So, this series is all about the negative side of pastoral productivity. Next week, I plan to say more about the more productive side of pastoral productivity – the positive stuff. But, before we move to the positive, let’s be a bit more negative (why do the negative articles always get more press?).
Here’s a few thoughts on unproductive approaches in addressing productivity:
Goals without Strategy. Goals are great and I have them – I have some for myself, my family, and my ministry. But if you have no practical way to apply them, remind yourself of them, or even hold yourself somewhat accountable to them, goals are useless. Goals without a strategy are a strategic way to become more depressed and obviously unproductive. If you are going to set some goals, you will also need to think through a process by which those goals are continually evaluated, regularly reviewed, and practically applied to how you work week to week.
Strategy without Goals. Many people fall into this trap. These are those who are mesmerized by the latest time management tool, whether electronic or paper, or those who are continually looking for a new productivity system. They love to think about how to be productive and are always shifting systems, but their day-to-day functions are never tied to any long-term, higher altitude goals. Strategy without goals is a good way to feel productive, but not necessarily be productive in the long run.
Time-Driven Tasks. It really is a myth that you can manage your time. It marches on despite our goals and management plans. I do agree with David Allen‘s take on managing tasks, that due dates are rarely effective. I understand that a few tasks are time sensitive. Sure. However, our most important responsibilities are rarely due-date driven and are not always the most urgent issues on our plates. So, when we sit down to think about our week we generally write down a list of tasks, we may even prioritize those tasks and then we begin to assign them to days of our week. Yet, as those days come and go, we find ourselves shifting these assigned due dates to new due dates and up climbs our dissatisfaction. Due dates do not necessarily make you productive. I’ll say more about how to manage tasks later. I am simply not convinced that assigning due dates to every task is helpful. It generally fuels your feelings of guilt.
Projects without Purpose. David Allen suggests that anything that more than one tasks associated with it becomes a project. If so, how many projects are on your plate? Do you have a clear purpose for each one of those projects – especially those that have many tasks necessary to complete? Furthermore, where in the list of your God-given priorities for life and ministry do these projects fit? Projects without purpose make us busy but not necessarily productive. So we can pull off an event, fill up our calendar, and meet a certain group’s expectations. Have we really accomplished what God has laid out as our primary responsibilities? Even those projects falling within our priorities need a clear purpose, or we will have great difficulty in determining what is the next most necessary action to take in accomplishing the project. Every project needs a clear purpose.
Purpose without Projects. Is this possible. Sure, it’s like having goals with no strategies. You can have a series of purposes for being, priorities that need to be achieved and no practical way to accomplish them. It is great to sit down and think through the purposes behind your preaching, shepherding, teaching, visiting, calling, etc. But how will you keep these purposes in front of you? More importantly, how do you plan to accomplish these elephant sized purposes? How do you break them down in to one-bite-at-a-time projects, responsibilities, and tasks? Every purpose needs to have clearly assigned projects associated with it. Being purposeful without being practical does not a productive pastor make.
More negative to come – pitfalls to productivity is next.
