Joining God’s work
by Steve Cordle
If you have the privilege of coaching a number of groups, you know that there are always some groups that are “up” and some that are “down”. As a coach it can be natural to focus on the group that is experiening a “down” time. After all, we want to “fix” them, don’t we?!
But the most effective coaching stance might be to focus on the groups that are doing well. Learn from them - what are they doing that is effective? Resource them, what ideas and prayer can help them move ahead even more?
Some years ago Henry Blackaby taught us to “find what God is doing and join Him in it”. To coach in this way means to sense where God is at work in a group and to join Him in it. It doesn’t make sense to ignore a move of God and focus on where there is none.
Now, I am not saying we should ignore struggling groups. Far from it. Those groups deserve good coaching too!
But the bulk of our time, focus and prayer can be strategically used in connection with groups that are going well. We might think they need nothing, but atually they need help since they are growing and changing.
Where is God at work in your network of groups?” How can you join Him in it?
Jeff Bassette said,
October 29, 2007 @ 9:57 am
I appreciate STeve’s comment about the need effective leaders have for coaching. He was hitting intuitively on a principle that’s talked about in the book, First, Break All the Rules, by Marcus Buckingham. The Gallup organization studied 80,000 top managers in varied sectors to determine what they did differently to make them so productive. One of the principles (surprises) was that they gave much time to their top producers. In fact one of his sections is called: “Spend the Most Time with Your Best People”. While we may not like the way that sounds, obviously, the management principle held true. Our most fruitful leaders need coachign, too, and we’d be wise to support them closely not ignore them because they’re doign well.