UPDATE: School Officials direct student (our Diva!) to remove Pro-Life T-shirt. DEVELOPING...
The Penta-Posse L to R: Baby-Boo, The Dancer,
The Diva, The Dude, The Dreamer The Roe Effect Today is the Sixth Annual National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day.
The bright blue t-shirt shows a baby growing and growing then black -- nothing. So simple even school age children understand what abortion does.
So compelling that even the teen-aged Dreamer donned the shirt.
Our five wee-ones will be wearing the garment-billboard today at school and around town.
Here comes trouble.
Our public school system is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Democratic party, Planned Parenthood and the teachers' union.
(The only debate allowed is who would be better for the country, Obama or Hillary. And how awful Ronald Reagan governed and when global warming will kill us all. War is not the answer, etc and etc...)
National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day So our city is our mission field.
The schools will not be happy to see Pro-Life T-Shirts. We will be setting up a legal defense fund when the sheriff comes a-calling. Details to follow.
The American Life League sponsors the annual trouble-making event. The legal eagles at the ALL non-profit have provided a helpful handout for the students if they are confronted with the intolerant abortion lovers.
Free Speech in the public schools? We'll see.
Growing, Growing...Gone Pro-Lifers are the new Progressives.
###
Thank you (foot)notes:
UPDATE: It took 8 minutes before one of the Penta-Posse principals called -- comparing abortion to the disruption of "liquor, cigarettes or guns..." The school is really unhappy with the Pro-Life T-shirt. Your Business Blogger(R) was most polite. DEVELOPING...
UPDATE: The school leadership has made The Diva turn her shirt inside out -- Charmaine found out and lost her sense of humor -- the t-shirt is right side out, we think. A school official asks The Diva, "What will you say when the kindergarteners ask about your t-shirt?" The Diva doesn't miss a beat, "That doctors kill babies..."
The Diva protesting at the Afghan Embassy, 2006
She is no stranger to controversyIf you are a student at a public school, you have a right to wear a pro-life shirt to school. Our experience is that most young people who wear a pro-life shirt to school on National Pro-life T-shirt day do not have any problems. Occasionally a misguided school official may ask you to remove the shirt. This is a violation of your rights.
Read more at the jump from the good-guys at the ALL.
A product of...
Navy Office of Information
www.navy.mil
703.697.5342
April 24, 2008
U.S. Fourth Fleet Re-Establishment
“Re-establishing the Fourth Fleet recognizes the immense importance of maritime security in the southern part of the Western Hemisphere and signals our support and interest in the civil and military maritime services in Central and South America. Our Maritime Strategy raises the importance of working with international partners as the basis of global maritime security. This change increases our emphasis in the region on employing naval forces to build confidence and trust among nations through collective maritime security efforts that focus on common threats and mutual interests.”
– Adm. Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations
After extensive consideration and consultation, the Secretary of the Navy and the CNO have concluded that there are clear and compelling reasons to re-establish Commander, U.S. Fourth Fleet Headquarters as dual-hatted with Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command.
Conducting the Maritime Strategy in a dynamic maritime region
A Fourth Fleet headquarters would be more effective in conducting the full spectrum of Maritime Strategy missions which promote and strengthen coalition building, develop partner nation capabilities and deter aggression.
• The command will provide enhanced support to U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) Operational and Contingency Plans, which are primarily maritime missions.
• As we have seen in other areas of the world, forward presence of naval forces provides regional stability and understanding of our local partners. The nation has vital interests in this dynamic region and economic stability is an imperative.
Ensuring optimal support to SOUTHCOM
Re-establishing a fleet-level staff will ensure optimal support to U.S. Southern Command through:
• Improved alignment for implementation of the Maritime Headquarters with Maritime Operation Center (MHQ/MOC) to enhance operational collaboration and exchange of information with regional maritime partners to improve regional maritime security activities.
• Operational compatibility with other Fleets including force management and resource allocation.
Demonstrating commitment to the SOUTHCOM region
SOUTHCOM is a maritime theater with more than 30 countries and about 15.6 million square miles of water.
• Designation as a numbered U.S. Navy fleet signals to civil and military maritime services in Central and South America our recognition of the importance of maritime security in the southern Western Hemisphere.
• Recent deployments to the region in 2007 include USNS Comfort, the USS Wasp Expeditionary Strike Group, HSV Swift Global Fleet Station pilot, and Partnership of the Americas (POA).
• Current and upcoming deployments include humanitarian assistance/disaster response deployment Continuing Promise and the ongoing POA 2008 which includes the annual multinational exercise UNITAS, hosted this year by Brazil and Peru; and FA PANAMAX, hosted each year by Panama.
Key Messages
Facts & Figures
• A Fourth Fleet headquarters will be more effective in conducting the full spectrum of operations to promote and strengthen coalition building, develop partner nation capabilities and deter aggression.
• The United States has vital national interests in this dynamic region of the world. Regional economic stability is a must.
• Re-establishing the Fourth Fleet elevates the attention this area will receive.
• Approximately 40% of U.S. trade and 50% of oil imports are within this hemisphere, including more than 33% of U.S. energy imports.
• Approximately 50% of Latin American exports go to the United States.
• The command will initially be in Mayport, Fla. and use existing infrastructure and personnel.
• Fourth Fleet will not control ships in Mayport.
Yolanda Mazzuchi was about the prettiest girl in our school class. Our dads were in the Navy, often gone for months at a time. And they would be welcomed home at dockside with cheers and homemade signs. These gatherings at the D&S Piers at the Naval Base in Norfolk, Virginia, were a regular part of our lives growing up. Families often took children out of school to celebrate a ship’s homecoming.
At 1 in the afternoon on Monday, May 27, 1968, at the height of the Cold War the USS Scorpion was due in port.
Yolanda didn’t know it then, but her dad was already dead....
Follows is an invitation to the 40th Anniversary Memorial Weekend for the USS Scorpion.
April 24, 2008
Dear USS Scorpion Families / Shipmates / Friends:
MaryEtta and I hope you have made your reservations at Norfolk’s Downtown Radison Hotel for the USS Scorpion, SSN-589 40th Anniversary Memorial Service weekend. The program has been finalized and we are honored to have Vice Admiral John J. Donnelly, Commander, Submarine Forces, as our keynote speaker at the memorial service. We have a full weekend planned, thanks to our sponsors and your support of our T-shirt sale.
After checking-in at the Radison, please join us in the USS Scorpion, SSN-589 Hospitality Room. There you can pick up all the information for the weekend activities as well as reuniting with old friends. The room will be open all day and well into the evening, so if you are staying at another location, please come by and say hello.
***Note to USS Scorpion family members and crew***
The Newport News Father Bader Assembly of the Knights of Columbus is hosting a picnic at Fleet Park starting at 1:00 PM on Saturday in honor of the USS Scorpion family and former crewmembers. This is a ticketed event, so please see Barbara Lake in the Hospitality Room to receive your tickets. If you can’t pick them up on Friday, please see me before or after the memorial service.
This will be the last mailing we will be sending out before the memorial service. As always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to call Mary Etta.... I will have my cell phone on all weekend if anyone needs assistance or information.
Attached you will find the full schedule events. Look forward to seeing everyone very soon.
Sincerely,
Art Nolan
In honor of Wally Bishop, Chief of the Boat
"Stacy London is co-host of The Learning Channel's What Not to Wear and has been with the show since its first season. After growing up in Manhattan, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar College with a double degree in 20th-century philosophy and German literature."
Stacy London is a very bright young woman with a father almost as famous, Herb London.
[Stacy] began her career as a fashion assistant at Vogue magazine and later returned to Conde Nast as the senior fashion editor at Mademoiselle. She has styled fashion photos for other editorial publications, including Italian D, Nylon and Contents.
The Harbour League is hosting a star-studded event on May 13th in Baltimore, Maryland. Make plans to be there. Eli Gold runs the non-profit think tank and writes,
I want to make you aware of a very special evening that The Harbour League will be hosting. It is an evening that will give you a chance to meet and chat one-on-one with leaders of today's conservative movement.
America's Secular Challenge Stacey Herb London
On May 13th, 2008 The Harbour League will host an evening with the board. This will be the first time that our entire board will be in one place at one time to answer your questions regarding today's conservative movement, where we are and where we are headed.
The Harbour League's Board of Trustees includes: Eli Gold, Chairman; Herb London, President of the Hudson Institute; Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform; David Keene, President of American Conservative Union, as well as various other leaders in the movement.
The evening will begin at 7 pm (doors open at 6:30pm) with a talk given by Dr. Herb London entitled, "America's Secular Challenge: The Rise of a New National Religion". Dr. London will suggest that the rise of secularism in the United States is a flaccid response to the challenge presented by the fanaticism of radical Islam.
In the so-called war of ideas we are handicapped in our ability to thwart the inroads of fanaticism by a reflexive belief in relativism, one dimension of secular humanism.
The rise of secular humanism not only challenges the traditional antecedent of the nation, it is an ineffective response to the challenge of Islam.
The result? If you don't know what you believe in, you are unable to defend what is worthwhile. Something that if understood can change Maryland for the better.
Following the talk and question and answer session, there will be a dessert reception that will give you a chance to talk with any member of member of the board regarding the movement.
I also would like invite you to a private VIP dinner prior to the evening's event. For the first time we will open the board's pre-event reception and dinner to the first fourteen reservations.
The cost for dinner is $200 per plate (dinner is discounted for members). This is an opportunity to have an intimate dinner with these opinion leaders. So reserve your spot soon! Dinner reservations can be made by calling The Harbour League at 410-753-4560.
The presentation and dessert reception is free for Harbour League members, $5 for non-members. Please feel free to forward this invitation to your colleagues. A RSVP is highly recommended since seating is limited. Media covering this event should contact The Harbour League in advance.
I hope to see you at the event on May 13th.
Sincerely,
Eli Gold
Chairman
When you RSVP click "America's Secular Challenge."
Stacy London will not be there. Sorry for the bait and switch: Terrible marketing. My bad.
But her father, Dr. Herb London, will be there. Meet the proud papa and get a hint on why she is a success. And buy his book.
###
Thank you (foot)notes:
More on Stacy London at the jump
Your Business Blogger(R) and Charmaine and one of the Penta-Posse will attending -- we hope to see you there!
UPDATE: Alert Readers noticed that Your Business Blogger(R) originally spelled Stacy as "Stacey." Error corrected and she provided a nice pub shot -- a class act.
Obama Surrendering in 60 Seconds Alert Reader Jx sends this clip along,
"Ha! Where's he going to run to when the enemies of the USA start/continue war with us because they hear that his goal is to make us defenseless?"
###
Thank you (foot)notes:
Jx is from Texas. A Red State where normal people live.
Full Disclosure: Charmaine, wife of Your Business Blogger(R) served as senior advisor to the Huckabee Campaign and with Mike Huckabee is supporting McCain for President. A real Commander-in-Chief.
Neil Cavuto Charmaine will be debating on Neal Cavuto today. She's on the side of the Angels as always.
They will be debating the spanking of children.
Your Business Blogger(R) was paddled a time or two in Junior High School by the phys ed teacher. Which augmented and preceded parental punishment at home.
Absent all that attention, I may have turned out a bit worse than my present condition.
Watch and let us know what you think.
No one will get hurt...
Hit time is 4:50 Eastern on FOX. Your World With Neil Cavuto Check local listings.
###
Thank you (foot)notes:
Read the leave child spanking behind bill at the jump.
Pro-Life Group Challenges Pro-Abortion Politicians With Video of Abortions
Staten Island, NY (LifeNews.com) -- A leading pro-life Catholic group is challenging pro-abortion politicians with new YouTube videos illustrating the two most common types of abortion methods. The videos are part of a campaign Priests for Life has started, called "Is This What You Mean?" Father Frank Pavone, the head of the pro-life group, talked with LifeNews.com about the new initiative. "Our campaign is based on a simple challenge: We quote the words of the doctors who perform abortions, and then we ask supporters of legal abortion, 'Is this what you mean when you say the word abortion?,'" Father Pavone explained. "People worldwide can use this approach with those who hold or seek public office and say they support the legality of abortion,"
*Obama's former preacher Jeremiah Wright says we are under God's judgment, "God D@mn America." For different reasons.
Election 2008 Our good friends at AdvanceUSA have a new Candidate Comparison chart,
"Make sure you cast an informed ballot this November with AdvanceUSA's 2008 Candidate Comparisons for the presidential election. AdvanceUSA compared the major presidential candidates on twelve important issues of concern for conservatives."
The group lists 12 "voting changing issues" as Grover Norquist calls them in his book, Leave Us Alone,
Abortion,
Marriage,
Embryonic Stem Cell Research,
Judges,
Taxes,
Iraq Withdrawal,
Energy,
Hate Crimes,
Guns,
Earmarks,
Education,
Health Care
Get Leave Us Alone
by Grover NorquistAbortion is at the top of the list. Where it belongs: First.
Obama is pro-abortion. McCain is pro-life. A vote changing issue for conservatives.
Obama is anti-gun. McCain Voted to protect gun manufacturers from lawsuits over the misuse of their products.
War? Obama will surrender. McCain will win.
Vote changing issues for Americans.
###
Thank you (foot)notes:
Charmaine, wife of Your Business Blogger(R) served as senior advisor to the Huckabee for President Campaign.
The Roe effect is a hypothesis about the long-term effect of abortion on the political balance of the United States, which suggests that since supporters of abortion rights cause the erosion of their own political base, the practice of abortion will eventually lead to the restriction or illegalization of abortion.
[o]ur theory is that abortion is making America more conservative than it otherwise would be.
We base this on two assumptions. First, that liberal and Democratic women are more likely to have abortions. Second, that children's political views tend to reflect those of their parents--not exactly, of course, and not in every case, but on average. Thus abortion depletes the next generation of liberals and eventually makes the population more conservative. We call this the Roe effect, after Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court's 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion.
An Alert Reader sends an old Paul Greenberg column; at the jump.
Herbert London Addresses The Rise of Secularism In The United States
(BALTIMORE, MD) – Herbert London is the president of the Hudson Institute. London is a noted social critic, whose work has appeared in every major newspaper and journal, including The Wall Street Journal, Commentary, National Review, The New York Times, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, Investors Business Daily, and Forbes.
London is editor of 21 books, including Myths that Rule America (with Al Weeks). London shows that while secular humanism has it’s saints, sinners, and even its quasi-religious rituals, it is too anemic and self-centered a philosophy of life to serve America and the West in its battle against the threat of radical Islam.
WHO: Herbert London
WHAT: America’s Secular Challenge
WHEN: Doors Open 6:30 PM, Tuesday, May 13, 2007
Presentation 7:00 followed by dessert reception
WHERE: Baltimore
Dr. London will suggest that the rise of secularism in the United States is a flaccid response to the challenge presented by the fanaticism of radical Islam. In the so-called war of ideas we are handicapped in our ability to thwart the inroads of fanaticism by a reflexive belief in relativism, one dimension of secular humanism.
The rise of secular humanism not only challenges the traditional antecedent of the nation, it is an ineffective response to the challenge of Islam. The result? If you don’t know what you believe in, you are unable to defend what is worthwhile.
The cost of the London presentation and Dessert is free for Harbour League members, $5 for non-members. An RSVP is a must since seating is limited. Media covering this event should contact The Harbour League in advance.
Charmaine and Your Business Blogger(R) will be attending MRC's Gala tonight with some 3,000 of our closest friends in Washington, DC.
Brent Bozell L. Brent Bozell III and the Board of Directors [presents]
Media Research Center’s
2008 Gala
The DisHonors Awards
Roasting the Most Outrageously
Biased Liberal Reporting of the Year
Master of Ceremonies
Cal Thomas
Presenters
Ann Coulter, Larry Kudlow, and Mark Levin
William F. Buckley Jr. Award for Media Excellence
Honoree: Tony Snow
A Special Tribute
###
Thank you (foot)notes:
Full Disclosure: Your Business Blogger(R) is a freelance journalist for the Business & Media Institute, a division of MRC.
Beginning Sunday, April 27, PBS will air a reality-TV documentary
entitled "CARRIER", filmed while the production company was embarked
during the entire USS NIMITZ's 2005 deployment. The program will air
over five nights from Sunday, April 27, to Thursday, May 1, 2008,
9:00-11:00 p.m. ET.
Ten hours of film will be aired, selected from almost 2,000 hours that
were shot over the course of a 6-month deployment to CENTCOM. I have
viewed the production and want to share context and some thoughts
with you.
While "Carrier" shows the outstanding work our young Sailors do every
day and the opportunities the Navy offers, it also shows Sailors
making mistakes in their personal and professional lives. The
snapshot is frank and may be somewhat disconcerting to some who came
into the Navy some time ago. However, that said, I believe it will
also resonate with a significant segment of our country, especially
potential recruits and young Sailors serving today.
1) What we did. We provided unprecedented access to our Sailors,
and this production tells their story in a very personal way. There
is no narrator -- the stories are told by the Sailors themselves.
You get unvarnished views from junior personnel about their hopes,
aspirations, and challenges of life in the Navy aboard the carrier.
We did not get between the film crews and the Sailors.
2) What we got. The production highlights the racial, gender,
religious, and socio-economic diversity of our Navy. The hard work
our Sailors perform and the remarkable feat of forging thousands of
individuals on a carrier into a truly unique team really shines
through. Culling through hundreds of hours of video, the producers
created a 10-hour reality-TV documentary that shows selected aspects
of our Sailors' personal and professional challenges. The
cinematography is very high quality and the visuals and music are
sure to appeal to younger audiences.
3) What we did not get. We did not get a Navy "commercial" in the
traditional sense. "CARRIER" is very different from the hardware
documentaries we have supported in the past. This program focuses on
our people and the reality-TV approach gives it a sense of
authenticity and credibility. Since we did not monitor the
individual interviews and ongoing production, the program contains
material that does not always and fully represent the discipline,
values and mission of the U.S. Navy.
You will see some Sailors making personal and professional mistakes,
and expressing opinions that are different from the Navy's. However,
the production shows that these are the exception, not the norm, and
that leadership is engaged to shape lives and appropriate outcomes.
There are abundant examples of how the Navy changed Sailors' lives
for the better by giving them opportunities and a disciplined
environment.
4) Why did we agree to the project? This production, although not an
all-inclusive picture of the Navy, will give potential recruits and
those who influence them a glimpse of what life is really like in the
Navy. We want the American people to know, understand and appreciate
the contribution our Sailors make each and every day while deployed
around the world. We also want them to know us, not as a monolithic
bureaucratic entity, but as a diverse organization of individual
Americans who have set aside the comforts of home and have put
themselves on the line to serve a greater cause. You already know
how inspiring our people are, but few in our Nation get to see our
people in an operational environment.
Some of you may be called upon to offer public comments about this
film to the media or to community groups. We will soon distribute PA
guidance to support your efforts and will be putting additional
information on www.navy.mil in the near future. If you need any
additional information, please contact CHINFO, RDML Frank Thorp.
Thank you for all that you do.
All the best,
Gary Roughead
###
Thank you (foot)notes:
Thank you to John Howland at USNA-AT-LARGE for sending this out.
Writing an employee evaluation? Try these 101 helping sentences.
Academia and the Army have one thing in common.
Yes, there is something. Your Business Blogger(R) is a former Armor Cavalry Officer and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Management, so I was surprised to learn of some overlap.
The results of an employee evaluation
should never be a surprise
Courtesy: Toothpaste for DinnerPerhaps the only intersection is the willingness to share with fellow servicemen or teachers various helps needed for the efficient and effective transference of knowledge.
It is all, well, collegial. For the life of the (military) mind.
A college has two goals — the business of teaching and preparing the student for life.
An Army has two goals — the business of teaching and preparing the soldier for war.
It follows that there are the only two missions that the military should have:
1) Learning to fight and kill and break things, or
2) Fighting and killing and breaking things.
(Sounds like either a firefight or a faculty meeting…)
I recently had a client who was struggling to come up with just the right verbiage for an employee evaluation. I reminded him that this did not have to be an original work of art.
It simply had to be sincere, even if the words were lifted elsewhere. Authentic, even if borrowed.
(This all makes sense when coming from a high priced consultant.)
Your Business Blogger(R) suggested using an old Army briefing book. Remember, it worked for Mitt Romney’s father, George W. Romney who once remarked about being “brainwashed” after a military presentation during Vietnam. It worked for him. It can work for you, too.
For your employees, I mean.
An efficiency report will comment on the employee’s commitment, attention to detail and follow-up.
The best evaluations will outline a sample example of an achievement with a department problem, a solution and the measurable result of the staffer.
One Hundred and One Helping Sentences.
USA Support Command, Saigon Regulation 672-1 Headquarters, USASUPCOM, Sgn 9 Sept 1970, G. White, Armor
[Language has been updated somewhat for our modern times.]
1. Through his untiring efforts, devotion to duty and professional knowledge, NAME has accomplished TASK which increased the effectiveness of DEPARTMENT.
2. The timely guidance he gave to all personnel ensured the maintenance of a high standard of SALES/NOUN of DEPARTMENT.
3. The outstanding record of performance by NAME is due to his attention to detail in all aspects of his duty assignments and to his desire for zero defects.
Before Obama surrenders, maybe we can get a refund on the Gadsden Purchase?,
In return for this vast territory, the United States gave [Mexico] $15,000,000 and assumed responsibility for paying $3,000,000 in claims of American citizens against the Mexican Government. A large body of public opinion in the United States had opposed the war against Mexico and felt that the Southern republic had been treated badly. The territory desired by Gadsden and his group was then a sort of no man's land, experiencing frequent Indian raids. The United States wanted to make certain "boundary adjustments"; Mexico needed money and wanted a settlement of her Indian claims against the United States; and Gadsden and his friends wanted a route for their railroad. In 1852 Gadsden agreed to pay Santa Anna $10,000,000 for a strip of territory south of the Gila River and lying in what is now southwestern New Mexico and southern Arizona. Many Americans were not especially proud of the Guadalupe-Hidalgo Treaty and considered the price of the Gadsden Purchase as "conscience money." The Gadsden Purchase has an area of 45,535 square miles and is almost as large as Pennsylvania.
The latest advertising campaign in Mexico from Swedish vodka maker Absolut promises to push all the right buttons south of the U.S. border, but it could ruffle a few feathers in El Norte.
The billboard and press campaign, created by advertising agency Teran\TBWA and now running in Mexico, is a colorful map depicting what the Americas might look like in an "Absolut" -- i.e., perfect -- world.
The U.S.-Mexico border lies where it was before the Mexican-American war of 1848 when California, as we now know it, was Mexican territory and known as Alta California.
Following the war, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo saw the Mexican territories of Alta California and Santa Fé de Nuevo México ceded to the United States to become modern-day California, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Arizona. (Texas actually split from Mexico several years earlier to form a breakaway republic, and was voluntarily annexed by the United States in 1846.)
The campaign taps into the national pride of Mexicans, according to Favio Ucedo, creative director of leading Latino advertising agency Grupo Gallegos in the U.S.
...
Full Disclosure: Charmaine, the wife of Your Business Blogger(R), served as Senior Advisor to the Huckabee for President Campaign.
UPDATE: Read a first-hand account of John McCain on the campaign trail in Pensacola, Fl, Service to America Tour, courtesy, John Howland, USNA-AT-Large, at the jump.
Terry Pruitt, former military, has more on rendering a salute and respect for the Flag at Obama Seems to Get It Wrong.
Your Business Blogger(R): and
Your Circle of Friends When Your Business Blogger(R) served a tour of duty in government, I learned the harsh reality of what academics called "Multiple Points of Accountability."
I thought that my boss was my only constituent.
Nope. I learned that I had better pay attention to the press, to other department silos, to numerous associations (aka lobbyists), other political appointees, elected officials -- and finally: The Voters.
There is no difference between management in government and business. The basics are constant.
The first thing every manager learns is that he has multiple points of accountability. Points outside his silo.
The manager must nurture multiple points of accountability to turn these to multiple points of support.
He’s got to turn his silo into a circle -- of friends.
Charmaine on an earlier FOX appearance Charmaine Yoest, Ph.D., Vice President for Communications for the Family Research Council appeared on Fox News on March 1, 2008 to debate the issue of edgy ads and to discuss the prevalence of shock-style advertising in the media.
Click here for the clip. Please forgive the extra click thru to the FRC site.
###
Thank you (foot)notes:
For more on the ads click here. Safe for work. I think...
Management Training for Church Leaders:
The QuestionsYour Business Blogger(R) would often tease Preachers about their work-load.
After all, they only work one hour a week. On Sunday.
Pastors always laugh at that old joke. Diplomacy is part of their discipline.
But as managers, Pastors have double duty.
They have the work of an individual contributor.
They have the responsibilities of management.
Between the christening, marrying and burying, they really do have the hardest job on this side of eternity.
***
The Christian Church which shepherds believers and their faith worldwide, is nevertheless much like any organization in terms of order and structure. Basic management principles apply.
Pastors often must focus on numbers: numbers: attendance, budget, seating, parking, programs.
But the Pastor as manager doesn’t manage numbers, he manages behaviors.
If not of the congregation, then hopefully of his staff.
The following questions concern management strategies. The numbers will follow once skills are in place.
All church organizations and staffs experience personnel challenges and management concerns. The following questions concern management strategies and skill building for pastor-managers who can benefit from knowing that the numbers will follow once the staff is trained and trusted, and skills are in place.
Remember:
The Pastor leads people and manages behaviors.
The Pastor doesn't manage numbers; he manages behaviors.
The Pastor doesn't manage staff; he leads people.
The YouTube video presents 5 common questions. Here are the 5 answers and bonus solutions to many church management problems.
1. What does the church leader, the manager really do?
Plan, Lead, Organize, Control, Motivate.
The pastor’s focus must be on both the congregation and his staff. This requires skill building and continuous learning as the pastor also undoubtedly must commit serious time and attention to study and sermon preparation.
Here the Pastor is radically different from the manager in business and government. In business there are many areas of which the manager will know little or nothing. But he depends upon department heads to support him.
A great deal of the Pastor's time is consumed in the research and review of the sermon. This is work that only the Pastor can do -- this is vocational time.
The Pastor is one of the few managerial disciplines that has considerable management time and the vocational-knowledge responsibilities of an individual contributor.
For most managers the formula is simple: Knowledge plus Network equals Success. The manager's success is dependent on getting his network...to work. To succeed, the manager needs the support of his Ruling Board, outside peers, and staff.
2. What does the individual contributor do?
The work. The individual contributor does the hands-on work -- in business it would be the accountant, brick layer, college professor. This is the vocational, the knowledge-worker.
The manager, in a routine management position, has few vocational duties.
Except for the Pastor.
His is one of the few positions requiring both extensive hands on -- sermon writing -- and management skills. Little wonder Pastors run out of time.
3. Pastors, why were you hired?
If management wasn’t mentioned, that’s not unusual. Indeed, the search committee had a list of KSA’s (knowledge – skills – abilities), but often they don’t delve into management maturity or the candidates ability to garner support of his network. Pastors usually are hired for their wisdom and judgment.
Traditionally, seminaries haven’t focused on the day-to-day management challenges. So even pastors over 50 may only have the management maturity of a twenty something. Henry Ford once said that, "If you take all the experience and judgment of men over fifty out of the world, there wouldn't be enough left to run it."
4. Can the church manager be a victim?
Many Church leaders feel this way – but the Pastor must have impact on his church and the community. The manager must be in control of events or favorably influence outcomes.
The successful Pastor- manager is able to develop a team that is proactive. The Pastor and his staff are on the "offensive" for good. For example, a church received visits by the police for violating noise level ordinances. That church was on defense.
The best Pastor-manager and his team would have anticipated any community friction and worked out solutions.
5. What happens when the team/church staff is angry?
Even if the staff displays no emotion because they are “people of faith,” they still need
a trusted manager to whom they can turn and who knows how to deal with their concerns and get to the bottom of the matter. The worst outcome of an angry staffer in a church work environment is not disobedience, but incentive-stifling compliance. Such negative attitudes, in turn, damage the manager who will often need his team to protect him from (his) mistakes.
In the army the cliché was, “Take care of the troops and they will take care of you. And if you don’t take care of the troops, they will take care of you – the troops always get even.” But even if the staff displays no emotion, the manager will often need his team to protect him from (his) mistakes. The worst outcome of an angry staffer is not disobedience, but supervise compliance.
Of course church staff aren't really into vengeance; they just hurt, withdraw, and stay
out of sight as much as possible. This is especially true for staff with a distracted pastor-boss and it is why staff-building events, lunches, silly contests and required prayers together seldom work.
Your Business Blogger(R) and Charmaine
and the Penta-Posse on Easter Sunday
2005 Grand Canyon6. Who are the church ‘constituents’ and ‘customers’?
This is the classic dilemma in the non-profit world – the disconnect between who gives and who gets. The constituents, who tithe in the pews, are not the customers; recipients of charity from the pastor’s discretionary fund or outreach budget are the actual customers.
These ‘customers’ probably are not even members of the church. This poses unique challenges for church managers and staff, who need skills and understanding. Many church employees, especially the young, don’t know that the dynamics they find frustrating are the result of working for a non-profit.
7. When is counsel, coun-‘sell’?
A council of advisors - akin to a church’s Administrative Board or Vestry - should ‘sell’ counsel, advice to the pastor. The pastor can buy the advice or not and making the best decision is the wisdom of mature management.
If the senior pastor isn’t trained to make good decisions by asking for recommendations, people at all the other levels will suffer the consequences and have no opportunity to express themselves.
8. What is the most important concern for the church staff? The work/ministry, the people/congregation or the boss/Pastor?
The Pastor. (Staff and Pastors always get this wrong – staff thinks it has the answer and gives the wrong answer. Pastors know the right answer and give the wrong answer, out of embarrassment…)
Even in the atmosphere of 'servant leadership' the Senior Pastor is the final arbiter, the final decision maker and sets the tone for decisions made by subordinates.
Here again, the church leader is quite different than other business leaders. In any other 'industry' some managers might prefer to be low profile. Pastors do not have this option; commanding a pulpit three times or more a week puts him, well, front and center whether he wants to be seen or not.
It is the Pastor's direction that counts in making decisions on the strategic direction of his church. Every church staff member, of course has his work to do.
The staffer does not have his own agenda.
Only the Pastor.
9. Is office politics good or bad?
Politics is the normal interaction of people and power and position and process. Office politics in a church setting is a tool to be acknowledged and used by church management.
10. Is it better for the church leader to have the answers, or to ask the questions?
Neither. It is best for the church leader to have competent staff who anticipate questions, research alternatives and present recommendations. Why does the pastor have to think of everything? (I know, I know…I’m sorry to ask.)
But if the structure only allows for a few associate pastors – those who insulate the church leader or senior pastor – to offer information, the intelligence and experience of other staffers who work in different parts of the church is wasted.
The subordinate should bring not only questions, but suggested answers. The church leader can then grade the answers and make decisions on staffer’s recommendations.
11. How does the Pastor know when he is managing well?
The best church staff will bring a memo/course of action/decision that will require nothing more than the Pastor’s signature.
There is friction if communications channels aren’t in place. Many challenges may not even be known to some staffers who could make a difference; the manager should be looking for input.
12. Does the Associate Pastor have the “right” to church resources?
Nope. The mere position of authority may or may not command compliance from the church bureaucracy. It has to be earned.
Church managers, like mid-level managers in any organization, do not have a "right" to assets or support from his peers in sister departments -- even if the manager's position warrants.
The professional manager nurtures his network.
13. Who is the boss? Who is the subordinate? How can an observer tell if the Senior Pastor they trust as their spiritual leader is the one really making the decisions?
The military has the template. There is a term for a subordinate in the Army called, “Action Officer.” There is no doubt when the superior officer and junior officer work together, that the action, the next steps remain with the lower ranking Action Officer. Management training teaches managers and staff to understand who is tasked with an assignment and what the follow-up will look like. Training reviews the understanding of clean lines in the chain of command and who has the next move.
14. Is there a relationship between the time a manager ‘works’ and the results?
No. The manager should see himself, not just as the captain of a ship – but as the helmsman with a light touch on the rudder. Where the slightest movement, the smallest effort moves the rudder and can direct the largest vessel.
15. What is the Pastor responsible for?
All that his church does, or fails to do.
Even if The Senior Pastor delegates to another pastor and gives him both the responsibility and the authority, the congregation will likely still demand that the Senior Pastor do it instead: the christening, marrying and burying.
16. What makes for the best Associate Pastors?
If the Associate Pastor, or any staff, waits until being told what to do or has to ask what to do, the senior pastor is not running a healthy organization -- he is running a kids-daycare center for adults. Associate Pastors need to know what to do, how to do it, and when. Training and discipline preparation for them is not unlike the Army’s definition: Prompt obedience to orders or the initiation of appropriate action in the absence of orders.
Every Senior Pastor’s deam.
Every Senior Pastor should be training his successor.
17. When should the church leader raise his voice? – When should the church leader not take counsel?
When the sanctuary is on fire. And a fire-and-brimstone sermon, to be sure.
Emergencies are the few times that a direct order -- or direct shouting -- is required. And maybe not even then if you’re Presbyterian…
In most instances the Pastors should make a moment to take council of the mature adivsors. Seldom in any situation will the manager need to raise his voice.
