By Mark Howell, on January 5th, 2010
 One of the blogs I read almost everyday is Gaping Void by Hugh MacLeod. Word of warning…sometimes often profane. At the same time, Hugh’s insight is very keen. Not every post or cartoon is dead on, but a lot of them are. There are definitely times when you just have to nod your head. There are other times when you have to think, “You are one crazy dude!”
Good ideas alter the power balance in relationships. That's why good ideas are always initially resisted.
His first book came out recently. Ignore Everybody, a collection of 40 keys to creativity, is an engaging read and a good overview of the kind of thinking that will either get you in trouble…or onto an insanely great idea.
Need an example of Hugh’s brand of thinking? Here’s one of my favorites:
If you are into marketing, innovation, creativity, etc., this is a book you might want to check out. At the same time, you need to be aware that “Good ideas alter the power balance in relationships. That’s why good ideas are always initially resisted (p. 2, Ignore Everybody).
By Mark Howell, on January 3rd, 2010
One of the most important ongoing conversations a leader has is the one that keeps the mission on the front burner. As this critically important conversation becomes less frequent or more muddled the likelihood that the mission is accomplished decreases. How do you have the conversation? I say “all the time and in as many ways as possible.” Who do you think the most important person is to the Coca Cola company? The consumer? Which one? The coke drinker? Nope. It's actually the Pepsi drinker.
My default way is to find stories or metaphors that graphically illustrate the mission. I loved this paragraph from Will Mancini’s Church Unique:
“Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that the church is only the church when it exists for others. What keeps your church focused externally? Who do you think the most important person is to the Coca Cola company? The consumer? Which one? The coke drinker? Nope. It’s actually the Pepsi drinker (p. 123).”
That is a great way of thinking about mission. Unless you’re in the business of caring for the already convinced you’ve got to be focusing on the unconvinced. If success has anything to do with reaching new customers…you better keep that mission in front of your team all the time.
By the way, one of the earliest posts here at StrategyCentral was about carbonation in churches. Like the line here about the most important person being a Pepsi drinker, the story in this early post is one I’ve told a thousand times. It’s all about mission.
By Mark Howell, on January 2nd, 2010
“What is StrategyCentral about and why don’t you just put this stuff over on MarkHowellLive.com?
It’s a fair question. Actually a couple fair questions. Here’s my thinking. StrategyCentral is where I write about the intersection between strategy and purpose, but specifically it is my outlet to write about the ideas generated by the books I read in the areas of strategy and leadership, change management, customer-service, marketing, innovation, and design-thinking.
For the last 20 years I’ve been reading Tom Peters, Jim Collins, and Patrick Lencioni (along with millions of you). But I’ve also been reading Peter Drucker, Jeffry Pfeffer and Robert Sutton, Bill Taylor, Gary Hamel and Peter Block. In fact, I tend to read about 5 to 1 (maybe 10 to 1) business over ministry. Why? Because the intersection fascinates me. The intersection between strategy and purpose.
One of my core convictions is that most ministries (and I include non-profits) have no idea that a vision ought to have a strategy designed to move the organization in the right direction. I don’t remember where the idea came from…but I’ve had it for a long time. A long time. I do remember how struck I was by Tom Peter’s In Search of Excellence in 1987. I was a seminary student at the time and have no idea why I bought that book. I do know that today my book shelves are packed with ideas driven by the notion that strategy does matter.
StrategyCentral is where I write about the continuing journey. If you share my passion for making a difference strategically…I invite you to come along. You can sign up to get the update right here. You’ll also find over 1,000 articles by checking out the categories or archives.
P.S. MarkHowellLive.com is where I write about my other passion: boundary-free small group ministry.
By Mark Howell, on December 24th, 2009
I hope you have a very merry Christmas…filled with the richness of God’s great love. I hope you are surrounded by friends wherever you are. And I hope your cup overflows on everyone you encounter. God bless you at Christmas!
mark
By Mark Howell, on December 22nd, 2009
 My copy of Six Pixels of Separation worked itself to the top of the stack today. Written by Mitch Joel, President of Twist Image, Six Pixels is an absorbing look into the art and science of connecting online. A take-off on the idea that we’re all separated by six degrees, the notion here is that with the digital revolution…the separation is reduced to six pixels.
What I immediately found appealing in Six Pixels is that Joel is no travel agent to the concept. Instead, he comes across as a tour guide; someone who’s already been there and is now accompanying us on a guided tour into the world of Facebook, Twitter, blogs and websites. A quick look at his engaging blog (also called Six Pixels of Separation) makes it clear that this is not new terrain but very familiar territory.
Packed with stories, both personal and anecdotal, this is a fascinating read. On first glance it seemed pretty basic, really more of an overview for absolute newbies. A few pages in I found myself folding down pages, starring bullet points and stopping to reread passages. There’s a lot here. Whether you’re new to this game or looking for insight into how to connect more effectively, this is a book you ought to pick up.
With chapters on “harnessing the power of online communities,” learning to pay attention to the pervasive qualities of the internet, the convergence between digital and real world encounters, and building your personal brand, Six Pixels is a fun read with some very practical takeaways.
How you absorb what’s here may depend on your depth of experience on the ‘net. If you’ve spent time developing a blog or are a regular on Facebook or Twitter, you may find yourself skimming some chapters. That’s okay! There’s plenty here to catch the eye of even veterans of the digital world. If, on the other hand, you’re new to creating your own content or participating in the online conversation, you’ll find Six Pixels of Separation to be a real page turner with plenty to chew on. You can order your copy right here.
By Mark Howell, on December 18th, 2009
By Mark Howell, on December 8th, 2009
“To reach people no one else is reaching we must do things no one else is doing.”
That line seems like a no-brainer. Obvious. And yet, when I heard Craig Groeschel say that at Willow’s Leadership Summit last year I scrambled to write it down and then had trouble thinking about anything else for the rest of the day.
“To reach people no one else is reaching we must do things no one else is doing.” Got it. Definitely. Makes a lot of sense. If what you’re doing right now is not reaching the people you’re trying to reach…then you’d probably want to try something different.
 I want to figure out how to do that, which is why this diagram from Change by Design by Tim Brown leaped off the page when I saw it.
Here’s the gist. When you’re preoccupied with the needs of your existing customers…you’ll focus your attention on providing incremental improvements.
If you want to do anything beyond the status quo, you’ll need to begin making evolutionary changes (extending beyond existing offerings or adapting to reach new users).
Really, Groeschel was referring to revolutionary innovation. Maybe we find it difficult to reach people no one is reaching because we’re unwilling to go to the lengths of creating new venues and new methods that are beyond incremental.
Reacting to Craig Groeschel’s line, Andy Stanley said, “You can change the music, the style, dress different and take out the pews, they still aren’t going to be reached.” If you want to reach people no one else is reaching, you’re going to have to do things no one else is doing. You’re going to have to create. Incremental change will never get it done.
By Mark Howell, on December 3rd, 2009
How does arriving where you’ve already been sound? Depends I guess. If you like where you’ve been, you might want to go there again. After all, there are places we’ve been that we love going back to. At the same time, as a metaphor for vision…most of us are dreaming of arriving somewhere we’ve never been. And arriving where we’ve already been is the last thing we’d set out to do.
And yet…when it comes to strategic planning, we’re often hung up by the fears of the agents of status quo who prefer consistent, predictable outcomes. “Will it pay for itself?” “Will we get buy in from the core?” “Are you sure this will work?” Sound familiar? These are the sound bites of those seeking reliability and “the goal of reliability is consistent, predictable outcomes (p. 37, The Design of Business).”
On the other hand, if you’re dream of arriving somewhere you’ve never been, a desired objective,…then you’ll be looking for a different route than you’ve taken so far. You’ll be looking for a path that goes to a different place than you’ve been before. That route or path is found in the search for validity, not reliability. And the discovery of what is actually valid is the only way to get from where you are to where you want to go.
By Mark Howell, on December 1st, 2009
Keeping an eye on the effectiveness of strategy is essential. Clarifying what a win is and launching strategic steps designed to produce that win are essential to organizational success. Evaluating effectiveness is just as important.
Have you ever slowed down long enough to evaluate whether your strategy is actually working? Most organizations never really get around to it. Why? I’m finding Roger Martin’s The Design of Business very helpful in teasing out one of the most basic reasons.
It has to do with the fact that most organizations that have had any amount of success become really good at repeating the steps that led to their previous success. In a sense, they’ve refined and perfected a set of procedures that successfully produce a certain product. Martin refers to this as developing an algorithm (an explicit, step-by-step procedure for solving a problem).
The advantage that an algorithm offers is significant. In the same way McDonald’s produces a quality product with very little variation, developing effective strategies that can be used again and again make it possible to repeat previous success. The dependability of the algorithm reduces the risk that operator quirks will derail the effectiveness of the organization. The organization can produce what the customers wants every time.
As long as what the customer wants doesn’t change.
What happens when what the customer wants changes? You’d better go back to the drawing board and develop a new strategy. What do most organizations do? Keep running the same algorithm and hope the outcome was a fluke or that customers will come to their senses and return to seeing the world as it used to be.
“What organizations dedicated to running reliable algorithms often fail to realize is that while they reduce the risk of small variations in their businesses, they increase the risk of cataclysmic events that occur when the future no longer resembles the past and the algorithm is no longer relevant or useful (p. 43, The Design of Business).”
Scary? Should be. See yourself? Hope not. What do you need to do if you realize that your organization’s future no longer resembles the past? Don’t hope for a mindset change on the part of the customer. Go back to the drawing board. Begin developing a better understanding of your customer. Tip? The people you’re currently reaching are not the customer you ought to be trying to reach.
By Mark Howell, on November 26th, 2009
I don’t know about you, but I look forward to this day all year. Greenberg Smoked Turkey, cornbread dressing, cranberry relish, sweet potatoes, and pecan pie. That’s worth looking forward to!
But…it’s not the whole reason I look forward to this day. I also look forward to it because it is a day that reminds me of all I have to be thankful for. Family. Friends. Health. A God who knows me and loves me. Even died for me. That’s a lot to be thankful for.
Hope you have a great day…wherever you are.
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