Increase Your Value: Be Able to Lead Activities on the Spur of the Moment

Jan 10, 2013 | Leading | 6 Comments

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” —Albert Einstein

We arrive ready to participate, but the leader doesn’t show up. Although we’re familiar with the activity, we seek someone more qualified to fill in for the leader. Unfortunately, that someone is pointing at us!

You can become the person of value others trust to take over in a pinch.

At a recent writers’ conference, a popular author couldn’t attend. The conference coordinator announced that another author/editor would lead her workshop. I’d awaited the workshop and couldn’t imagine anyone else worthy to teach her material. I considered joining another workshop. I’m glad I didn’t. Dina Sleiman presented the author’s material so well I not only learned much, but I had a new respect for Dina’s expertise.

3 Steps to Become the Person Qualified to Lead Activities at the Last Minute

Step 1. Review Your Involvements.

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Based on our jobs or interests, most of us have a set of activities we haunt with regularity. Look at the leaders in these areas. Could you lead their activities? If not, what would you need to do so?

For example, if you spend much time with outdoor groups, could you guide members in survival if some of you became separated from your leader?

Step 2. Seek training, a mentor, or an apprenticeship.

In the Step 1 example, if you reached the rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts, you might have training in wilderness survival. If not, seeking survival training would prepare you to step in to lead outdoor lovers in staying alive.

Examples:

1. Experience is a great teacher, but if you’re a writer, you don’t need to write five books to be prepared when your dream editor joins you on the elevator during a conference. You can learn how to write and share a short hook that captures the essence of your story. A prepared one-liner also arms you at social functions when people ask what your book is about. In these cases, you’re stepping in for yourself on the spur of the moment.

2. For Kick-off Sunday, all four preschool Sunday school teachers had to attend the first class to introduce themselves to the children. Four-year-olds poured into our classroom. One teacher had volunteered to teach the first class. In a panic, she arrived unprepared, saying she hadn’t received her teacher’s manual.

After blinking in surprise, I told her it was okay. I took over and lead the whole lesson without a glitch. Yes, I had experience teaching Sunday school. But my training as a children’s leader in Bible Study Fellowship equipped me to lead any class of preschoolers. Besides intense Bible study, BSF children’s leaders had to develop a cache of finger plays, children’s hymns, and rhythm and large muscle activities. We also trained to tell age-appropriate stories.

In addition, BSF offered training in how to lead adult Bible studies at a moment’s notice.

3. My husband enjoyed membership in Toastmasters. He entered a Table Topics contests. The contest master gave him a topic and less than a minute to think about it. Then he had to give a two-minute talk. He’s prepared to take over the mike in an emergency.

Step 3. Forbid doubts to creep in once you’re trained.

Don’t compare your skill to the absent leader’s expertise. You’re trained. Just do it with joy.

Tell us about a time you filled in for someone in a pinch.

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2 Ways You Know Your Activity Is a Success

Jan 3, 2013 | Leading | 3 Comments

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” —Albert Einstein

What Is Success?

Does success have to mean bigger, better, or more? Is it always about the numbers? Followers in social media? Book sales for authors? Class standard-of-learning scores for teachers? All these successes are good and can make things happen, but they often inflict struggles, worries, and hectic living.

Could we be satisfied with low-stress, joy-producing successes? Could we allow success to be something we don’t expect?

On the series, Castle, mystery novelist Richard Castle asks Detective Kate Beckett, “Do you think we actually saved the world?” (They did.) Kate answers, “I think that we saved a little girl’s life, and that’s enough for me.”

If we think (or pray) about why we’re doing an activity, decide it’s the right thing to do, and prepare for it the best we can, any success associated with it can be enough.

2 Ways You Know Your Activity Is a Success

1. At least one person makes a mental connection from your activity’s message that changes their understanding for the better.

I presented a Christmas Bible lesson for 12 young male prisoners in a stainless-steel lunchroom where the stools were bolted to the table. As I told Jesus’ birth story, I moved the key 12-inch figures of a nativity set to the forefront in little vignettes. The cadets listened intently.

Then we broke into discussion groups. The young men discussed what they’d do if they were in Joseph’s situation. When Joseph learned Mary was pregnant, he planned to quietly break his marriage pledge to her. Joseph wanted to avoid exposing Mary to public disgrace. After the angel, Gabriel, spoke to Joseph, Joseph obeyed God’s commands. He married Mary, a virgin, and abstained from intimate relations with her until the world’s Savior was born.

One cadet seemed confused. I answered a couple of his questions. He became reflective while I moved the others on to another lively activity. During the chaos, he approached me and touched my arm. Just the two of us were in a little vignette of our own with the buzz of the other cadets fading into the background around us. His eyes sought mine, and he asked in a soft voice, “Was Jesus born on Christmas?” I joyfully told this young man, who was on the verge of putting Christ into Christmas, an encouraging yes.

2. At least one person considers that what you do makes them a better person, employee, or friend.

As a health actuary, I evaluated financial risk for my employer. The Actuarial Division was challenged to acquire the information needed from the hospital negotiators to produce better company financial forecasts. The negotiators were reluctant to share confidential data. They claimed they didn’t have time to put together numbers for us.

I had an idea how we could help the negotiators and get the information we needed for our forecasts. My boss gave me the go ahead.

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My team delivered good hospital data to the negotiators so they could produce better proposals. Leary at first, the negotiators soon depended on our data. My team then built interactive spreadsheets the negotiators could enter hospital rates into and quickly produce contract scenarios. They in turn trusted us with their confidential information, sought us for analysis, and on occasion, invited us on negotiations.

Actuaries were able to create good assumptions for company financial forecasts.

When I announced my retirement, one negotiator cried out, “NO!” He thought what I did made him a better negotiator.

What results have you considered successes?

5 Reasons I Don’t Care I Lost Money Self-publishing

Dec 27, 2012 | Writing | 5 Comments

“Dare to be naïve.” —Richard Buckminster Fuller

Two Self-published Books

In 1999 before I signed with an agent, I had twelve contemporary Christian short story ideas that came to me like shooting stars from heaven as I studied the Bible. I wrote the stories to explain to myself difficult teachings.

After giving dramatic readings of the stories, listeners encouraged me to publish them. I did, relying on The Self-publishing Manual by Dan Poynter and The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing by Tom and Marilyn Ross. I completed more than 35 steps in the publishing process.

At my marketing expertise level, 700 copies would’ve been sufficient, but I contracted 3,000 books printed through my company, Holy Ghost Writers Publishing. In 2000, I did it all again with 15 more stories and 3,300 books printed. Talk about naïve.

But over time, the stories, the extra books, and the publishing process have become a boon.

**5 Reasons Self-publishing Pearls in the Muddle and Crumbled, Tumbled, Humbled—Saved Became a Godsend.**

Reason 1. Self-publishing showed me how to find talented people-resources in my own backyard.

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In the self-publishing process, a qualified Christian co-worker edited my books. My nephew created the illustrations. A family friend, a graphics designer, designed the book covers. Friends and family members contributed funds. Friends organized my first public dramatic readings. All shared my vision. Many would’ve worked without compensation if I’d let them.

Self-publishing prepared me for finding gifted people for my later dream project: creating a church library.

Reason 2. Self-publishing taught me how to research an unfamiliar industry and hire business providers.

In the self-publishing process, I contacted Advance Book Information to list my books in Books in Print. I obtained copyrights, Cataloging In Publication information for the title page, ISBN numbers, and barcodes. I requested quotes from book printers. I scheduled bookstores for signings.

These tasks provided me experience for working with many business providers in building our dream house.

Reason 3. Self-publishing provided a basis for honing my public speaking skills.

I reaped public speaking experience from my corporate job, but my dramatic readings expanded my skills. I presented to women’s groups in churches, at women’s retreats, at community centers, from church pulpits, and to youth groups. I learned the worth of incorporating spin-off ideas by developing a workshop based on two of my stories about prayer and offering participants my books.

Today, this experience helps me build my platform as a writer. My presentations and workshops on the writing craft and industry allow me to give back to other writers what I’ve received.

Reason 4. Self-publishing demonstrated I had the determination to be an author and speaker.

When I pitched my first novel to my agent-to-be, my self-published books showed her my commitment. They also emboldened me to get two stories published in an online magazine.

I include my self-publishing efforts in book proposals to publishers to show my perseverance.

Reason 5. Self-publishing provided an avenue to help others.

I’m aware of one person the stories led to Christ. People have used the books for devotionals and Bible studies. Many of those extra printed books are on bookshelves of new Christian libraries in English-speaking third-world countries through donations to a library ministry.