Death by Meetings

Death by Meeting is a book that I never read, but really like the title. (Maybe I’ll write a review on it and compare it with my own thoughts)

As I am quickly approaching my 100 day as Creative Arts Director of Newsong Church, I am starting to realize one thing. With greater responsibilities comes a greater quantity of meetings. And if you are not to careful, you can find your self stuck in a strangle hold by the “meeting”. Here are some insights I learned the hard way.

1. Space out the meeting: Avoid back to back meetings. Create some space to unwind.
2. Make it as quick as it needs to be: Value each others’ time.
3. Clarity: Make sure you know what the meeting is focused on before you start.
4. End the meeting: Sometimes I feel a meeting never comes to an end. Be bold and ask, “Are we done?”
5. If leading, please make it interesting!: I personally am more willing to stick through a meeting if it is interesting and fun.

This is my simple attempt to share insights I learned along the way. This are not rules but more like items to think about as you deal with meetings.

 

“You complete me.”

It’s 1 AM and this might be the bad pizza I had earlier talking, but I believe I have something to say. Or rather, I have something to say that I believe in. My father once said, “Get the bad news over with first. You be the one to say the tough stuff.” Well, here goes. There is a cruel wind blowing through our business. We all feel it, and if we don’t, perhaps we’ve forgotten how to feel. But here is the truth. We are less ourselves than we were when we started this organization.
[excerpt from This is War – Jerry Maguires Mission Statement]

For me it was 3 AM of New Years Eve. I seem to always have these type of sleepless nights every year around this time. Last night, I wrote a mission statement for the Creative Arts Ministry of Newsong, which I am the director of. It was supposed to be a quick post, but ended up becoming an intimate retelling of my story.

To read it on Newsong CAM’s site, Click here.