Dealing With Distractions

Establishing Clear Expectations & Habits

We had an awesome sail the other day. The winds were gusting up to 19 miles per hour and the boat was performing well. Our speed was good, we treated our guests to an enjoyable ride and sites, but our return to the dock was less than smooth. You see, another boater at the dock who had been drinking a few too many adult beverages came to our dock and started a great deal of commotion in her efforts to help us. While dealing with the distraction we hit the dock a little too hard and one of our passenger’s (wife Mary) finger got wrapped up in a line, nearly breaking the bone. The pain that ensued that evening after we returned from the ER made us reflect on how to better handle distractions and confusion on the boat and on the dock.

It all comes down to focusing on the job at hand and blocking out the distractions. We learned/ were reminded that we need to have a standard procedure list. Another reminder or lesson was that we need to be clear and concise with our expectations and communication. Goeff Woods, Vice President of The One Thing recently discussed how an operations manual helps make you more productive and effective by guiding you through you daily work activities. It’s amazing how fast things can get done, and how much more smoothly they work, when the process is automated and standardized.

So, what about an operations manual for talking about generosity and stewardship in your church? Your operational manual can list what your monthly generosity topic will be. It can also list standards such as not discussing generosity when you are in the budgeting process, and preaching on the need to give to make the budget. The manual can also include what to do when you need to engage more people for an urgent project or need for people to serve.

Request your Generosity Operations Manual by contacting us today.