Lessons I'm Learning In New Job - Volume 2
1. Sometimes to be thoughtful, you can’t overthink it.
2. Wisdom is understanding a plan well enough to know when to punt it and engage a different way.
3. Rest solves many problems before they start. So does creating margin.
4. There are always better ideas still out there. But the only ones that impact are ones you execute. The art of impact is knowing when to pull the trigger before you start chasing the end of the rainbow.
5. Not every great communicator can speak. But you need those who can.
6. It takes courage to do something new. It takes courage to patiently grow into it.
7. Better a faithful servant than an army of talented ones who don’t show up.
8. Develop the art of being a good visual conversationalist, not just a good communicator.
9. Learn what speaks to people visually without using mimicry or cliches...unless it’s satire. Use visuals in ways that invite them into the conversation. The goal is to help the message or story resonate in ways that invite response.
10. Sometimes choosing the expected thing is not cliche.
11. Sometimes you have to help folks ask the questions if you want them to recognize the answer.
12. Never let pride or fear strip you of where your calling could take you in God’s eyes.
13. Doing something just for fun is in itself intentional.
14. If something needs to get done, assign tasks. If you want it actually done, partner as you lead.
15. If it takes MORE than 30 seconds to explain the problem...
a. You are still evaluating it.
b. The problem may be too complex to solve quickly.
c. You need time to focus.
d. You struggle to communicate or translate.
If it takes LESS than 30 seconds to explain the problem....
a. You have a clear sense of what’s going on
b. You could have oversimplified the problem.
c. You need to start moving to solutions or next steps.
16. Being honest is more than not telling lies. It’s facing a clear picture of yourself so God can turn you where He needs you to go.
17. Analytics are useful in finding patterns, but insights can come from unexpected places.
18. How does creative world and communication world relate?
Same way vision works. Your left and right eye see from different angles. The brain processes it as one unified image so you can have depth perception. This allows you to understand the landscape, make better judgements, so you can navigate distances...and not smack your head against a wall. True, you could see through one eye only. But it impacts the way you engage.
19. Communication gaps can also be relational opportunities.
20. Keep cultivating creatives so weeds don’t grow, distract, and overtake all your original intentions and create a disconnect. Cultivating is a daily, small, mostly unnoticeable practice of challenging, encouraging, & connecting...in ways that lead to flourishing.
21. Traction is important. Without it, going faster will just spin you out, weigh a team down, or send them flying:). As a corollary, you need to understand the terrain and factors involved at ground level. Be willing to slow down until you get traction. It’s the only way to build speed.
22. There is an art to knowing when to text, email, call, or talk face to face. There isn’t necessarily a formula. The primary measure is knowing your audience and culture.
23. How do you make words jump off a page for someone? Show them someone living it out.
24. Creative communication is more than picking swatches, selecting type, decorating info, or applying trends. It’s understanding the nature of the material you have. It’s creatively connecting with those who need to see the value of the message. It’s knowing how your team is wired to engage them. It’s prayerfully working it all together so they see God’s heart in the story.
25. “It takes authentic people to tell authentic stories.” Sometimes pieces of gold like this are found in a diamond ad.
26. You don’t need things fully resolved to grieve well and move on.
27. It is possible to overcommunicate and end up not communicating. Maxing out a room with furniture keeps people from walking in. Remember, storage rooms are experienced differently than living rooms. So it is with communication.
28. Hospitality inside communication is a big deal. It makes words more human and lets people be seen and heard.
29. Tall trees aren’t better than seeds. They are just in a different stage. They draw from the same source. So quit comparing. One tree can’t provide what a forest can. So keep growing.
30. You have more vantage points & ideas than skill to capture & harness them. Be mindful of that in raising creative teams. Have a hi-fi and lo-fi ways of communicating. Develop growth tracks for the motivated.
31. Strengthen your peripheral vision. It allows you to react to things before they come into view without losing focus on what’s ahead. Without it, we must constantly turn our heads. Leaders who neglect their peripheral vision will eventually lose focus on what’s in front of them and lose their balance.
32. Listen to understand not simply record.
33. Read the room, but don’t assume you know how to interpret the signals.
34. You can tell a person how to develop community or you can show it. While there is a place for both, one tends to be more inviting.
35. Time block where you can to be productive. Be flexible to remain effective. Find a rhythm even if you can’t fully strike the balance.
36. Leading a team is ALWAYS a learning curve. Be patient with yourself and them. Enjoy the process. And every once in awhile look around and let it hit it what a deep gift it is. You are helping steward lives around a great mission.
37. In a practical sense, leading often is about rhythms, problem-solving, clarity, direction, and development. To address any of those, you have to ask “what does love require”..because at the end of the day, you are shepherding people.
38. Leading creatives is about learning how people see and positioning creatives like lights in a photo shoot to help us all see the story better...and be moved. Creative leaders make sure we are seeing what we need to in a way that translates.
39. Feedback is a team sport.
40. One of the most valuable things you bring to a conversation is not what you say. It is discerning where there is disconnect.
41. Not everyone knows what letterhead is. Sometimes you educate. Sometimes you just use a different word.
42. If a bird gets stuck in the building, the best approach isn’t always to chase it down. Sometimes it’s opening the door to let it hear the other birds outside. Both methods can lead the bird to freedom. So it is with creative communication.
43. Trust God and be present.