Do something now, collaboratively
17/11/06 15:23 Filed in: Take Action
You: I want to close the gap between
the words of our God-given mission and the reality of
our situation. How can I close the gap?
Me: Before I respond to your question, let me first describe a process Christian organizations use that really works. It involves doing something—tracking vital data with charts, graphs, and tables. It involves doing something now—determining and monitoring goals. It involves doing something now, collaboratively—the administration, the board, and a certifying agency working together.
What is it? The budget. So now back to your question, “How can I close the gap?”
Shortest answer? Do something.
Shorter answer? Do something now.
Short answer? Do something now, collaboratively.
Longer answer? Do something. Learning, planning, and committing to using your plan don’t equal closing the gap. Doing your plan does (provided it targets closing the gap). What are you going to do? Ask your business manager, and he’ll tell you what he’s going to do to ensure sound fiscal practice.
Do something now. You can’t change the past. But what you do now creates the future. Your business manager understands this. So, he takes action. Now. By monitoring the budget and reducing spending appropriately. Remember, if you don’t act now, you aren’t moving toward a future of achieving your mission. If you act now, you are. The choice is yours. The clock is ticking.
Do something now, collaboratively.
Imagine. What might happen if your organization did something now, collaboratively? What if you organization, for example worked to increase student application of a biblical perspective to course content?
Me: Before I respond to your question, let me first describe a process Christian organizations use that really works. It involves doing something—tracking vital data with charts, graphs, and tables. It involves doing something now—determining and monitoring goals. It involves doing something now, collaboratively—the administration, the board, and a certifying agency working together.
What is it? The budget. So now back to your question, “How can I close the gap?”
Shortest answer? Do something.
Shorter answer? Do something now.
Short answer? Do something now, collaboratively.
Longer answer? Do something. Learning, planning, and committing to using your plan don’t equal closing the gap. Doing your plan does (provided it targets closing the gap). What are you going to do? Ask your business manager, and he’ll tell you what he’s going to do to ensure sound fiscal practice.
Do something now. You can’t change the past. But what you do now creates the future. Your business manager understands this. So, he takes action. Now. By monitoring the budget and reducing spending appropriately. Remember, if you don’t act now, you aren’t moving toward a future of achieving your mission. If you act now, you are. The choice is yours. The clock is ticking.
Do something now, collaboratively.
- Administration: As an
administrator, your business manager sets goals,
monitors progress toward the goals, and uses the
results to determine next steps.
- Board: The board determines
the following policy, holding the administration
(including the business manager) accountable for
its implementation: “The administration shall not
exceed the total operating expense budget nor the
capital budget without board approval.”
Additionally, the board asks the administration
(specifically the business manager) to present the
budget, using a schedule set by the board.
- Certifying Agency: The certifying agency (aka the auditor) determines business and accounting best practices. The auditor holds the business manager accountable for implementing best practices, in part by rigorously analyzing the business manager’s work.
Imagine. What might happen if your organization did something now, collaboratively? What if you organization, for example worked to increase student application of a biblical perspective to course content?
- Administration: The
administration sets a goal of having 90% of
students at/above standard on applying a biblical
perspective to course content, scores being based
on rubric-scored classroom assessments. The
administration monitors implementation of
assessments and uses assessment results to
determine next steps.
- Board: The board determines
the following policy, holding the administration
accountable for its implementation: “Ensure that
the program fosters the application of a biblical
worldview to all of life.” Additionally, at each
board meeting, the board asks the administration to
indicate the following fraction:
# of biblical perspective student assessments / total # of classes taught daily in the school - Certifying Agency: School accreditation agencies (like ACSI and CSI) hold the school accountable to the following standard: “Each student completes a biblical perspective assessment in each class a minimum of 4 times a year.”
- If your organization did something now,
collaboratively?
- If you applied the “do-something-now-collaboratively” process to church planting? Hunger relief? Christian publications?