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I’ve taken teams to The Leadership Summit for years, and one thing I’ve learned is that what you and your team get out of the Summit is proportional to what you put in to the Summit.

Some years, I’ve found myself doing little more than determining how many would be on our Summit team, making sure we were registered, and having someone coordinate transportation. In those years the Summit experience, while worthwhile, didn’t seem to gain optimal traction with our team.

But in the others years where we intentionally invested time, energy and creativity on the front end, the impact of the Summit experience was entirely different.

One year we loaded our team on a bus and headed to a Summit site in Vancouver, BC. In addition to the Summit itself we had planned a series of team-building activities, including renting tandem bikes to cycle Vancouver’s famous Stanley Park seawall, and even wrapped up the week with a catered gourmet dinner on a beach.

That was 10 years ago, and those who were there still talk about those experiences to this day.

Today, as I talk to church leaders from coast to coast, I continue to be inspired to hear the creative ways teams are maximizing the Summit experience.

I’d love to hear what you are doing/planning to do, and then I’d like to share your ideas with leaders across Canada.

Tell me what you’re planning in terms of:

  • Team building
  • Advanced reading assignments
  • Ways you’re tying the Summit into your church’s strategy
  • Prayer initiatives

I’ll feature your ideas in a future post.

Just remember; what you get out of the Summit is proportional to what you put in to the Summit!

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Like many organizations, ours needed to reduce staffing levels; to the tune of a 60% reduction in a year. Yet, in this new reality, the organization turned the corner and is once again dynamic and growing.

How did this happen? I recently posted The Phantom Org Chart: 4 Positions You Need on Your Team, but equally important are positions you need to make sure DON’T appear on your “phantom org chart”. Here’s my current list:

1. Chairman of the That’ll Never Work Committee
­ Also known as the We’ve Tried That Before Task Force. A real momentum killer.

2. That’s Not in my Job Description Supervisor
­ Want an agile organization? Don’t hire these.

3. Lead Self-Promotions Strategist
­ There’s no room for grand-standing on a lean team.

4. The Clock Says It’s Time to Go Home Coordinator
­ Often works closely with the That’s Not in my Job Description Supervisor

5. Regional I’m In a Bad Mood Distributor
­ Negative “vibes” spread like wildfire on a lean team.

6. Local I Have Issues Manager
­ Steer clear of the person who talks about nothing but the drama and crises in their life.

These positions must be avoided on any team, but it’s especially important when you’re working with a reduced team because these people will suck time and energy out of you and your team.

Sometimes the lure of apparent competency can blind us from realities of character. Keep these phantom positions in mind as you build your team.

What other “phantom roles to be avoided” would you add to the list?

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