Shining Your Star

The analogy of a "shining star" or a "rising star" is very common in our success vocabulary. We hear it used in sports, business and education. Usually it refers to a person that is standing out or on the rise. Today I would like to apply the analogy to your innovation.

When we come up with an idea and begin to bring it into the world, we immediately run into one of the greatest tensions any innovator will ever face. Each day you are faced with the decision to either build/enhance/resource your innovation further or promote and market your idea. Usually you can't do both at the same time. So daily you make decisions about which is more important to your idea's success.

The strategic innovator knows when to focus on the details of the star and when to polish it. If you star is all polish and no mass, then you will disappoint people very quickly after their initial interest. If you have the best designed and smoothest running star in the galaxy but no polish, there won't be anyone to enjoy it.

Like anything else, we are looking for a wise balance. But first lets consider the folly of to much focus on either side.

No Polish:
I have sat with many presidents and ministry leaders who had an idea, saw a need and built something. They innovated in their area of ministry and there it sat. Sometimes that meant that there were 10,000 of them sitting in their warehouse. Other times it meant that a web site went unvisited. In many of these cases the product/service/outreach was strong. The philosophy was there and the back office support was there. But they had failed to think through how they would share it with the world and if the world even wanted it.

Too Much Polish:
I have also spent time with many innovators in ministry who have the best PowerPoint presentation, a great smile, powerful stories and examples, but no product . . . no service. When you push them, they are always in the process but there is nothing to back up what is on their heart. They go from meeting to meeting and from conference to conference selling their hopes and dreams.

In both cases the motivations are usually very good. What happens is that some innovators are introverts and others are extroverts. When God puts an idea on your heart and you hit the go button, you usually default to what comes naturally. That means that you approach your task with the skills you have.

If you love people and conferences, you take your idea on the road. If you love to tinker and work in silence then you start developing and you work till it is perfect. Both approaches if extreme will lead to failure.

The key is to know how you are wired and how you will want to spend each day and compensate. If you want to hit the road with your idea, you either have to plan it between idea development or have others helping you with the details. If you are in the back room tinkering all day, you need to force yourself to get out there or have people who come alongside you and help with this.

The innovators who learn to balance building and shining their stars are the ones positioned to impact lives. Are you one of them?

Mission Next Idea 7 - Who goes to a conference?

Conferences are the lifeblood of so many things. Those that go to the conference, are included in the strategy, build the relationships and create the networks that make ministry happen. But as conferences go global, how do Majority World leaders who cannot afford the expenses participate.

Many times Western countries provide scholarships to get key people to these conferences. Our panel mentioned that when someone else pays your way, a person feels limited in what they can say. There is a loyalty that is insinuated or expected. This makes accepting scholarships difficult if the Majority World leader desires to represent their ministry's own visions/agendas.

There has to be another solution regarding how to network people in a time with high fuel costs, restricitive governments and cultural challenges. A conference is a model defined by the West based on our expectations and realities.

One thing that Lausanne 2010 is doing is looking at how to distribute the content of the conference digitally. Distribution of the networking opportunity and training content is key.

What are other ways that we can democratize the networking opportunities that are not dependent on global travel?

Networking - so little time so many options

Have you noticed how many opportunities you have these days to network. Whether it is conferences or networking web sites, they seem to be popping up everywhere. How do you make these choices when your life is already too full?

Here are some tips worth considering:
1. In regards to networking web sites (linkedin.com, facebook.com, myspace.com), each one has a personality and a style. Join all three and watch how the features play out. You will probably find that one or two really fit you and how you operate. Then stick with that one instead of trying to manage 5-6 networking profiles successfully.

2. When looking at a potential conference, the first thing you should do is throw away the promotional materials they send you. There are many good conferences but you won't know it from the materials.

3. When you find a conference that looks interesting, find someone who has gone. Usually these conferences tend to focus on a certain type of person. Some attract CEO-level people and are most beneficial to them. Others attract workers who are dealing with very practical day-to-day issues. You need to know that so that you will understand what kind of networking can be accomplished.

4. The city where it's held is important. Are there other organizations/people you need to meet with in town? If so you can combine the event with other key meetings.

5. The keynote speakers are usually hyped significantly. Think about listening to something they have online via podcast. Or read something they have written. Decide whether hearing from them will help you in your specific ministry/function.

I hope these help you as you wade through the onslaught of networking opportunities.