What’s Important Now? Things To Do This Week

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I don't know about you, but I start every week with a long list of things that could be done and a short list of things that must be done.

On that long list are things that would be nice to do, might help us accomplish our mission, and should help move us in the right direction.

On the short list?

My short list is made up of actions steps that when taken collectively will produce the deliverables (processes and projects) that are essential to accomplishing our objective.

If you want to get things done, you need a short list of actions steps that when taken collectively will produce the deliverables (processes and projects) that are essential to accomplishing our objective. Share on X

Here is an example:

A two part objective we are working on is: (1) Engage 200 leaders of existing groups in Discovery Bible Study (DBS) training and have 100 existing groups start DBS by May 31 and complete 4 sessions, and (2) Start 50 new DBS groups by May 31.

Note: The essence of the objective is what will happen by when. Both parts are essential for progress to be evaluated.

The identified deliverables for this two part objective are:

6 excellent Discovery Bible Study training sessions with debrief (and a follow-up session scheduled). An excellent training session will deliver the full experience, not DBS lite.
Executed strategy that will launch 50 new DBS groups by May 31. "What is the best way to ______________?" "How might we _______________?" and "What will have to be true ___________________?" will all be part of the development of strategy.

Note: We already have a well-designed training for experiencing a discovery bible study session with debrief.

The action steps* or lead measures on our short list this week are:

Schedule 6 Discovery Bible Study trainings in the next 21 days.
Discuss Lead Pastor's role in recruiting existing leaders AND inviting unconnected attendees to sign up for an online group connection.
Recruit a sufficient number of experienced facilitators for the scheduled meetings to provide the right experience for every group of 5.
Produce 60 second video of Lead Pastor inviting all existing group leaders to attend a Discovery Bible Study training session.
Call all leaders of existing life groups to personally invite them to attend one of four trainings scheduled in the next 14 days.
Send email with embedded video from Lead Pastor to all leaders of existing groups (who have not RSVP'd) on Thursday, 4/23, to invite them to attend one of four trainings. scheduled in the following 14 days.

*“‘Lead’ measures, on the other hand, are different: they foretell the result. They have two primary characteristics. First, a lead measure is predictive, meaning that if the lead measure changes, you can predict that the lag measure also will change. Second, a lead measure is influenceable; it can be directly influenced by the team (p. 46-47).”

Conclusion

Remember, actions steps (or lead measures) when taken collectively produce the deliverables (processes and projects) that are essential to accomplishing our objective.

While there may be other objectives we are working on, our list of objectives is a short list. At this moment, this objective is what's important now.

Here is an example:

Conclusion

Further Reading: