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How often do you use “encouragers” to encourage others?
In Japan, the listener shows that he’s listening by saying things like “hai hai,” (um hm) and “naruhodo” (I see). When the person talking hears these phrases, he’s encouraged to continue talking. In a real sense, these phrases are “encouragers.”
 
My point: Use “encouragers” to encourage your clients to keep talking and reflecting. When you’re coaching, say things like “yup,” “yes,” “um hmm,” “I see,” and “hmm.”
 
Question: How often do you use “encouragers” to encourage others?

• Consistently?
• Usually?
• Sometimes?
• Rarely?

Question: What will do to ensure that you consistently use “encouragers” to encourage others?

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How can you identify key performance indicators?
You want to monitor how well your organization is achieving its God-given mission. You’ve thought about collecting examples, doing surveys, and monitoring key performance indicators. You share your thinking with others, and then get a team to talk through what would help you monitor progress on your mission. The team decides to monitor key performance indicators and plans to take steps to identify key performance indicators.
 
Question: How can you identify your key performance indicators?
 
Here’s what I did:

1. I reflected on my mission statement and the 5 goals I need to achieve in order to carry out my mission (coaching, consulting, networking, resourcing, and training).
2. Then I asked myself, “What’s success look like?” I brainstormed things that would indicate success. For example, one key performance indicator I identified for coaching was the number of clients who took action on their goals.
3. After brainstorming indictors for each of my 5 goals, I selected 1 indicator for each goal and figured the best way to know if I had picked useful indicators was by field-testing them.
4. And that’s exactly what I did—I field-tested my key performance indicators.
5. Later, I reviewed the usefulness of each indicator, asking myself questions like the following: What did I learn from field-testing this indicator? How helpful is this indicator? How easy is this to monitor? Is there another indicator that would be more helpful?
6. I refined my key performance indicators.
7. Finally, I decided to repeat the process I had used.

Here’s the process: Reflect, Brainstorm, Select, Test, Review, Refine, Repeat.
 
Your turn:

1. What’s your mission? What goals do you need to achieve to carry out your mission?
2. What are some key performance indicators for each of your goals?
3. What 1 or more key performance indicators do you want to use for each goal?
4. How long do you want to field-test your indicators?
5. What did you learn from field-testing your key performance indicators?
6. How can you refine your indicators?
7. How often do you need to repeat the process?

Focus on identifying your key performance indicators. Today.

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Track progress on your goals
You’ve developed goals. You’ve documented them, and you review your goals from time to time, thinking that reviewing them will help you know what to do next. Reviewing does help, but not enough.
 
Question: What else can you do to determine what to do next?
 
Answer: Track progress on your goals. In addition to reviewing your goals, track progress on your goals. Tracking progress will help you understand where you are in terms of achieving your goals. And when you know where you are, it’s easier to determine what to do next. For example, imagine my goal is to memorize the alphabet. In tracking my progress, I know that I’ve memorized A-M. So, I’ve determined that next week I’ll memorize A-P.
 
Track progress on your goals. Today.

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Meet student learning needs
If you want to help your students to better connect God’s world and Word, meet their learning needs. “Learning needs” are anything your students need in order for learning to happen. Watch this video about meeting 5 learning needs students have:




Want to work with your colleagues to better meet student learning needs? If so, then purchase Meet Your Students’ Learning Needs (US$25), a discussion-based kit with 7 sessions. As a result of completing these 7 sessions, you will…

1. Define and meet your students’ learning needs.
2. Help your students better understand the importance of connecting God’s world and Word.
3. Help your students better understand that God’s Word can be connected to the part of God’s world they are studying.
4. Help your students understand more biblical principles that connect to what they study.
5. Provide the engaging instruction your students need in order to connect God’s world and Word.
6. Provide time during class for your students to reflect on how God’s world and Word are connected.
7. Demonstrate your commitment to meeting your students’ learning needs.

Download a sample session.

Purchase Meet Your Students’ Learning Needs (US$25). This kit is 1 of a 4-part series:

1. Help Your Students Connect God’s World and Word
2. Use Assessment
3. Use Questions
4. Meet Student Learning Needs

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To what extent do your unit plans and lesson plans target Biblical perspective?
You want to target Biblical perspective. You want to help your students apply a Biblical perspective to the course content they have mastered.
 
Question: To what extent do your unit plans and lesson plans target Biblical perspective?

1. Do your plans include essential questions that help students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches? Questions like the following: What’s God’s purpose for ___? What wrong? Who is your neighbor?
2. Do your plans include Biblical perspective enduring understandings?
3. Do your plans include assessments that require students to connect what they study and what the Bible teaches?
4. Do your plans include engaging instructional strategies that get your students connecting what they study and what the Bible teaches?

Target Biblical perspective. Make sure your unit plans and lesson plans demonstrate that you target Biblical perspective. Today.