Posted on

TRUST. TRAINING. TEAMS

They say, “trust who you train and train who you trust, I completely agree. Training the right people with preferable qualities will result in higher productivity and enhance performance. Staff are more confident, compliant and competent by increasing their knowledge and understanding. Training someone or a group of people insinuates a level of trust where your investing knowledge, expertise, time and exercising patience with a level of expectancy. You expect a return on your investment. You expect commitment, loyalty, growth and development. 

If you are going to train your team, allow room for mistakes but enable them the freedom to fail forward. To turn things into teachable moments. Micromanagement of any kind will aggravate and increase anxiety.  If they are properly trained and are well equipped and have adapted to their roles, then if they make wrong moves you can address it because at this point they should know better.

Training individuals you trust is tricky. You can pour into an individual and they either aren’t teachable or have a fixed mindset. That can feel like a tug of war on most days but its best to train anyway and enable them to be liable for the outcome. Sometimes we invest in the wrong people. We fail to recognize potential and good character in others and select sub-par participants. In life, things will happen and people will fail you. However. A good leader you must be able to pivot outcomes. 

Person may have certain skill but require character development. Quick thinking and being a solutional leader are needed here. Everyone should be cross trained to enable gaps and voids to be filled. Sometimes, we humans tend to train people we will perform well in a certain area and neglect others whom we are oblivious to their potential. It’s imperative to be aware and observant. There is potential all around us. Maybe we trained someone in systems management or logistics and although the information is good to know, it’s just not their thing. Could it be they are better off in another department?

A person may fail to produce results. Maybe this person is misplaced and doesn’t need to be thrown away (fired or moved unbeknownst to them) but reassigned. Their strengths have yet to be tapped into. Could it be this person outgrew this role or the role outgrew them?… a major factor to consider.

Anyone who is unfulfilled, underestimated, under stimulated or unchallenged will seem lazy when they are actually frustrated. Your role as a leader is gauge and redirect that. Maybe your company or organization grew and the role is now bigger than their ability. You might need them to partner up, gain new skills or enhance previous ones. They could be overwhelmed and trying not to disappoint the team. 

Most would argue that we can’t always build on strengths, while that is true. Its best to do basic trainings across the board and then have people developed within the area of expertise. We are not neglecting weaknesses. This is were professional development, coaching, “shadowing”, guidance and most of all encouragement is necessary. My mother used to say, “Encouragement sweetens labor”. Some folks will need that push just to keep them motivated and confident. Know that there are various learning styles, levels of understanding and everyone’s abilities are not infinite.

Many Leaders fail at training which is a failure to invest. Don’t allow nepotism or favoritism to take over. I call it the “”shiny new toy syndrome” Trust me, it can be subtle but will always be extremely noticeable. Sometimes, we are eager to train and engage the new that we push the old aside. This will ultimately lead to a decline in productivity, discord, disdain, anger, low morale, decrease in camaraderie and worst of all, division. A leader’s goal should be securing everyone in their place to build a strong team.

New people need to be introduced and integrated without causing a disruption within team dynamic. Leadership is responsible for establishing a culture and managing the environment. If you allow your team members to get lost into the background. When team new team members join, sometimes staff needs to recalibrate. While others may welcome with open arms, others may feel replaced, overshadowed or lose sight of their significance especially if someone new has the same expertise. Stages of a team may need to be revisited here. There are five stages of a teams’ development cycles such as:

  1. Forming – Excitement, questions, expectations and trust building.
  2. Storming – conflict, adaptation, frustration, a shift.
  3. Norming – inclusion, flexibility, resolve, acceptance, cohesion, synergy
  4. Performing – progress, team effectiveness, high competence
  5. Termination – strong conflict or needs change.

Having great knowledge about where your company is and going is critical. Strong conflict management and attention to behaviors are skills a Leader should always possess. The next step is access what type of individuals are needed in each area. Be prepared to develop, train and see where changes need to be implemented. Consider boosting morale in a shifting culture. Its imperative to have on going personal and professional development. Organizations who balance the two have higher productivity, retention and content team members.

Here are some benefits to training your team:

  1. Overall Retention
  2. Strengthens Skills
  3. Increases Understanding / Clarity
  4. Refreshes Current Staff
  5. Provides updates on protocols and methodologies
  6. Increase Engagement
  7. Develop Future Leaders
  8. Builds Relationships

Hope this blog helps you as a leader to develop a healthy work environment and healthy team, all the best!

Posted on

Under Attack: Believer’s Warfare

My Mom warmed me about the days ahead. She advised me to know the word of God before I had to. She meant that the word would be removed or challenged. One day, I will have to defend it, it would be in my best interest to become one with it. I can say almost twenty years later, I can see everything she said manifest before me. The next attack will be on the church not necessarily via bombs and other forms of mass destruction.

Right now, the biggest allegiance and influence is the LGBTQIA+ Community. I have nothing against people’s personal and intimate choices. However, I know for sure that anything opposing that population is a direct threat to freedom, equality, human rights, nature and considered a form of bias or judgement. The body of Christ has been taking a stand and they will not compromise their values or conform. It is their right to be firm in their core values and Biblical principles.

It’s not about choosing a side but taking a stand. Everyone has the right to stand up for what they believe in, but the church is frowned upon when they do. Churches who don’t confirm to new ideologies and systems will be diametrically opposed. Thier views will be targeted and not tolerated. We are living in a society that encourages open minded behavior and that’s fine. We should all be open to everyone without discrimination. However, the glossaries of what discrimination is has transformed. Today, its blend in or stand out. The ones who fail to embrace the viewpoint of world will soon be ostracized.

There is no way that church, and state will ever see eye to eye. Politics often interferes will basic activities and community involvement creating red tape and gray areas for concession. Someone ends up compromising and when that occurs, there are repercussions. The Believers perspective does not align with the world because we are not of this world and will not conform. We are called to love without any form of nepotism or preference doesn’t say that our speech has to be symmetrical.

Before you get upset, uptight, enraged or irate. Please know that is not an attack on anyone. The point is that one group takes up precedence in this world and if we (the church) fail to embrace or accept certain lifestyles, there will be hell to pay. Yes, there are gay churches and ministry leaders everywhere and everyone has their unique voice. However, the concern is on reverse the discrimination. If a group disagrees, now they are failing to be inclusive and fail to embody Jesus’ love. That is not a mature response but a form of bullying. If everyone in a group decides to go to dinner and one person orders a burger while everyone else has chosen a healthier option, it’s not right for them to gang up on that person. That individual has their right, their choice because it’s their body. If were saying that everyone has the right to choose, then the church has a right to disagree. No debate has ever existed with both teams being “pro” everything. In life, everyone will not be on the same side. We don’t have to agree on everything however, respect should always be present.

Right now, there has been a sudden increase of Ministry leadership in the news. Many images and videos have gone viral. None of the content is inspiring or positive. Just vocal fools and fallen soldiers who made mistakes. What the world does not understand is that Christianity is a vast umbrella. It’s easy to claim and stand under whether its core values are upheld or taken seriously or not. Many use the label or identify as Christian who do not follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. Since Christianity is widely accepted and do not have specific identifiers it’s easy to claim. Other religious groups wear certain attire, colors or garments that are significant to their culture. Christianity is Kingdom, a culture of acceptance of everyone. So, you’ll see various races, socio-economic backgrounds, status and even attire. We are very much inclusive and not exclusive to a certain race, culture or any other label. When one opens their mouth or lives a certain lifestyle, that’s how we are identified. Unfortunately, we had some horrible brand ambassadors who failed at their one job. Some of the leaders we see, may not have been called by God but took it upon themselves to lead, affecting and infecting lives. Others are just people who “fell from grace”. They made mistakes. I thought it was human to error but when you’re a Christian nobody leaves room for your humanity and the possibility that were fallible beings.

The crazy thing about it is, when one falls from grace, it mars and can disfigure the image of everyone else associated. The world has an image of perfection of the church. If we really knew Christ or His word, we would know that He perfects us daily, not asks us to be perfect; there is a difference. He comes to enhance our lives so areas of trauma, weakness or delay he makes better it’s a form of perfection. There is an unrealistic expectancy of the life we live.

Christians are to be world leaders and real-life superheroes. Expressing Gods love, light, mankind a difference, expressing benevolence and taking a stand, when necessary, not to be punks. To spread the gospel and live Christ -centered focused on the essence of Christian living. There are many authentic Christians but the few who have distorted our image, degraded leadership and, desecrated the name of God are the stories and people who are the main focus. We have forgotten the whole and put a small group under a microscope and magnified it for the world to see.

However, there is coming a time when the real Believers will be needed and whose authenticity will be contagious. There is coming a time when the church will take back its rightful place and be the pillars that the community and society at large will respect. Things are being shaken back into place and sorted and sifted. There is coming a time when we will have to make a decision about who we serve so we can no longer confuse those observing and studying our lives. The distinction will be made. In the meantime, I ENCOURAGE all believers to endure during their assignments, stay grounded in God’s word and know who you are. Remember you are an heir to the throne of Heaven. You’re a child of God whom he loves and has a plan in the midst of evil plots. You are critical to the preservation of this planet and that will never change. Keep being the light, keep spreading the gospel, keep being love. Authenticity is that flashlight in the midst of a storm, the belly of a cave or in the darkest hour.

Posted on

Life’s a Classroom

Love is more than an emotion, it’s a skill!

According to my Mentor, Dr. Courtney M. Bradley relationships can be metaphorically compared to classrooms. It’s a place where learning and understanding are put to the test. A place where growth is both optional and speculative. You have to choose growth and your definition of what growth looks like is your own. It’s the place where participation is necessary to enhance your learning experience. A place where one can be on repeat with the promotion in doubt and outgrow a space because they sat there too long with delayed understanding. Bradley spoke about “failing grades”. As you sit in Life’s classroom, it’s critical to really pay attention. Get all the lessons you need to learn and use them to propel you forward as you become better and not bitter. If you are not growing, then you are considered unhealthy. Growth should be inevitable, but we allow ourselves to be stagnated and be delayed. When aspects don’t experience growth, it’s considered to be disabled. This means that there is a slowing or lack of progression. Ask yourself if your love is healthy or disabled?

Bradley also mentioned summer school. Summer school is an intensive course with a limited time frame. It’s the thick of it the heat is up. The time when ultimatums are high in your environment. The pressure is on. It’s quick and you need to make up for lost time or forfeit progression. A short amount of time to get it together because you took the other seasons you had together for granted. The last thing you want to do is get frozen in this position. Like Toni Morrison, it can be “the coldest winter” skipping over the fact that you fell in love. Only hoping to spring into the new but you first must be new. 

When class is in session. Your chances of passing are great when you have the right tools, instruction, and opportunity.  You must be intentional about success and also aware of your level of competency. Is your love of geometrics aligned? Can you do the math to add up what’s been going on? Are you able to take away selfishness? Are you capable of diving your time? Is your parent thesis blocking your communication? Are issues exaggerated to the tenth power? Is forgiveness exponentially displayed? How about your tools? Do you pencil in dates still? Are you allowing God to be the protractor and compass? If so to what degree?

Are you attentive? Are the fruit of the spirit in your possession? What’s in your bag? What you carry around so walks volumes to your preparedness for success. 

With the right tools, guidance, and willingness to learn, you’ll do more than survive, you’ll thrive. There are so many ways you can pass the test of time. With the option of the open book exams. When information is not width drawn or withheld but you must do the work to search. A willingness to take time to scan and observe so you can absorb. Another option for passing is by asking questions, being honest about shortcomings, and requesting assistance. This may require your partner to overcome while they tutor you or give instructions. Nobody has it all together so it’s imperative to approach each classroom with a growth mindset and not a fixed one. A fixed mindset thinks they have reached the pinnacle and do not expand or learn more. They believe their ability to expand and broaden their perspective is set in stone. If you don’t believe you can acquire more knowledge, then you won’t. Not being teachable is a poor trait and just when you’re out to the test you feel vulnerable and exposed. 

Some projects require a partner and others a solo act. Our problem is we want to switch behaviors that don’t match what is expected. Each assignment comes with instructions. It’s up to us to make the effort to read or study the material. When your classmate has a question, do you dismiss it or use it as an opportunity for growth or to provide insight? How do you handle your environment? 

There are different types of learners, and we must expect that from our partners. Don’t think of yourself as an AP student and your partner in remedial. Even the Plainfield in your heart and mind. Your partner may not understand things the way you do and may require extra time. What’s your level of patience like? 

We must major in the art of not knowing (Bishop T.D. Jakes) but minor in ourselves (levels of pride). The only way to gain an understanding of the next is to submit it to the teacher. To yield to the environment, do your part and take assignments seriously. Be transparent about what you don’t know or haven’t been exposed to. Establish a routine and find strategies. Remember participation can be 50% of your grade. So don’t just show up but be “present”. Lastly, you’re not taking this class alone so let commutation be a driving force with your study buddy and earn the accolades together.