginations to understand something that they had never experienced. He also attempted to shift their perspective so that they might see signs of the Kingdom breaking into their present reality. These are metaphors for the Kingdom. Where do w

The Tragedy of Willow Creek Community Church

File photo of Steve Carter, Heather Larson, and Bill Hybels As Christian brothers and sisters, we need to pray for Willow Creek Community Church. On the eve of the Global Leadership Summit, a worldwide conference sponsored by the church in cooperation with the Willow Creek Association, church leadership imploded as a result of further allegations against former pastor Bill Hybels. Last year, Hybels introduced the team who would assume church leadership upon his retirement--lead pastor Heather Larson and teaching pastor Steve Carter. Although the founding pastor planned to stay on to assist in a time of transition, reports of sexual impropriety involving Hybels surfaced early this year. He accelerated his departure from the church and left the board of the Willow Creek Association. When other charges emerged last week, teaching pastor Carter resigned. On Wednesday evening, Larson and the entire elder board--lay leaders who provide accountability on behalf of the congreg

A Future for the Global Leadership Summit?

Craig Groeschel, the founder and senior pastor of Life.Church. The Global Leadership Summit which began as a project of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, and its founding pastor, Bill Hybels, over 25 years ago was held this week without Hybels. For several years, the GLS has been now produced by the Willow Creek Association, a spin-off organization and a loose network of churches but Hybels has been its driving force. Attended by thousands at the church facility in South Barrington and broadcast to thousands more at satellite locations, the annual meeting brings together not only evangelical leaders but outstanding speakers from business, charitable organizations, politics, and business. For the first time, Hybels did not appear due to allegations of sexual impropriety brought against him over the past year by former employees, staff members, and business associates. He has already left the church and resigned from the board of the association.

Barnabas File

Search This Blog