You Matter Most

I don’t want to be caught in that familiar zone so many office staff find themselves in when part of corporate management. That is, becoming apart from the customer, those who matter most. Administrative tasks, paperwork and such, separate those in the “office” from the people we serve. Even with our best intentions, if a leader does not spend time with, person to person, heart to heart, across the diverse thought-bearing lives of our people and beyond, we will be missing the mark of relevancy. I spent a lot of time doing ride-alongs with sales reps who visited customers and prospects to hear first-hand the objections, the questions, the complaints, the suggestions, the occasional affirmations and hopes of those who mattered most. Often it wasn’t the words alone that they expressed, but observations of their displays, marketing, interactions, skills or lack of, that told a great deal. Never did I spend day with a sales rep where it was not of immense value in what I learned.

A secondary role in these travels was to teach, coach, mentor and guide both reps and customers. This was a sensitive area. Many could be reactive to other’s opinions, models and approaches to their way of doing things. Often I found asking exploratory questions led to opportunities to frame suggestions in an acceptable way. This is a type of leading from behind, enabling others to merge new thoughts with their own way of thinking and doing in a subtle manner. Discerning the progression of the person in pondering or accepting, or taking hold of an idea is just the beginning point. The important next step is the affirmation and reinforcement follow-up to guide and nurture the advancement of change in their lives, in their models of doing things, in their interactions with people.

For the above reasons of listening/observing and mentoring/exploring; being with our people is vitally important. Otherwise that which I say, write, propose or conduct in my role may not be relevant to the lives that matter most……yours. To you who matter most,  I invite you to connect with me by email, phone or in person. As we share and discuss the realities of your ministries, your congregational needs, those who are hurting, those who are disagreeing, those who have ideas and those who are doing marvelous things we should all know about….. our community becomes reconciled, transformed and enriched. We need one another. We are the ears, eyes, sixth sense and hands of the church. Christ’s missional model is that the grace of God is introduced through people, through you and me as catalysts to enable the Spirit to touch the life of another as a planted seed.

Being with you in all its possible means and forms is my primary hope for 2014. Expect to connect! Let’s mutually make that happen. I look forward to dialogue, to meaningful relationships, to receiving and giving together, one with another. May God nurture sacred community in our midst.

Submitted by Kerry