Back to business school - value added return on equity...

In just over a week I go back to Stellenbosch business school for the second week of the Senior Management Diploma program.

I enjoyed the week tremendously! I gained so much insight into what it takes to manage one's resources in order to gain the best possible returns for what you invest (whether that be your time, your money, or the skills and creativity of others). I also came to realise that ministries, and charities could benefit with some help in order to get the best possible results from the gifts of time and money that people put into them. I've frequently thought how differently I would manage my Church's resources, and of course the resources of the seminary (if I were to be back in either of those ministries). After all, at the end of the day the desire to see the world transformed is a task that requires commitment, care and hard work!

I have applied a number of the principles that I was exposed to in the strategic management and financial management components to help our two trusts to be more disciplined and effective in working with the precious funding we have to address the many needs in our community. We are already starting to see a greater impact on our capacity to help more people, and transform more lives as a result.

It was this humerous image below that got me thinking about working with what you have in order to get the best possible return going forward!

The Mt Holly Mayor and his friend made some signs for a fellow named Ed who is out of work. Ed says the signs are working!

My pal, and frequent Mt. Holly tourist, Todd Norem (noremipsum.com) created these media appropriate and proven effective outdoor boards for his client Ed who reported at least a 800% increase in gross income on days his media ran.

See other signs at the link. Pan Handling Competition is Running Hot in Minneapolis

The original post comes from boingboing.

What do you think... Is there a ANY place for business principles in ministry? I know that the converse is also true! At a workshop with my friends Steven Lotering and Alan Storey last week I was reminded that NOT everything needs to be measured and quantified! Some of the most significant gains in the Kingdom of God can not be put into numbers... Alan also reminded me that sometimes we try to quantify things because we want to 'manage' and 'control' them to our own ends... I was challenged by these thoughts... But, at the same time I have seen so many Churches and ministries that are so much less than effective because they lack leadership, good management and some simple policies and procedures!

I'd love to hear your thoughts (and particilarly those who came into ministry from a business background).

Comments

[Steven Jones]

Hi Dion

I've been keeping up with your blog, although time constraints have prevented me from posting too many comments. Talk about busy?! I thought ministers were only supposed to work once a week (hee hee) - you didn't tell me THAT at the screening committee!

It's interesting that with your theology background you are now being exposed to the business world, including business school. I'm finding myself doing it the other way around (i.e. coming from the business world into ministry), and in some ways it's quite traumatic going from being an expert in my former field to a complete novice in my current field. Is this your experience as well? What sort of challenges are you facing?

Blessings,
Steven

[michael]

Definitely there's a place for business skills in the ministry! Superficially, at least in terms of basic financial management and the efficient use of resources.

But on another level, I found in my management studies the most helpful courses were strategic management and marketing - they opened my eyes to what is possible within an organisation. Strategy particularly struck me as being so simple and yet so powerful: identify a vision/mission and ask what needs to be done in order to achieve that vision. Do it. Evaluate and modify. I suppose that also the describes the essence of OBE - identify the outcome and devise a programme to get the learner to that point.

Marketing was also helpful - we learned that it is not about selling - persuading people to buy our product. Rather it is essentially about understanding the market - who is out there and what are their needs - before designing the product. We resist this language in the church and we suspect that it involves compromising our essential message, but it needn't. It makes sense and is simply polite to think first about the people we are trying to reach, rather than focusing on a model of ministry that we will defend, regardless of the cost. So giving people a Bible in their own language may have controversial around the time of the Reformation, but it was good marketing...

Enjoy your studies!