Seeing the Big Picture

We had an interesting discussion yesterday at church about creating vision and seeing the big picture, in the context of discovering God’s will for your life.

Our family attends Ward Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Northville, MI (www.wardchurch.org). We attend worship at 9:30am and then an adult education class at 11:00am. It was in this class where the discussion was held.

Our teacher, Pam Dodge, has been leading us through a video series by Andy Stanley on discovering God’s will. It’s been an outstanding series and has opened my eyes to many things.

Yesterday’s discussion centered on the “big picture” or a vision of the future in a particular area (career, marriage, family, spiritual growth, etc.).

While some of us create vision statements for our businesses, few of us doing any visionary thinking in other areas. We were challenged to do this.

In order to have a vision of the future, we need to take time to think; to ponder; to ask God to open our eyes.

As Andy Stanley points out, the more clear our vision is, the easier it becomes to make decisions. This makes perfect sense to me. I see this concept working in my client’s businesses. As they develop and implement strategic plans (which include creating a vision statement), they are able to eliminate many options, narrow their focus, and be much more efficient in their decision-making. It’s very logical.

So, it would make sense that this same concept would apply in areas other than business or career. It’s an interesting thought, isn’t it.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic!

Advisory Council

We’ve all heard the saying “Two heads are better than one.” We acknowledge the simple truth of it, that people make better decisions when they consult another person first. We know that our own decision-making is easily clouded by our emotions, selfish desires, and prejudices. We admit that we’re not capable of making optimal decisions by ourselves. We know we need help. However, this recognition is not enough. We need to do something about it.

Unfortunately, many of us fail to seek advice. We tell ourselves that we’re too busy or that it will cost too much. We convince ourselves that we’ll be just fine on our own. The reality is that we’re too prideful to open up to another person or our egos are too large for our own good. We rationalize our position and continue to procrastinate whenever we’re convicted to take action.

Once we are determined to seek out advisors, we need to do some soul-searching. We need to understand what types of advisors are needed. Seeking advisors requires more than finding willing participants. We should purposefully seek advisors with experience, objectivity, and expertise in areas we’re lacking.

Many business owners, executives, and other successful people surround themselves with a stable group of advisors- financial, legal, spiritual, health, nutrition, etc. They meet with these people as needed, depending on situations and circumstances. Executive coaches are often part of this group as well, providing advice, support, and accountability.

This group of advisors is not a peer group that meets on a regular basis. While peer groups serve a purpose, a personal advisory council is a collection of personal relationships with trusted advisors, with each advisor providing specific expertise in a critical area of need.

Developing a personal advisory council is an essential element of organizational success. When people are receiving good advice, they make better decisions. According to the Bible, people who seek out and listen to the counsel of their advisors are wise.

For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but many advisers make victory sure.
- Proverbs 11:14

The way of a fool seems right to him,
but a wise man listens to advice.
- Proverbs 12:15

Pride only breeds quarrels,
but wisdom is found in those who take advice.
- Proverbs 13:10

Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.
- Proverbs 15:22

Listen to advice and accept instruction,
and in the end you will be wise.
- Proverbs 19:20

A wise man has great power,
and a man of knowledge increases strength;
for waging war you need guidance,
and for victory many advisers.
- Proverbs 24:5-6

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,
and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.
- Proverbs 27:9

What about you? Do you have an advisory council? Who’s on it? Do they realize they’re on it? How often do you meet with each council member? What steps do you need to take to shore up your advisory council?

P

Welcome

Welcome to all of you who recently heard me speak at the SIMA conference! I’m glad to found your way to my blog!

Unlike my company website, which is about the company, my blog is much more personal in nature. I write about things that are on my mind from the world of business, politics, religion, or whatever I’m interested in writing about.

Thanks for stopping by.

If you have comments, please don’t be shy. Post your comment or hit me with an email.

P