...got time...?

Where does my time go? Every one of us is given 168 hours a week (thanks P Glen). There are days when the time just seems to disappear (I can't imagine that Facebook, Twitter, Blogger or Stumbleupon.com have anything to do with it). Do you ever just feel too busy to THINK? The act of doing takes over. Does your team "got time" for a retreat? ! I've got to admit, the thought of an all day meeting brings a gag reflex. I've been to many that often focused on a group trying to get me over a 20 ft. wall or catching a falling team member before they slam to the ground. As entertaining as that may be, those teamwork things don't seem to make a dent in the organization's goals.
Last week the Directors at Good Shepherd had an all day retreat...just to think. Though we ate, laughed and learned a bit more about each other, we also prayed (hey, we're a church), revisited our vision, defined gaps, divided responsibilities and collaboratively dug into the 90 day calendar. Does your team or organization "got TIME"?

...dream TIME...It's great just to verbalize how things might be. If we are successful what change would we see. There's a saying that if you reach for the stars you might hit the barn, but if you reach for the barn, you'll probably land in animal fecal material.

...think TIME...Ideas can really build when you group thinking. One person's suggestion can make an average idea excellent and someone else's can make it outstanding. There is real power in rapid, untethered group think. But the group must be willing to make quick points (ever hear make a long story short) and bosses need to listen much more than they speak. They always have the floor anyway and usually their peeps know the real answers because they are closer to the real problems.

...share TIME...It's always nice to know a bit more about the folks you work with...it builds trust. It's also easier to care about people when you know more about them than what they do at work. You might even find you have something in common. I'm always surprised how many people will tell me that they once had a Mustang growing up...then the conversation just grows from there.

...laugh TIME...Take time to have a good laugh. Rumor has it that it's a great medicine. Teams that can laugh together often have a stronger foundation to make it through the tough times. Laughter is especially good to get the creative juices flowing (and to think you thought it was drool).

...plan TIME...I so dislike sessions where you end with no action items or next steps. Shouldn't people's time be valuable enough to remove some obstacles or unfreeze the blockage that's keeping the group from moving forward. Stay focused on being strategic and creating a framework. Let the folk's teams put the detail tactics together, the flesh on the bones. They are the ones that are going to execute, so they're plan always feels best anyway.

...align TIME...This is where synergy can really be nurtured. An aligned team can make 1 + 1 = 3 and avoid the friction and inefficiencies of misalignment. Don't aligned tires get much better mileage? Getting groups to "Think Horizontal" breaks down the silos and moves an organization "from ME to WE".

...prayer TIME...This really helps if you believe in a creator, and doesn't hurt at all if you don't. Working at Good Shepherd makes praying easy, since we do it before all meetings. It's always the number 1 agenda item. I've only been a Christ-follower (for some reason this makes me think of Twitter) since 2005. I didn't have years of struggles at the Golden Arches balancing political correctness at work with wanting to do right by "Almighty & Sons". Oh well, that's an entirely different blog post.

I always seem to run ouy of TIME as it always takes longer than you think. Often you can combine the TIMES (laugh/share) or (plan/align)if you are intentional and prepared. When's the last TIME your team has put itself on the rack for a tune-up? Maybe now's the TIME...?

"I'VE BEEN HURRYING AND WORRYING ALL MY DAYS" ("I've Got Time" - Bob Seger)

...iShack...

Our son Patrick is in his last year at Purdue (Boiler-up!!). As we were coloring Easter eggs this weekend (Pat & I didn't even complain this time) the book "The Shack" came up in discussion. Pat commented that if I liked the book so much, why didn't I blog about it? I didn't have a good reply.

The book "The Shack" by William P. Young has created quite a buzz over the last year. There are hundreds of blogs, articles, discussion groups and Tweets about the book's theological accuracy and tons of noise for & against.

WARNING:...this is not really a review of the book. It's a review of me as I read the book. So here's my "iShack" (patent pending).

Page turner - I couldn't stop reading it, I had to fight to put it down. I'm a big fan of Grafton, Grisham, Clancy and enjoy being drawn into the tempo of a great book. The Shack starts right off with a current day mystery that just sucks you right in. More than a few times I extended my "stop reading" time by just "one more chapter".

Parts written for me - There were many times when I would feel "this is exactly what I wonder". I got the feeling the author intended the book for me. How could Willie know my issues, concerns and suspicions? ...but he did. The Shack started to become my story.

Emotional - OK, I admit that age has made me a bit of a sobber. The thought of Rudy going in for the last play or Marley at the vet's office will often produce a salty discharge from the corner of my eyes. Rarely does a book produce this effect, but The Shack did. I had to stop many times because the tears made me feel like I was reading through a prism. They weren't the typical "tears of sadness" or "tears of joy", they were different. To this day I still can't explain it...tears of understanding?...tears of comfort?...I don't know.

Weekend with the Trinity - I felt like I was spending the weekend with the "Father" (you'll get the humor if you read the book), Son and Holy Spirit. For a brief moment I was camping with 3 fishing buddies next to a secluded lake. There were jokes, pranks, good food and spending quiet time where inner thoughts were shared. I really felt love for the 3 of them.

Lasting Excitement - Have you ever felt sad after reading a really good book? Sad that it was over? Your feelings for the characters have stopped? You can't wait for the author's next book in the series? It was just the opposite with The Shack. The Trinity is alive, right now. I feel more intimate with them. I'm still in awe, but want to spend more time with them. Is it possible that I love them more?

The Shack is in the fiction section of the bookstore. It doesn't claim to be a textbook or 100% biblically accurate. It did increase my desire to dig into the Word. I pray differently, worship differently and feel differently about God. Only He knows what's happened in my heart, but I sense He'd give The Shack a thumbs-up for the impact it had on me.

So, there's my answer Pat!

Only God knows why
Only God....knows....why, why, why oh only God knows why
Kid Rock

...30 day fast...

Can you avoid eating out for 30 days??

These are interesting times! It's safe to say that the world (even my little piece in Naperville) is undergoing serious change. My "safe" financial approach as I took the steps toward retirement really paid off last year. You can call it lucky or blessed, whichever you prefer, but we avoided most of the financial ugliness as much of my portfolio was in CDs and not the stock market.

I've always been a fan of Suze Orman and she has really been on a roll these last few months. She may not be as entertaining as that crazy screamer "mad" guy, but she often brings up good things to consider. On a recent show she suggested that everyone try not to eat out for 30 days. Sue and I were up for a challenge! Heck, it would give me a chance to better control how I fuel this body of mine, so we started right after Pat returned to Purdue after his Winter break. When you are empty nester's it's too easy to just drive-thru.

We did 30 days, did our trip to Ireland, and then did another 30 days just for fun. We learned some interesting things:

Healthy - It is easier to eat healthy at home (daa). You know what you are putting into everything. I probably don't want to know what goes into all of the dishes at restaurants. We even cut a few lbs from our frames.

Shopping - The notion of keeping fresh food in the house requires a bit more planning. It's not as simple as making sure there is plenty of Ramen and Mac & Cheese. Produce goes bad so some vision of upcoming meals sure helps.

Creativity - The food can be made to match my taste. I love pepper and Sue loves Chili oil...done. My mom carries a shaker of garlic salt in her purse allowing for customization on the road. I just don't want to have to carry a pepper mill in my back pocket (I don't even have a wallet back there).

Savings - I can't put an exact number on it, but there are certainly some real savings eating at home. You'll drop $20 to $30 minimum if you go to a place that doesn't have a drive-thru. Consider that half the world lives on less than $2 per day. You can also get some great buys on meat if you take advantage of specials. Though some of the cuts I've purchased have gotten raised brows from Sue as she tries to teach me that big, red and cheap aren't always the best criteria.

Fun - I know fun is in the eye of the beholder..and I'm having a blast Sue might have a slightly different take on the experience.

I've learned to appreciate a good home cooked meal and a good meal at a restaurant. We went to Nick's Cozy Corner (one of our favorites) and really enjoyed it. If you aren't really doing anything over the next 30 days, why not give it a try??

...desk swap...

You can tell a lot about a person by their desk. It’s like in “Wife Swap” (the TV show which is one of my many guilty pleasures) when the swapped wives get to visit their new home , alone, before the swap begins. The wives always verbalize what they think the home says about the people that live there.

I wonder what people think when they walk by my desk at Good Shepherd. I’ve ended up swapping some things out from what I had on my desk at the McDonald’s Innovation Center last year. Not that I had anything bad…it’s just that an award for the fastest drive-thru, best trained crew of 1973 or Destination 10 design criteria just doesn’t seem relevant anymore.

Here’s 16 items (was shooting for 15 but had to add #16, the mug) you will find on my desk at 1310 Shepherd Drive. I wonder what it says about me today??

1. Rubber hamburger – At the McDonald’s Worldwide Operators’ Convention a few years ago, my department showcased an “automated beef patty” grill. When the Big Mac button was hit on the cash register, 2 all beef patties (you know the jingle) were cooked. We had a company make the rubber ones for display purposes and I think they ended-up costing about $100.00 per patty. How can you throw that away? Please, no jokes about rubber hamburgers.

2. Stack of “The Shack” – This fiction by William P Young paints a picture of the Trinity in an unusual, impactful way. After reading it I felt driven to buy copies at CostCo (after a quick stop for the $1.50 dog & soda) and give them to the Good Shepherd staff. I keep a few on hand and pass them out when someone might be in a place that could benefit from the experience (or if they ask for a copy). Can’t explain it!

3. Button maker – Jodi has a button maker at the Innovation Center and it was always put to good use. Heck, for 7 cents you can put anything on a button. Imagine the possibilities. So I had to have one of my very own. I might even let you use it.

4. Delegation sheet – at a recent Director meeting we discussed the 5 levels of delegation. I first heard this at McD B.O.C. (Basic Operation Course) in 1977. Effective delegation is a foundational element of any successful organization. Hey, Jesus, Ray Kroc, Moses, Jack Welch, etc…all had writings modeling delegation, so there must be something to it.

5. McD Japan 25 anniversary clock – Narumi san, worked on one of my teams when I was in Operations Development. He gave me a 25^th anniversary clock that was distributed to the Japanese company’s employees. Narumi often talked about the “Eye of the Tiger”. Glancing at it reminds me that it may be “time” to be courageous.

6. Food supply – Ok…it should be of no surprise that I like a good meal. Working at McDonald’s meant never being far from a warm snack. In fact at the Lab, you couldn’t walk the floor without being confronted with a giant pile of cooked foods that were being served from many corners of the world. Now, oatmeal and soup seem to agree a bit more with my waistline.

7. Vision pens – I love a good customized pen…and yes I do take my fair share of abuse over it. I can’t help myself. I love to put a reusable item with an important message in the hands of the teams I’m on. The 3 most recent ads were for CRHP, Becoming a Contagious Christian, and Good Shepherd Vision. Has anyone seen my misplaced “Fastest Drive-thru” pen?

8. Horizontal thinking button - (related to # 3) – The staff is really focusing on the overall vision of Good Shepherd (Reach and transform spiritually distracted families in our local community so they come to know and love God). The button “THINK HORIZONTAL” reminds us to think past our own ministries (vertical silos) and act for the benefit of the whole. This might explain why most of my shirts have 2 pin holes in them.

9. Killing Cockroaches - is a great book I’ve read recently by Tony Morgan which shows how we often get hung-up in the mundane instead of moving toward significance. It’s filled with top 10 lists, humor, stories and even a picture or 2. Quick read!!

10. Drawer of cookbooks – these cookbooks found the bottom drawer of the desk as temporary storage a few years ago (I think). They are slowly disappearing (not exactly sure how) and at the current rate should be gone by 2012.

11. SPARKS manuals – My Men’s CRHP (Christ Renews His Perish) group wanted to look for a way to support our youth. So we volunteered to lead a SPARKS (Sunday School) large group class. Every Sunday at 11am we have an opportunity to impart our “wisdom” to the eager minds of 9 & 10 year olds. Thank goodness we have a well scripted series of lesson plans to make sure our “wisdom” is focused and succinct.

12. Contagious Christian PINK container – Sue & I have been facilitating a “Becoming a Contagious Christian” class for the last couple of years with Pat Gillis. It’s a DVD series by Mark Mittelberg & Lee Strobel that pretty much runs itself. The pink container was half price at Wal-Mart. Since I’m comfortable with my masculinity, I opted for the savings versus buying a dark blue one at full price.

13. Old records – 35 years at Mickey Ds instilled in me the importance of doing travel paths. That’s when you do a complete walk around the facility and “note” things that might be displeasing to a customer. Well on a few of my travel paths at Good Shepherd I noticed a couple of unattractive long term storage boxes at Sue’s desk that were visible from the guest at the reception desk. I offered to put them in my office for a couple of weeks about a year ago. (are you sensing a bit of sarcasm?)

14. Thumbs-up Jar – At the Innovation Center we had “Thumbs-Up” cards. The idea was to have these small cards that you would complete when you wanted to recognize someone for doing something especially positive toward bringing the vision to life. At the end of the month we throw them into a jar and have a raffle for some small, semi-fabulous prize (the gift is really just receiving them) At Good Shepherd they are titled “Matthew 25:21” card…hey, might make a good button.

15. Wireless mouse – Don’t you just love a mouse that doesn’t use wires. My wireless mouse waits for my Dell ever morning. I can’t help myself! I did buy it at Ecost for half the going price and it’s been pointing strong for the last year.

16. Mugs (CRHP Bros) – The late entry. My Men’s group gets together every 2 weeks just to talk about stuff. We do manly things (and that’s the story I’m sticking to) and are always looking for ways to impact our community (see #11). There was a dodge ball tournament in January (Dodgn’ 4 Dough) raising money to send kids on a work trip to Iowa to help the flood victims. Our team got killed. This coffee mug reminds me of the need to be humble. Note that the picture of me “holding” the ball was the only time that I didn’t drop it the entire weekend.

Just going through this list put my mind in a strange place. The thought “what a freak” bubbled-up more than a couple of times. And to think I didn’t even mention the weird stuff. Psychologist’s (only) remarks to geneserveshim@gmail.com

...Almighty & Sons...

I've mentioned before that I retired from McDonald's in May '08, after 35 years of learning, growing and leading some great teams.  My last 6 years I was the Operations Director at the Innovation Center.  It may not be as "out there" as the Google headquarters, but it's pretty close.  Since I left McDonald's I've been working (volunteer) half-time at Good Shepherd as the Vision Coordinator.  Actually, Pastor Greg & I kinda made-up the position based on what I might be good at and what the church might need.  I guess you could say that I work for "Almighty & Sons".

There's an old joke that goes "the pay is bad, but the benefits are out of this world".  That says it all.  Once you get past the point that the vision is placed on our hearts from the Highest source (instead of your Mcdepartment VP...Ken Koziol in my case) I find the organizations function in very similar ways.  Both organizations are staffed with real people, with real needs and real issues and real strengths.  Though the outcome or design criteria or balanced scorecard might be different, creating and growing a strong team with a shared vision is the same.  Same relationships, same budgets, same goals setting, same change management, same......... 

So, my focus at Good Shepherd is pretty much what it was when I was at the Innovation Center

1. Seat the VISION - communicate, remind, restate, state a different way, relevant examples, vision casting.
   
   
2. Create a ROADMAP - know next steps, unfreeze the team, build on existing momentum, stop doing non-value added activities, redirect as needed, deal with unplanned, Faith in Action.
   
   
3. Align MINISTRIES - Establish director team, director mtgs, create "horizontal" thinking, 1 + 1 = 3, ministry objectives, shared initiatives.
   
   
4. Celebrate SUCCESSES - Matthew 25 cards (church version of thumbs-up), fast / little recognitions, build on successes.
   
   

The last year at Good Shepherd has been awesome.  At times I wonder if God had me in training at the Golden Arches for this exact moment in time.  Don't know why I waited so long.  My Great Lakes Division President, Kevin Dunn, used to say.  "If not now ...when?  If not me...who?"

...face it...

I couldn't stand on the sidelines any longer, so I got on Facebook in January.  Too many of my friends were getting pages and it's a great connection point for a newly retired, old guy.  I try not to have worlds collide with the younger generation since it was their's first.

I was recently "tagged" and was asked to write "25 random things about me".  It's harder than you think.  Here's mine

1. My legal name is Gene (my mom didn't like Eugene). It was tough growing up with a "girls" name. I've been assigned to girls' gym classes more than once and I won't go into one of my assigned room mates at a McDs convention..

2. My daughter Tammy , got her Masters in Occupational Therapy from USC (GO Trojans) and is currently an OT at a private clinic in Pasadena.

3. I was an atheist until May, 2005. I'm pumped to be a Christ-follower and try not to weird people out.

4. I lived in Hawaii twice and was a resident of Oahu when it became a state.

5. I have a 1965 Red Mustang convertible with an 8 track player with a collection of over 400 tapes (yes..there is a Barry Manilow somewhere in there.

6. Sue and I lived on the same street (about 7 houses away) in high school. We started dating when she was 15 & I was 17. We got engaged at her Senior prom and were married when I was 20.

7. I was the 1972 All-American bun champion for San Diego McDonald's...now that's a skill that really pops on a resume.

8. Patrick (our son) played 4 years of lacrosse at Neuqua HS and played at Purdue where he will graduate this year. He did go to the University of Arizona his freshman year.

9. I attended 3 different 3rd grade classes in 3 cities during the same year. I went to 13 schools before 10th grade (I was a Navy brat and my dad was always being transferred)

10. I bought my first car, a 1971 new VW bug when I was 18. I totaled it when I feel asleep at the wheel driving home from a closing shift.

11. I am a closet Monkees fan...I know the words to most of the songs on their 4 albums

12. I suffer from over-confidence (ask Sue). I don't care if I make mistakes (whatever) and love taking risks (not reckless). I share Henry Ford's belief - "If you think you can, or think you can't, you're right."

13. I've visited 6 of the 7 continents (still have to do Antarctica).

14. Sue and I have been on 12 cruises. We save money through the year to make a vacation happen every year (don't ask me for a loan).

15. I went to San Diego State University for 3 months and left before the first semester ended. I did attend Hamburger University twice and was on the Dean's list.

16. I am an avid reader...usually do 2 books a week. I mark them up with pens and folded pages instead of a highlighter.

17. Ray Kroc fired me when I was the manager of the Clairemont Mesa McDonald's in 1981 (my Regional Manager said not to worry about it). I retired from McDonald's after 35 years last year.

18. I've been on a safari in Africa and have a picture of me straddling Tanzania & Uganda

19. I've watched every episode of Seinfeld and King of Queens at least 10 times. I can't stop and I still laugh every single time.

20. I was the 3rd grade chess champion for Virginia Beach

21. I was a catcher in Little League. I strapped on the "tools of ignorance" for 6 years

22. I laugh every day! I was a class clown in school (to help me meet people as the new kid). Work is so much more enjoyable if you have a good time while you do it. I find it difficult to be nice to negative people (I'm working on it)

23. I've been either going on or going off a diet most of my adult life. I'm on my last one right now!  I'm gonna be the biggest loser (Sue is my Jillian)

24. I just got a new ASUS 1000HE netbook.  Less than 3 lbs, 9 hour battery life and 160 GB hard drive.  My heart skipped a beat when I opened the box!!  I know it's sad...I can't help it!

25. I haven't worn a watch for 3 years...I just refuse to conform any longer!

Hope I don't get tagged with "101 jokes I've told that aren't funny".

...on purpose...

I've said many times "I did it on purpose". Usually it's a defensive mechanism used to deflect an action that seems strange or odd to others. I often think of Paul Reuben's famous line in Pee Wee's Big Adventure when he blurts..."I meant to do that"! One of my desires when I retired in May '08 was to live the second half of my life..."on purpose". I've been blessed with so much, flat-out abundance, that I get embarrassed just thinking about it. To think that over 1 BILLION (as I place my little finger to the corner of my mouth) people in the world live on less than $1 a day just floors me. So, here are some of my favorite organizations that do a really amazing job focusing on improving the lives of the under-resourced. I've seen the results first hand and feel they are great stewards.

FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN - They send nutritional food bags (like a high powered oatmeal) to those in need across the world. They take donations and you can bring a group to their warehouse to fill the bags (they are currently located in Minn. & Ill.). They literally save lives in places where parents are forced to feed their kids dirt clods to fill their stomachs with something so they can get to sleep at night.

WORLD VISION - Is a well structured organization that does lots of child sponsorship programs. For a dollar a day you can help a child (and their family) live healthy, productive lives. Our church sponsors close to 300 kids in Uganda and I had a chance to visit Buhimba a couple of years ago. WOW! The village is becoming self-sufficient, building their own infrastructures and not sitting around with their hands out.

H.I.M. (HEARTS IN MOTION) - If you ever doubt the change 1 person can make, just talk to the founder, Karen of H.I.M. (love the acronym) is the 2007 Kiwanis World Service Medal winner. She makes things happen in Guatemala and the surrounding countries with an infectious smile, willingness to make the "big asks" and a can do attitude. Her organization focuses on those living in dumps, orphans and the really poor. She has just started a child sponsorship program. There's nothing more touching than passing out sandwiches, shoes and clothing to those that call the dump their home.

KIVA - This "microfinance" group allows common people, like you and me, to partner with each other making loans to those that just need a stake to get started. And get this, you get paid back. I've made several loans and each one was reimbursed. The company was started by a few folks on the west coast and it uses a Facebook-type approach (sorry for the over-simplification)

I'm trying more and more to do it "on purpose" with a purpose. I refuse to let those that say "yeah, but how do you know it really gets to the intended people?" get in the way of what my heart says is right. I guess I'll just say..."I MEANT TO DO THAT...?