Back at Work

After a very informative look at what a new church plant will face, I am back to work at the office.  But I am here with a worried mind.  I read yesterday that Ingram Micro laid-of 8% of it's North American workforce.  All of the big manufacturer's are cutting back and GM is even dismantling one of it's best brands (in my opinion!).  So the question has to be asked...when do you cut?  Or better yet, do you cut?  I have been working at NSN for over 15 years now so I have lived through some lean economic times.  What I remember about that time is the fear.  What I also remember is that we didn't cut.  Larry ran the company very lean and sacrificed himself so that his staff would survive.  The benefit to that, we have many employees that have been here 10+ years.  You can't buy that kind of loyalty!  So as I look at the books, and compare to the budget, I am still trying to be the optimist (shocking as that is to most of you!)  I believe we can work lean and excel.  This is a time of opportunity as well, so we need to focus our energy on that and go!

Taking a vacation day for my other passion

Today I am taking a vacation day so that I can go to a new church
start meeting in Columbus. For those who do not know, the other main
passion in my life is Children's Ministry. I run the Children's
Ministry for our new church start location. Glad to have mobile
access!

What are the true benefits of peer groups?

Let's face it. Everyone is scared. You can't read a newspaper, turn on the tv or have a conversation with a peer without the topic changing to fears about the economy. Don't get me wrong, it is real. As much as I want to bury my head in the sand and think that it is not real, it is real, and people are really suffering.

At times like this, every expense is scrutinized. So...what about Peer Groups? What is the value of your Peer Groups? How many Peer Groups is to many? The answer is different for different people and situations. I can't answer that for everyone, just for myself...and my answer is...as many as you can be impactful with. Life is about relationships and the people we surround ourselves with. Some of the most valued opinions I get come directly from my HTG and WPO groups. These people KNOW me and more importantly, KNOW my business. I can also trust that they will give me their honest thoughts and opinions, not just tell me what I want to hear. So what is that worth? A lot.