sevenclarifying your direction magazine

Issue 1 | Vol 1 | Feb 2013

Build a Culture of We

Structure for Sustainability

Realize Your Value

clarify your direction

realize your valuebuild a culture of we

structure for sustainabliity

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Reason # 16To know that you are more than just your title[ [

Why clarify your direction?

begin to:

Where Are You AIMing? 1

What Are Your Intentions? 3

How Do You Measure Your Commitments? 7

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table of contents

measure your commitments

3

7

sevenclarifying your direction

AIM straight

Shayne Wyler | CEO of Seven“Bringing Order to Your Life”

To begin to realize your value, let’s explore some key elements, summed up in the acronym AIM. AIM stands for Anchor, Intention, Measure. So where are you anchored, intentioned and measured?

Over the three articles in this magazine we will examine these elements to bring clarity and ensure you are AIMed in the right direction. To do this we will use seven questions over the course of these articles.

Question 1:What is an anchor?Let’s start by defining what an anchor is in this conversation. To pull from the dictionary, an anchor provides stability or confidence in an uncertain situation. This gets right to the heart of what we are exploring together today. With this definition let’s continue.

Question 2:What are you anchored to?Well, to use our definition, let’s first ask, what, then provides you stability and confidence in an uncertain situation?

Christ is and must be our anchor. Within this we are a part of His body, called to serve with the Kingdom of God. Every day, even every moment is uncertain. Even though we set goals and develop plans, the outcomes are always set by God Himself. In this, we can be assured that there is a reason for us to be in every situation. God uses every situation for His good. One thing we can be assured of is why we are in any situation. This points us to vision. We here at Seven define your vision as your heart, the reason why you exist. For example, we here at Seven exist because of the need for direction in your life and in the life of the ministry in which you are involved. It is here we clarify your direction. This is the heart of Seven.

You must be anchored to Christ, who gives you your vision and your vision must be anchored to the need you meet in those you serve.

Question 3:Where are you anchored?So if you are anchored in Christ and your vision and your vision is anchored to the need of those you serve, then where does that place you? To anchor yourself in your vision will reveal the opportunities you have to meet the need in those you serve.

Question 4:How do you know you are anchored in the right place?Here at Seven, we define an opportunity as anywhere you are needed and wanted. There are people that need you but don’t want you. Likewise, there are people that want you but feel they don’t need you. The challenge and key is to be where you are needed and wanted the most. These are your biggest opportunities. Wherever you are needed and wanted you will be valued.

In discovering your vision, the reason why you exist, you are able to anchor yourself where you are needed and wanted the most. It is not enough to know who you are, but you must understand, live and operate from why you are.

So let’s look at your intentions. Please find “Building a Culture of We | What Are Your Intentions?” on page 3 of this issue.

Whereare you

AIMing?

realize your value

Pinpointing what you are anchored to and where this places you is the first step in understanding where you are AIMed.

The second step in this process is to recognize and understand your intentions.

Let’s use our fifth question to clarify how to build a culture of we by understanding our intentions.

Question 5:What are your intentions?

A culture of we involves all members of the team working together for a common purpose. To understand this let’s breakdown this statement into its different components.

CultureA culture is an environment suitable for growth. What makes an environment suitable for growth? There are several key elements that must be present in order for growth to happen.

1. Honesty2. Accountability3. Value driven4. Empowered

Let’s use the acronym of HAVE to understand and develop a culture of we and the value of clear intentions.

Intentions must be anchored in the vision which again is given by Christ. If your intentions are not rooted in this foundation, it is easy to get lost and off course, simply because we lose sight of what and why we are doing what we intend to do.

HonestyFor growth to occur, we have to know where others stand and be able to share our insights into any decision that is being made. Without honesty, a culture quickly becomes muddy and dangerous.

AccountabilityWe need to be able to count on each other to honour our word. As commitments are made, we need to trust that each part of the puzzle is being looked after by the right member of the body. This simple truth and the implementation and discipline to be accountable breeds a culture of we. Without it, each member feels that in order to honour and fulfill the vision, they must take things into their own hands. This would be a culture of me. Not what we are AIMing to cultivate.

Value DrivenA clear and deep understanding of why you are doing what you are doing is essential to have a culture of we. If the meaning of why you are doing what you are doing is unclear, then commitment wavers as the fear of failure leaks in to take over. To know your value to the team and the team’s value to you is key in building a team that is honest and accountable to each other and their commitments.

EmpoweredThe purpose of a culture of we is to empower all those involved. This means that Me + You = We. We can’t do it without each other. All things are possible in Christ Jesus. This must involve the entire body, working together for Him and His plans. In this, understanding your intentions and the intentions of the others in the body, helps to clarify your direction as you recognize the resources you have available to you to answer the need in those you serve.

What are yourintentions?

TeamWith a healthy team we are able to accomplish more than if we were alone. This is not new. However, to recognize your part in the body of Christ has been a complex process to say the least. When we look to defining ourselves by the tasks we do and are responsible for, we inevitably get lost. This is due to the nature of the information we are using to analyze our reason for being there. When we use the duties we perform to define our reason for being, we quickly see that others are able to do the same tasks as us, and in some cases even better than we ever could. This does two things. First it may cause you to get depressed and give up. Second, with this realization, we could become competitive and self focused instead of team focused.

The truth is that if we focus on what we do, we will always get lost. Instead we need to focus on why we do what we do. In this, each team member finds their specific and unique contribution to the team and is able to pinpoint their part in realizing the commitments the body has been called to.

This is what the team requires of us as members.

Common PurposeTo know why you do what you do, aligns you to the reason the team exists. In this, it is vital for each team member to understand the purpose of the team, why it exists and why they are on it. For example, if I know that I bring order to the lives of those who need direction, and the team with which I serve is all about clarifying your direction, I am able to quickly find my place and make my contribution with confidence in all the uncertain situations the team will find itself.

To be clear on the team’s vision and why you should be there is key in building a culture of we.

So what are your intentions? Start with understanding why you are here and from there your intentions will make themselves known. For help with this, feel free to connect with us here at Seven.

Now that we have explored understanding where you are anchored and where your intentions come from, let’s learn how to structure for sustainability. Find the article on page 7 of this issue entitled - How Do You Measure Your Commitments?

build a culture of we

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sevenclarifying your direction magazineIssue 1 | Vol 1 | Feb 2013

Build a Culture of WeStructure for Sustainability

Realize Your Value

sevenclarifying your direction

magazine

Issue 1 | Vol 1 | Feb 2013

Build a Culture of We

Structure for SustainabilityRealize Your Value

Access all our current resources online

www.sevenclarity.com

Clarify Your Direction

Well, where do you need direction?Take 5-7 minutes and answer this

question for yourself, your leadership and your ministry

How does this help you?

Already, in answering this simple question, you have gained some clarity and are

heading in the right direction.

Why clarify your direction?Reason # 2To find your place

in the body of Christ

You know that place in your leadership where you’re unclear or even lost?

As Christian leadership consultants, we clarify your direction by asking the right questions.

In this, we commit to supporting you, your leadership and whole ministry to:

Realize Your Value

Build a Culture of We

Structure for Sustainability

May we help clarify your direction?

As we’ve looked at where you’re anchored and intentioned, let’s now take some time to discover how you are measured.

To do this let’s answer our sixth question.

Question 6:How do you measure your commitments?

Commitments are tools we use to fulfill on our vision. They must be anchored in our vision. In order to build a culture that is sustainable and empowers us to grow, we must look at a simple formula that highlights how we measure our commitments.

This formula goes like this.

Me + You + Them = Us

Let’s break this down into its defining parts.

MeThe part I play in structuring for sustainability is only one element. In this, I must be clear on what I bring to the table to support you as a team member and how we can work together to support others to get their need met.

In this, I bring experience, skills, insight and most of all my heart, the reason I exist, to build a culture of we and strengthen the team. In my own case, this vision is to bring order to your life where you need and want direction, both on a personal and ministry basis.

YouYour part is an equally vital component to the part I play. Here, both of us work together to achieve something greater than each of us individually. If either of us is unclear as to why we are here and what we contribute to each other, we are weakened and less effective and efficient. When we understand each other’s intentions, we are able to work together, relying on each other to fulfill our collective vision and function as the team we are and called to be.

ThemTo move beyond ourselves and reach out to fulfill our vision with those we are intending to serve, allows us the third key element in the equation above, and solidifies our foundation in structuring for sustainability.

If we simply fulfill our vision for ourselves and never involve those we are out to serve, you can see that this would be pointless and unsustainable.

As we involve “them”, we create an environment that brings all of “us” together. If we anchor ourselves outside the need of those we serve, we then create an environment that is isolated and ineffective. We must involve all of us to get a clear picture and understanding of the need, how to meet that need and what is important to measure throughout the process.

How do youmeasure

structure for sustainability

your

How do you

For example, if our vision is to clarify your direction and we never measure to see if you are getting the direction you need, then how will we ever be sustainable? The truth is we won’t. This seems simple enough, but without understanding the need you answer and how you answer it, you will be lost in wrong intentions and commitments to things that have little to do with what you are really being asked to contribute to the body of Christ.

So how do you measure your commitments? You must first determine the need you are out to answer in those you serve. Start with this, our final and seventh question for today.

Question 7:What need do you recognize in others? Answer this in one word.

For example, we here at Seven recognize a need for direction. This need for direction comes in many shapes and sizes, but at the core of all we do, we clarify your direction by asking the right questions.

Where do you need some direction?

Feel free to connect with us to find out how we are able to get you the direction you need, giving you clarity, purpose and meaning in all you do as you realize your value, build a culture of we and structure for sustainability.

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