Issachar Coaching Cluster Providing Direction Year 2 Session 5

How has God demonstrated His Agape Love recently? Prayer

A primary end-product of the WPA District is to produce Growing Spirit-filled Christ-like Servant Leaders at every level in the Bride of Jesus Christ.

Growing Spirit-filled Christ-like Servant Leader(ship) Core Competencies Model

Thinking Strategically Competencies: 1-Defining Realities 2-Providing Direction 3-Facilitating Action 4-Thinking Divergently 5-Thinking Convergently

Thinking Strategically Providing Direction Last month, we said “One of the best Biblical examples of Defining Realities, Providing Direction and Facilitating Action was Nehemiah!”

Thinking Strategically Providing Direction Today, as we think of Nehemiah in relation to Providing Direction, what comes to mind? What can we learn from Nehemiah?

Thinking Strategically Providing Direction The Holy Spirit must always be the primary source for guidance and direction!!!

Thinking Strategically Providing Direction Some Biblical examples are: Israelites in the wilderness Gideon led as a judge of Israel Paul’s Macedonian vision Paul being led to Jerusalem

Critical Steps in Providing Direction under the Holy Spirit’s Leading 1) Establish priorities and develop next steps. 2) Practice Process Planning- “A plan is nothing, the process in planning is everything.” Bring people with you in the planning process.

3) Role Model the Process Planning/Leadership a) Connect regularly with key leaders to work strategically. b) Reflect and take action to move forward. c) Do first things first; one thing at a time; always one more thing.

3) Role Model Process Planning/Leadership d) Do pilot projects, debug, expand and multiply. e) Determine next leverage points and key people for involvement. f) Provide consistent coaching at all levels.

Expressions of Providing Direction Continually asking the Lord for wisdom and direction Communicate, communicate, communicate with key leaders and congregants Cast Vision to people creatively and regularly

Resources for Providing Direction Visioneering-Stanley Master Planning- Biehl Servant Leadership- Greeleaf The Effective Executive-Drucker Stop Setting Goals-Biehl Good to Great-Collins Primal Leadership-Goleman Leading Turnaround Churches-Wood

Resources for Providing Direction Getting Things Done-Allen

Key Competency Thinking Convergently The skill of leading people in the art of Convergent Thinking to narrow down ideas, concepts, potential solutions until the best solution is recognized under the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Thinking Divergently Area of Familiarity Area of Discovery Convergent Thinking 2005 Puccio, Murdock, and Mance

Principles of Convergent Thinking –Applying Affirmative Judgment –Keep Novelty Alive –Check Your Objectives –Stay Focused –Wild Card: Allow for Incubation

Some Convergent Thinking Tools –Hints: Review data, looking for items that jump out at you –Highlighting: Identify hints Group Hints into categories Name categories Restate cluster essence

Some Convergent Thinking Tools –Success Zones: All options are evaluated against two criteria: degree of importance and probability of success. Evaluate Degree of Importance on a 1 (low) to 9 (hi) scale Evaluate Probability of Success on a 1 (low) to 9 (hi) scale

D e g r e e o f I m p o r t a n c e P r o b a b I l I t y o f S u c c e s s Hi (3) Med (2) Low (1) Low (1)Med (2)Hi (3) Creative Challenge 7 Stretch Goals 8 Promising Opportunity 9 Difficult Endeavor 4 Gray Area 5 Low- Hanging Fruit 6 Waste of Time 1 Why Bother? 2 A Distraction 3 Key: Low 1-3 Med 4-6 Hi 7-9 Treffinger 1992 SUCCESS ZONES

Some Convergent Thinking Tools Use the Success Zone to evaluate/plot any number of ideas, goals, future scenarios, wish statements, etc. Determine specific next steps in accomplishing the agreed upon direction.

Key Tool Force Field Analysis- A situation is created by a balance of forces that oppose or reinforce it. Force field analysis does not indicate whether an idea/solution is good or bad. It simply indicates the difficulty or ease with which a change can occur.

How to create a force field Choose any specific change situation. On the left, write all forces that support a specific change. On the right, write all the forces that oppose a specific change.

Forces can be: People, Values, Structures/programs, Contextual factors, Crisis Knowledge/ideas, Benefits Traditions/history, Vision Mission, etc.

Draw arrows toward the center line which indicate the strength of the forces involved (e.g. longer/fatter arrows indicate more strength/intensity).

Enhancing ForcesInhibiting Forces People for change People against change Structures for change Structures against change Values for change Values opposed to change Tradition for change Tradition against change

Change occurs when: Forces on one side are reduced. Forces on the other side are strengthened. Opposing forces are changed into supporting forces.

Looking at the Force Field Analysis (two slides back), what do we know about this situation? What are the critical areas? What might be next steps for the leadership to take (Providing Direction)?

Force Field Analysis Who participates? Many leaders do one personally then create one with key leaders (especially key influencers & early adopters which could make up a guiding coalition)

Force Field Analysis How do you determine to length and thickness (intensity) of the arrows? First, ask Holy Spirit for wisdom. Second ask participants to determine intensity as a group (statistically, a group working together is smarter than any one individual in the group).

Force Field Analysis As the Force Field Analysis is completed (reality surfaces), the next steps to resolving the issue will become apparent.

Expressions of Thinking Convergently Asking God for the gift of wisdom Regularly leading oneself and one’s team in practicing convergent thinking Practicing bringing closure to discussions by asking “Who, What, When, Where & How?”

Resources for Thinking Convergently Center for Creative Leadership Learned Optimism- Seligman Creative Leadership- Puccio, Murdock, Mance Breakthrough Thinking- Nadler Problem Solving Journey- Hoenig Advantage Play- Ben

As We Enter Our Triads First let’s review last month’s Smart Goals Second, focus on what the Holy Spirit brought to your attention Did we Go Deep, Clarify, Determine Next Steps? Pray for one another

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