Jim Collins as far as I know coined the term BHAG which stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal in Good to Great. He describes it as a huge and daunting goal - like a big mountain to climb. It is clear and compelling and people get it right away. A BHAG can serve as a focal point, galvanizing people and creating a team spirit as people move towards a finish line.
I am living through one potential BHAG in business right now with our new software product due to launch next quarter. I am part of this years class of Leadership Cleveland and we are framing a big vision to change our city. Pat Morley has kind of put a different spin on BHAG and called it a Big Holy Audacious Goal. Someone once defined prayer as "finding out what God is doing and getting in on it". I kind of feel that way about our church - our pastor Joe Coffey is exceptional at framing a vision and communicating it to the congregation. In my CLC group, we are in the last session on Reforming Our Communities which is all about making a difference in our region.
I am firmly convinced that people want to be part of something big. No one wants to go through the motions day in and day out. People want to know that what they are doing is making a difference. When I was at Merge, we had regular conference calls with the CEO and in each conference call, he would lead off with how we did financially the previous quarter. As a public company, he felt that was the most thing. Nobody rallies behind financial numbers. They are the measurement of performance, but not the motivator. People not only want to make a difference, but they want to make an impact. An impact is something dramatic, something of a higher plane. If people think that what they are doing is making an impact, they will endure all sorts of opposition. On the other hand, I have encountered people that are not part of a vision and are going through the motions. They might be even well off, but they tend to be miserable. The one year I worked in a "real job" I was miserable. I have to be part of something I perceive to be great.
God wants something great. In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus describes a plentiful harvest with too few workers. In John 4:35, he talks about the fields that are ripe for harvest. This is the BHAG that he wants each of us in on. It is changing our neighborhood, our city, our region, our state, our country, our world. Kingdom impact is a BHAG. It is finding out what God is doing and getting in on it. I am convinced that God is doing something big in my life and in the city of Cleveland. I don't know specifics, but I want in on it. Each of us wants just such a mission.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Stretch Goals
I am a chronic planner. Most of my planning is looking ahead 90 days and then usually out to a year. But I always picture the long-term perspective in our businesses. It is kind of like seeing yourself in the car of your choice driving down the freeway. It is that long-term perspective of the future that helps dictate what happens in the short term. We are building a new business, Public Insight Corporation that is a potential game changer that looks at public data from an outcome based perspective. If we didn't have the long term perspective, it would be hard to know what to do in the short-term. We make short pithy statements that help us determine what we are or aren't. For example, we say "we are not public policy experts" or "we are not the gatekeeper to the data' to help us stay on the long-term track. We are also fond of establishing BHAG objectives which stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goals. These are things that are the broader vision of where we ultimately want to be. In this case, we visualize Public Insight as being the platform of choice for all state and local public analysis. Pretty broad goals.
We sometimes establish "stretch" goals which are those goals that require us to really stretch to the limits of our potential. A stretch goal is your ultimate reach that gets you going towards the BHAG. I have always admired leaders that could see a longer term vision in their head and then execute towards it. I don't consider myself a particularly strong visionary - I am more of a tactician, but I do find myself more and more thinking of what the potential might be. Then as we execute towards the BHAG, we typically find ourselves making little detours along the way. Entrepreneurship experts call those pivots. The average successful entrepreneur pivots 1-2 times where as the unsuccessful entrepreneur pivots not at all or more than 2 times. The message here is that detours happen - it is what you do with them that determine the success of your business. If you ignore them, you will fail. If you adjust too much like a bottle in the sea, you will also fail.
So what is the spiritual message here? God always has in mind for us a BHAG that always entails a series of stretch goals. When God looks at you and me, He sees all of what we could be in Christ. He stretches us through trials. James says to "consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4). Completeness is God's BHAG, but it will never be without trials and pain. These are the pivots that we experience in daily life. Jesus says "to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect". That is the ultimate stretch BHAG. I stumble often in my Christian walk. The journey is often laden with potholes that line my path. I know these pivots are maturing me, stretching me.
I have to work out at least 3 times a week. There are many times I don't feel like working out, but I do anyway. Of course there are times when I should and I don't but that is another story. I have never once regretted working out after I was done. My 53 year old body is stronger and is able to help strengthen me against the natural causes of aging (aging always wins however). If I was a perpetual couch potato, I would not be able to withstand any physical vigor. Getting on my bike in the summertime would not be a pleasant experience. Playing left field on my baseball team would feel like running in quicksand. I am extremely grateful for God's workouts, but I sometimes hate them when they are happening. I look back however very thankful for the stretching and maturing they are in my life while preparing me for the BHAG that I hope is around the corner. Not sure when - took Moses 40 years, but I am going to be faithful in the process. My prayer is that there is no trial that disqualifies me.
We sometimes establish "stretch" goals which are those goals that require us to really stretch to the limits of our potential. A stretch goal is your ultimate reach that gets you going towards the BHAG. I have always admired leaders that could see a longer term vision in their head and then execute towards it. I don't consider myself a particularly strong visionary - I am more of a tactician, but I do find myself more and more thinking of what the potential might be. Then as we execute towards the BHAG, we typically find ourselves making little detours along the way. Entrepreneurship experts call those pivots. The average successful entrepreneur pivots 1-2 times where as the unsuccessful entrepreneur pivots not at all or more than 2 times. The message here is that detours happen - it is what you do with them that determine the success of your business. If you ignore them, you will fail. If you adjust too much like a bottle in the sea, you will also fail.
So what is the spiritual message here? God always has in mind for us a BHAG that always entails a series of stretch goals. When God looks at you and me, He sees all of what we could be in Christ. He stretches us through trials. James says to "consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4). Completeness is God's BHAG, but it will never be without trials and pain. These are the pivots that we experience in daily life. Jesus says "to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect". That is the ultimate stretch BHAG. I stumble often in my Christian walk. The journey is often laden with potholes that line my path. I know these pivots are maturing me, stretching me.
I have to work out at least 3 times a week. There are many times I don't feel like working out, but I do anyway. Of course there are times when I should and I don't but that is another story. I have never once regretted working out after I was done. My 53 year old body is stronger and is able to help strengthen me against the natural causes of aging (aging always wins however). If I was a perpetual couch potato, I would not be able to withstand any physical vigor. Getting on my bike in the summertime would not be a pleasant experience. Playing left field on my baseball team would feel like running in quicksand. I am extremely grateful for God's workouts, but I sometimes hate them when they are happening. I look back however very thankful for the stretching and maturing they are in my life while preparing me for the BHAG that I hope is around the corner. Not sure when - took Moses 40 years, but I am going to be faithful in the process. My prayer is that there is no trial that disqualifies me.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Be Goals
I first heard about the concept of "Be Goals" from Andy Stanley's Leadership podcast. Andy Stanley is a pastor of North Point Community Church and he is a gifted pastor, but I get as much out of his leadership podcast as I do his sermons.
We typically set action oriented goals going into the new year such as lose weight, clean house, manage finances, etc. There is nothing wrong with setting these goals. However, these goals do not really define who we are. Be Goals define who we are. For example,
So commitment to Be Goals starts with being the man God wants me to be. I also think the goal of being a man of God also translates to strong actions. I find I stink at willing myself to action goals. It takes all of a week for me to break down. Because my outward condition is driven my inward condition. So Be Goals strengthen the inner person which provides me the means to strengthen the outer person.
We typically set action oriented goals going into the new year such as lose weight, clean house, manage finances, etc. There is nothing wrong with setting these goals. However, these goals do not really define who we are. Be Goals define who we are. For example,
- Be strong
- Be committed
- Be a man of integrity
So commitment to Be Goals starts with being the man God wants me to be. I also think the goal of being a man of God also translates to strong actions. I find I stink at willing myself to action goals. It takes all of a week for me to break down. Because my outward condition is driven my inward condition. So Be Goals strengthen the inner person which provides me the means to strengthen the outer person.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
AS IS - Great Expectations in the New Year
Today is New Years Day, a time for setting unrealistic expectations of ourselves for the coming year. I am no different. I now have a motivator as our daughter got engaged on December 24 and will be married sometime next August. You can see the details here. When Meghan got married, I set a goal of losing 10 pounds and came up just short. After the gluttony of the holidays, I am a woeful 221 pounds which is very heavy for me. Even the difference between 215 and 220 is substantial. I am one who is motivated by goals and I am setting a target of 200 for the next wedding.
Isn't it great that God does not set New Years resolutions on us? Don't get me wrong - He wants us to be everything we can be (Jesus says "be perfect", what a tall order). However He fully accepts us as we are. There is nothing we have to do performance wise to be perfect in His eyes. He esteemed us of such high value that He sacrificed His own Son to pay the penalty of our imperfection.
There is legal terminology that is used quite frequently in sales contracts. It usually is in all caps and bold letters and it says "AS IS". Usually that means that there is some defect in the item being sold and the seller wants to be sure that he is not held liable for any expectations of workmanship or quality. By using those magic words, he covers his behind. God accepts us AS IS, defects and all. I thought further that marriage is also the same way and that is why it is a picture of Christ and the church. I accept my wife AS IS and she accepts me AS IS warts and all. We have both had meltdowns over the holidays which seems to further support the AS IS proposition.
But I think there is more to the picture than just AS IS. If that were all there was, then we might be tempted to say "que sera", whatever will be, will be. God accepts us AS IS but He sees us as FUTURE POTENTIAL. That means that He sees us in the process of what theologians call progressive sanctification. That means that that are defects can be restored and made new. That is possible through God working through us to conform us to the His image. When He does that, He reveals to us the defects and then progressively changes us if we can let him. Applying it to marriage, my wife is keenly aware of her own failings, but I see her much differently. I see her as a woman of immense talent and creativity and my desire is to see her grow in that creativity. She misses it, but I as her life partner see it.
We also see it in our children. Our oldest is now 26 and a professional customer service representative and cartoonist. We saw her creative potential when she was young and our job was to urge that and then not get in the way. It is so neat to see how they have grown and matured often times in spite of our parental failings. We accept her AS IS and but saw in her FUTURE POTENTIAL.
It is easy to make unrealistic resolutions and get down on ourselves. Praise God that we get the best of both worlds. We get accepted AS IS, but we are still works in progress that God can continue to develop and nurture.
Isn't it great that God does not set New Years resolutions on us? Don't get me wrong - He wants us to be everything we can be (Jesus says "be perfect", what a tall order). However He fully accepts us as we are. There is nothing we have to do performance wise to be perfect in His eyes. He esteemed us of such high value that He sacrificed His own Son to pay the penalty of our imperfection.
There is legal terminology that is used quite frequently in sales contracts. It usually is in all caps and bold letters and it says "AS IS". Usually that means that there is some defect in the item being sold and the seller wants to be sure that he is not held liable for any expectations of workmanship or quality. By using those magic words, he covers his behind. God accepts us AS IS, defects and all. I thought further that marriage is also the same way and that is why it is a picture of Christ and the church. I accept my wife AS IS and she accepts me AS IS warts and all. We have both had meltdowns over the holidays which seems to further support the AS IS proposition.
But I think there is more to the picture than just AS IS. If that were all there was, then we might be tempted to say "que sera", whatever will be, will be. God accepts us AS IS but He sees us as FUTURE POTENTIAL. That means that He sees us in the process of what theologians call progressive sanctification. That means that that are defects can be restored and made new. That is possible through God working through us to conform us to the His image. When He does that, He reveals to us the defects and then progressively changes us if we can let him. Applying it to marriage, my wife is keenly aware of her own failings, but I see her much differently. I see her as a woman of immense talent and creativity and my desire is to see her grow in that creativity. She misses it, but I as her life partner see it.
We also see it in our children. Our oldest is now 26 and a professional customer service representative and cartoonist. We saw her creative potential when she was young and our job was to urge that and then not get in the way. It is so neat to see how they have grown and matured often times in spite of our parental failings. We accept her AS IS and but saw in her FUTURE POTENTIAL.
It is easy to make unrealistic resolutions and get down on ourselves. Praise God that we get the best of both worlds. We get accepted AS IS, but we are still works in progress that God can continue to develop and nurture.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
The City of Hope
Christmas brings to mind lots of things. Family, friends, gifts, saying thank you, rest and relaxation (unless you are like me and do lots of last minute shopping and I only really have to shop for one person). All of our girls and our son-in-law are visiting and it has been a very enjoyable few days at our house. It is always nice to have the girls home.
On Thanksgivings when I was growing up, we would go to Newtown, Connecticut where my Dad's sister lived. So the tragedy there this past week was brought closer to home. What would cause a young man to take such innocent lives? What would give someone so little hope and to inflict his hopelessness on others?
I have been going through the Old Testament a chapter at a time and just finished up my first year. This has been an incredible blessing, much more than I thought. I have been looking for Jesus in the Old Testament and it has not been hard to find Him there. A number of my friends avoid reading the Old Testament and think Jesus isn't in the Old Testament, but nothing can be further from the truth.
The last book I am reading this year is the Book of Ruth. This book starts with hopelessness. Naomi, the central character in the early chapters comes from Bethlehem during some of the darkest period in Israel's history. She leaves her country during a period of famine and goes to the pagan country of Moab. There, her two sons marry two Moabite women. It is interesting to note that the names of her sons of are "sick" and "puny" which describes their likely physical condition. Her husband and two sons die in the land of Moab. She decides to return to Bethlehem. But her return is fraught with doubt and in fact, she encourages her widow children to stay in Moab because she believes the pagan Gentile country offers more hope for them than Israel does. Her daughter Orpah stays in Moab, but Ruth accompanies Naomi back to Bethlehem. Naomi which means "pleasant" is so embittered that she says on her return to change her name to "bitter" or "empty".
If you know the story of Ruth, you know that there is a relative, a "kinsman-redeemer" named Boaz who lives in Bethlehem and marries the widow Ruth. Boaz is what is called a "type" of Christ. He is a shadow of another redeemer born in Bethlehem who will redeem us from sin by paying the penalty Himself upon the cross. Bethlehem is not the city of hopelessness but the city of hope. Further, this hope is extended to Ruth, the pagan Gentile to marry into an Israelite line that ultimately becomes part of the lineage of Jesus Christ. Bethlehem is not just the story of a baby born in a manger, but a story of hope for those of lost and looking for redemption, even when hope seems at its bleakest.
The Book of Ruth is a glimmer of hope and comes during one of the darkest times in Israel's history. Judges closes with the horrendous story of a decapitated rape victim and civil war and Ruth provides the glimmer of grace and hope. Even on the heels of one of the worst horror's we have ever seen, come to Bethlehem, the city of hope and find redemption, and grace.
On Thanksgivings when I was growing up, we would go to Newtown, Connecticut where my Dad's sister lived. So the tragedy there this past week was brought closer to home. What would cause a young man to take such innocent lives? What would give someone so little hope and to inflict his hopelessness on others?
I have been going through the Old Testament a chapter at a time and just finished up my first year. This has been an incredible blessing, much more than I thought. I have been looking for Jesus in the Old Testament and it has not been hard to find Him there. A number of my friends avoid reading the Old Testament and think Jesus isn't in the Old Testament, but nothing can be further from the truth.
The last book I am reading this year is the Book of Ruth. This book starts with hopelessness. Naomi, the central character in the early chapters comes from Bethlehem during some of the darkest period in Israel's history. She leaves her country during a period of famine and goes to the pagan country of Moab. There, her two sons marry two Moabite women. It is interesting to note that the names of her sons of are "sick" and "puny" which describes their likely physical condition. Her husband and two sons die in the land of Moab. She decides to return to Bethlehem. But her return is fraught with doubt and in fact, she encourages her widow children to stay in Moab because she believes the pagan Gentile country offers more hope for them than Israel does. Her daughter Orpah stays in Moab, but Ruth accompanies Naomi back to Bethlehem. Naomi which means "pleasant" is so embittered that she says on her return to change her name to "bitter" or "empty".
If you know the story of Ruth, you know that there is a relative, a "kinsman-redeemer" named Boaz who lives in Bethlehem and marries the widow Ruth. Boaz is what is called a "type" of Christ. He is a shadow of another redeemer born in Bethlehem who will redeem us from sin by paying the penalty Himself upon the cross. Bethlehem is not the city of hopelessness but the city of hope. Further, this hope is extended to Ruth, the pagan Gentile to marry into an Israelite line that ultimately becomes part of the lineage of Jesus Christ. Bethlehem is not just the story of a baby born in a manger, but a story of hope for those of lost and looking for redemption, even when hope seems at its bleakest.
The Book of Ruth is a glimmer of hope and comes during one of the darkest times in Israel's history. Judges closes with the horrendous story of a decapitated rape victim and civil war and Ruth provides the glimmer of grace and hope. Even on the heels of one of the worst horror's we have ever seen, come to Bethlehem, the city of hope and find redemption, and grace.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Cleveland Schools - Essential Leadership
This past week, Eric Gordon, CEO of Cleveland Metropolitan School District announced the Cleveland Plan, a sweeping plan to take forward Cleveland schools. I spent a whole day Thursday with Eric and looking at some of Cleveland's shining schools as part of Leadership Clevealnd. What is amazing about the Cleveland Plan is that it was a team effort between Frank Jackson, Mayor of Cleveland, Eric Gordon, the teachers union let by Tracey Radich, and private charter schools. They checked their egos at the door and put aside their biases to move Cleveland schools ahead.
Mayor Frank Jackson is not an impressive guy individually. You hear him speak and he doesn't strike you as someone who is super-intelligent. But hearing a lot behind the scenes, you realize what kind of leader he is. Eric relayed a story of how Mayor Jackson was meeting with the head of charter schools in Columbus. Cleveland has over 90 charter schools, one of the largest areas for charter schools. Many of these charter schools work and many do not work. Jackson and Gordon sought to work with the charter schools. In this meeting in Columbus, Mayor Jackson got a cold shoulder with little cooperation. At 7:30 AM after just arriving in Columbus, it became apparent that he was not welcome at this meeting. Mayor Jackson as relayed by Eric Gordon said emphatically "I have all day - I'm not leaving". I have heard Mayor Jackson say that he has no other career aspirations - his final and last job is Mayor of Cleveland and Cleveland schools is his high priority.
Cleveland schools superintendents and the Mayor of Cleveland haven't always seen eye to eye, but Eric and Mayor Jackson were partners in the effort to improve Cleveland schools from day one. They partnered together to get Issue 107 passed and they partnered together to promote the Cleveland Plan. As a lifelong resident of Northeast Ohio, it is so gratifying to hear about how this leadership is moving our schools forward. I truly believe that as the schools goes, so goes the city. We have our problems, but we are tackling them head on. Do you think we can transfer some of this cooperative leadership to Washington?
Thursday was Leadership Cleveland's Education Day and we toured Cleveland Central Catholic, John Hay and its innovative small schools, and E-Prep, a state and private funded prep school. We saw highly engaged students and successful institutions. We saw hope - hope that is critical to our city. I am very thankful for my LC classmate Eric Gordon and what he is doing in Cleveland schools.
Mayor Frank Jackson is not an impressive guy individually. You hear him speak and he doesn't strike you as someone who is super-intelligent. But hearing a lot behind the scenes, you realize what kind of leader he is. Eric relayed a story of how Mayor Jackson was meeting with the head of charter schools in Columbus. Cleveland has over 90 charter schools, one of the largest areas for charter schools. Many of these charter schools work and many do not work. Jackson and Gordon sought to work with the charter schools. In this meeting in Columbus, Mayor Jackson got a cold shoulder with little cooperation. At 7:30 AM after just arriving in Columbus, it became apparent that he was not welcome at this meeting. Mayor Jackson as relayed by Eric Gordon said emphatically "I have all day - I'm not leaving". I have heard Mayor Jackson say that he has no other career aspirations - his final and last job is Mayor of Cleveland and Cleveland schools is his high priority.
Cleveland schools superintendents and the Mayor of Cleveland haven't always seen eye to eye, but Eric and Mayor Jackson were partners in the effort to improve Cleveland schools from day one. They partnered together to get Issue 107 passed and they partnered together to promote the Cleveland Plan. As a lifelong resident of Northeast Ohio, it is so gratifying to hear about how this leadership is moving our schools forward. I truly believe that as the schools goes, so goes the city. We have our problems, but we are tackling them head on. Do you think we can transfer some of this cooperative leadership to Washington?
Thursday was Leadership Cleveland's Education Day and we toured Cleveland Central Catholic, John Hay and its innovative small schools, and E-Prep, a state and private funded prep school. We saw highly engaged students and successful institutions. We saw hope - hope that is critical to our city. I am very thankful for my LC classmate Eric Gordon and what he is doing in Cleveland schools.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
22 Seconds to Save a Life
22...,21...,20....,19...,18..., if you count off seconds that is a lot of time. How long does it take you to take 49 flash pictures. Some witnesses said the man was struggling on the track for nearly a minute.
What I am referring to is a man who was pushed onto the subway track by a deranged man and was struck by an oncoming subway train. A freelance photographer for the New York Post captured a picture of the man right before he was about to be hit by the train and according to his own reports took 49 flash pictures. Others according to witnesses were even closer to the man and did nothing to help him. Yet some apparently had time to get their cell phones out to take pictures. Here is an interview with the reporter. The New York Post not only purchased the photo (oh, sorry the photographer says they licensed the photo), but had to add the sensational headline "DOOMED". I am not going to reproduce it here because it is just wrong.
Does this sicken you? It does me. What would you do? Would you have at least tried to pull the man up? Would you have yelled to others to help? In some ways, it is easy to point fingers at others, but what would you do? Are you worried that we have become so callous that we wouldn't help someone in this situation.
What I am referring to is a man who was pushed onto the subway track by a deranged man and was struck by an oncoming subway train. A freelance photographer for the New York Post captured a picture of the man right before he was about to be hit by the train and according to his own reports took 49 flash pictures. Others according to witnesses were even closer to the man and did nothing to help him. Yet some apparently had time to get their cell phones out to take pictures. Here is an interview with the reporter. The New York Post not only purchased the photo (oh, sorry the photographer says they licensed the photo), but had to add the sensational headline "DOOMED". I am not going to reproduce it here because it is just wrong.
Does this sicken you? It does me. What would you do? Would you have at least tried to pull the man up? Would you have yelled to others to help? In some ways, it is easy to point fingers at others, but what would you do? Are you worried that we have become so callous that we wouldn't help someone in this situation.
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