Swimming in a Blue Ocean
Summer is one of the best times of the year for me to see and reflect on the state of SpringHill and to think about its future. All the interaction with campers, staff, parents and donors as well as time traveling creates a unique space that allows me to peer into the future.
One of the things I do when I am traveling is listen to audio books. And if it is a really a good book I will then also read through it. This summer that book is Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne. It has been recommended to me by a number of folks over the last year including Craig Soderdahl our VP for Day Camps.
Frankly I put off reading it because I was sceptical that another book on strategy could provide anything new and helpful to me or SpringHill. Boy was I wrong.
It is the best business/management book I have read since Good to Great by Jim Collins . The premise of the book is that using the right approach to strategic planning you can “create uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant.” By using case studies Kim and Mauborgne lay out a step by step process that outlines how an organization can create a “blue ocean.”
Reading the case studies themselves are both inspirational and illustrative and I have found myself continuing to repeat some of them as I have explained Blue Ocean Strategy to others.
If you are looking for a good summer read, one that might make a difference in your career or the organization you are a part of then I recommend Blue Ocean Strategy. And think about it, don’t we all want to be on a blue ocean during summer vacation?
No More Boring Staff Meetings
Monday’s always make me think of those weekly staff meetings I had when I was in the corporate world. Reality is most of them, though may have fulfilled their purpose, were boring and certainly did not ignite excitement and enthusiasm for the week ahead.
When I came to SpringHill I saw a whole new way to look at the “weekly staff meeting.” SpringHill’s weekly summer staff meetings are fun, inspiring and informational all at the same time. There is an almost a pep rally feeling to the entire meeting and for certain a great way to start a week of camp.
Three of our staff singing a song they made up for our high schooler campers and their staff (TST) So if you want to re-invent your staff meetings here are some suggestions, based on my SpringHill experience, on how you can take a weekly (or monthly) staff meeting and make it a kick off to a great week (month):
- Use music before and after the meeting.
- Have your most creative people put a plan together to share information in a fun and memory way.
- Build an agenda on the needs of the organization as well as input from the staff.
- Highlight and recognize staff as much as possible.
- Use laughter, even on more serious issues. People get it and will remember it.
- Allow the humor to flow naturally and not always be rehearsed.
- Use video, especially home done video with some of the team as the actors. Video is a memorable way to communicate ideas.
- In smaller teams food and beverages is always a plus.
- Save the serious moments for the truly serious stuff (if you don’t use serious moments often then they can be very impactful).
- Meetings should not just reflect the leader or leaders but the organization, who you are what you are about.
If you ever want to see one of our staff meetings, they are every Sunday mornings, 11:30, all summer long at either of our overnight camps. You are welcome to join us.
Do As I Do Not as I Say
“Lord, I am thankful that Molly is your friend.” This was the prayer of one of our elementary campers shared by her counselor – Molly – at our weekly staff worship. This little girl was praying for Molly because Molly had become her role model and her hero during her week of camp.
Molly explained how this little girl never left her side and began imitating her through the week. This included the habit, starting on Wednesday, of carrying her Bible with her everywhere. Why? Because she knew that Molly had her Bible with her. Also this camper, in faith, committed her life to Christ. Why? Because she knew Molly had done the same with her life. And, although Molly did not say this, I’m sure this camper prayed for Molly why? Because she had heard Molly pray for her and the rest of the Molly’s campers throughout the week.
“Do as I say not as I do” is a good line but in reality people, especially kids, do not hear us as well as they see us.
Facing the Ugly Reality!
Last night I saw one of those more graphic anti-smoking ads on TV where they show this procession of good-looking, talented people smoking. Then the last scene is of a deathly white man in a wheel chair with an oxygen tank telling us “this is what will happen to you if you keep on smoking”. So how do you watch this ad and then choose to keep on or start smoking?
Then two times this week I heard a version of “someone showed our church/organization a graph the projected what the number of members/people impacted by our work would be in 20 years. The projections said there would be zero.” Ouch! What do these two organizations do with such prophecies of doom?
Why is the ugly reality ignored? Because we don’t believe it, or we don’t like it, or we think it will never happen to us. So the likely future does not cause any change in us or our organizations and we become succesful only in making analysts into prophets.
Change, true transformation, always begins with facing the ugly reality including the likely end of the course we are on. Then stepping up and doing something courageous about it.
One church I visited this past week, Faith Church in Dyer, Indiana, did this, faced their ugly reality and over a 20 year period literally transformed itself. They grew from a church of a couple hundred people to a church of nearly 5000 on three campus’.
The second organization, a much larger organization full of rich history, heard the same type of projection. I sensed from one of the leaders within this organization, who shared the story with me, that the organization has not yet come to grips with this ugly reality. Thus they are doing nothing serious to change the course they are on. So the result will be, as predicted, that they will make another analyst a prophet and their only future reality to be found in history books.
We need to let analysts be analysts and face the ugly reality they provide so we can, instead, make their projections into catalysts for changing an ugly reality into a beautiful future.
“To See and To Be Seen”
Why did I spend eight days this last week traveling the mid-west visiting SpringHill sites? Because of something I learned when I was a volunteer Young Life leader. To do effective “contact work”, that is build relationships with students, you need “to see and to be seen.” I have brought this principle into my leadership at SpringHill and it drives my effort to see as many SpringHill Experiences, staff, campers, parents and supporters as I can especially during the summer season.
SpringHill Day Camp location at Faith Church in Dyer, IN. Faith Church is location right on the Indiana - Illinois boarder. I'm attempting "to see and be seen" in both states at the same time as I straddle the state line. “To see” is simply to be in places where I can witness our ministry first hand, to see our work in action. This allows me the ability to see our staff interact with our campers, parents and supporters who visit our sites. “To see” gives me the opportunity to provide real-time feedback to our team as well as share, in real-time, the great things being done across the organization with our staff and supporters. When I speak about SpringHill I can speak from personal experience because I have been there and have seen it.
“To be seen” is all about accessibility to these same groups of people – staff, campers, parents and supporters. By allowing myself “to be seen” I become available. By being available and accessible I’m able to build relationships and through relationships provide support, encouragement and hear necessary feedback first hand. We do our work in the “context of personal, loving and caring relationships” and to be in this context requires me “to be seen.”
And frankly, when you think about it, “to see and to be seen”, is not only an authentic and effective approach to leadership but how we can live our lives as well.
Why I Love U2
Traveling all over Indiana in my car this past week I listened to two audio books and music from my favorite band – U2. There are lots of reasons to love U2, their great music, social consciousness or deep and spiritual lyrics. But as I listened to their most recent album I realized I admire U2 for a couple other reasons. Reasons that provide inspiration for my own work and career (I often draw inspiration from unexpected places).
U2 in 1981 Photos for their "October" album First is these four guys have stayed together for 30 years. How many great bands have done that? The four original guys – Bono, the Edge, Larry and Adam still playing together, creating great music. Not a mix and match of members with the same band name. They must have worked through their egos, differing visions and life changes to stay together as a band. What impact can longevity with others make in our work and the lives of others?
Secondly, they are still creative giants. Their best work maybe their most recent work. How many bands who actually stay together for a long time are still creating and producing quality music and shows. Many just do the reunion tour thing and play all their old stuff with a couple new songs thrown in the mix (that really are not that good). It appears U2 has not allowed the vices and lifestyles that burn out so many bands or their past success keep them from continuing to contribute new and better music to the world. Again, for me a great place to aspire to.
Longevity with a team of folks who put aside those things that divide and doing what it takes to continue to contribute original value to the world is a worthy way to make music and live our lives.
U2 in 2009 introducing their "No Line on the Horizon" album at Fordham University. Magnificent
I was born to sing for you
I didn’t have a choice
But to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry
It was a joyful noise.The Power of Clarity
“Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what he loves” Blaine Pascal. I saw Pascal’s thinking in action when I visited our Day Camp at River Oaks Community Church – http://riveroaks.org/ this past week . I had the opportunity to meet with Tim Rowland, Senior Pastor, and hear the vision and philosophy behind this effective Goshen, IN church.
Tim Rowland discussing the vision of River Oaks Community Church When I asked him why he believed our Day Camp partnership has been so successful in its first year (over 200 kids including 70 financially disadvantaged kids from local grades schools, fully underwritten by their church family). Tim responded that there was a clear match between SpringHill’s Day Camp ministry and River Oaks vision for its church community.
Tim then outlined, with ease and clarity, the vision of River Oaks and it’s people. First, that all their church family would, through their day-to-day lives, reach out to “lost” people around them. Secondly, that all their people would be growing in their faith in Jesus Christ and finally they would all demonstrate compassion for the poor and needy.
Tim then explained how Day Camps was helping them fulfill this vision in very tangible ways. Because of these tangible outcomes it created enormous passion and energy within their church family around this opportunity to make a life changing impact on the lives of 200 kids from their church and community. Thus the incredible success in their first year of hosting SpringHill Day Camps.
I loved the clarity Tim and River Oaks has for their church family. Because they have “clarity of passion” and a “clear mind” that “loves ardently and sees distinctly what they love” it allows them to make a decision to partner with a ministry like SpringHill and to follow through on that decision with the energy to make it a reality.
Speaking of clarity, we have a new portable ropes course that will be at a number of day camp locations (see below). It has proven to be a great challenge and a lot of fun for our campers as well as creating numerous teachable moments and object lessons that our staff can use to help reinforce the lessons we are sharing with our campers each day. Nothing creates clarity for people, regardless of the age, like having a tangible and hands on experience, such as a ropes course, to grasp and remember a lesson or spiritual truth.
Camper making his way through the high ropes course. 
Campers debriefing their high ropes experience (someone must have asked the counselor a hard question). My Summer Work + a Post Dinner Dance
With my first summer road trip starting today I have been reflecting on what I need to accomplish these next couple of months as I make the rounds to the different locations where we will be having SpringHill Experiences. Over the weekend, while looking through Newsweek, I ran across an interview with John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems Inc. that articulates nicely what my summer work needs to be.
Chambers, when asked how he was a different CEO today than when he started in 1995, answered this way –
“When I started, I viewed my job as three main areas: vision and strategy of the company, development and recruitment of the team to implement that vision and strategy, and the need to communicate all of the above. Within four or five years I realized that there was something that many of us do not understand when we take a leadership role: culture. Great companies have very strong and great cultures. A huge part of a leadership role is to drive the culture of the company and to reinforce it.” (from Newsweek, June 14, 2010, p. 46)
Chambers captures exactly what my summer work needs to be as I travel the mid-west meeting with staff, campers, parents, partners and supporters. I will be clarifying and communicating our vision, strategy and culture while investing in the people who make it all reality.
By the way last night at dinner in the New Frontier’s Dining Hall all of us diners were entertained to a post dinner dance by the TST team. A perfect ending to the first day of summer camp. Check out these photos.
New Frontier's TST Team Week 1 
The dance continues 
Giving Voice to Those With No Voice!
Sara, Eric, Eric and Keltie from Mac Avenue Community Church leading a discussion about ministering to urban kids with our summer staff. On Tuesday we had the privilege of having the staff and their families from Mack Avenue Community Church from Detroit http://www.mackave.com/ (also see http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126142947448500607.html ) spend the day with us. We were able have them experience SpringHill, meet staff, discuss their and our ministries but most importantly we had the opportunity to hear from them how we could serve them as they carry on their work.
And I want you to know that this team, Eric and Sara Russ, Leon and Rebecca Stevenson and Eric and Keltie Nielson are inspiring. People worth following and emulating. Here are a few reasons that I and our staff finished our day with these folks both inspired and challenged.
First, they have heeded a call to serve people and an area of our world that has, in many ways, been abandoned. They believe in the Biblical truth that all people are created in the image of God and thus there are no insignificant people. Even those whom the world has abandoned.
Secondly, they are doing their work by moving in, living with and amongst those whom they are serving. I call this living incarnationally, following John 1:14 where “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” Literally “made His dwelling” means to pitch a tent. This is what these friends have done- “pitched their tents” among those they are serving in an “abandoned” part of Detroit.
Thirdly, they are reflecting a holistic view of the Gospel. Their work is both physical and spiritual. They are treating their neighbors as physical, emotional and spiritual beings working to meet their needs at each level following the example and command of Christ (Matthew 25 and 28).
Fourth, the leaders of Mack Avenue are doing all their work within, as they themselves called it, a Biblical centric approach. They are working to stay true to solid theology about missions, ministry and living.
Finally, they exude both a humble spirit balanced with a confidence in Christ that is both refreshing and compelling.
One challenge they gave us, which is still ringing in my ears, is that Christ has called us to be the voice to those with no voice. This is a simple stewardship issue. Most of us, probably everyone reading this blog, has a voice in this world because of the place God has put them. Like any resource God has entrusted to us we are to use it to meet the needs of others who do not have it.
I, and the staff of SpringHill, want to give voice to all the kids and young people of the world who do not have a voice. By being God’s image bearers all kids are created to have a voice of their own. We want to help them find that voice and to use that voice to sing for and to the glory of God.
Summer Staff listening to the discussion with the staff from Mack Avenue Vision and the “SpringHill Way of Life” Part II
Michigan and Day Camp Staff Worship After sharing with staff the need for vision in our lives, to become all that God created and intended them to be in Christ, much like my daughter Christina has done in desiring to become a professional ballerina, I shared with them the need to live their lives in such a way that leads to fulfillment on their vision. To have a “way of life” as my daughter does living a ballerina’s life.
In an effort to help our staff see what a Christian “way of life” looks like we create what we are calling the “SpringHill Way of Life.” We asked all our staff to commit to this “way of life” this summer with the hopes that it will lay a foundation of living for the rest of their lives.
The “SpringHill Way of Life” is a simple summary reflecting classic Christian spiritual practices and commitments historically called a “way of life”. A commitment to a “Way of life” is usually made by either individuals or a group of people in an effort to achieve certain spiritual goals. A defined “way of life” provides guidance, accountability and encouragement for individuals and groups of people who wanted to grow in their relationship with Christ and make a difference in the world.
There are two components to the SpringHill Way of Life. The first component is the engaging in the spiritual practices that help develop us in to “righteous living people”. These practices are really general categories of practices and are to be tailored to each person based on who they are, how God created them and where they are in their lives.
The second is the “righteous living” component. We call it “righteous” because being righteous is to be right with God, reflecting the reality of Christ in us through how we think, work, live, love and serve. It’s the difference we make in the world. This is what our life looks like to others – what they see in us.
We have captured all of this in an acronym called VISION which stands for:
Voice- seeking to hear God’s voice and see His revelation in Scripture, in the spiritual community and through creation. II Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 4:12, Ephesians 6:17,
Intercession- making prayer a regular part of our daily lives. Proverbs 15:8, Philippians 4:6, James 5:15
Sabbath- taking daily, weekly and annual breaks from our work and regular life to reflect on Christ and our relationship to him. Exodus 20:8, Deuteronomy 5:12,
Intimate- living and serving in an intimate spiritual community. Acts 5:12, I Peter 2:17, Colossians 2:2-3,
Others- serving others, making a difference in the lives of others, answering the call on our lives to be the “salt and light of the world”. Hosea 6:6, Isaiah 1:17
New creation- living holy lives as people who are new creations in Christ. I Peter 1:14-16, Romans 12:1, II Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 5:17-21
The first four are the spiritual practices component of the SpringHill Way of Life and the second two are the “righteous living” component. Together, these six commitments reflect our VISION for our lives this summer and for the pattern we want to have for rest of our lives so we can become all that God created and intended us to be in Christ.
Imagine the impact on the 14,000 campers this summer (and ultimately their impact on the world) when 800 summer and professional staff and volunteers commit themselves to this vision and this way of life? Now that’s a photo for my blog.
