Accountability - What makes it work

Regarding our nation’s current financial environment, I have come up with a comparison I believe to be applicable. I have been in nonprofit work for over 20 years and can say with some authority that a problem with many nonprofit organizations is a lack of accountability. You see, in the for-profit world accountability is always present in the form of profit. If you don’t make a profit, the business does not last. However, in the nonprofit world, since the bottom line is not usually a direct result of revenue generated through doing business, “profit” cannot be used to determine success.

With nonprofits you must track an organization’s success at achieving its exempt purpose. There should be metrics used to evaluate the business that do not necessarily have a correlation to money raised. This can mean that the methods of evaluation may be very subjective and can be skewed by an emotional investment in the organization’s purpose. Subsequently, there may be times of financial need in order to continue operation. The solution for this dilemma:  raise more money.

Our government operates much like a nonprofit. Even though it brings in considerable funds through taxation and is responsible for the oversight of this nation’s monetary system, its purpose is to manage the country by making decisions that will be of the most benefit to its people. These decisions are often very subjective, as well (as are the metrics used to evaluate them). Regardless of the cost, is it what “the people” need?

This is how we get federally funded programs that 1) Try to determine why turtles cross the road, and 2) Do monkeys like cocaine? – both projects funded in the recent stimulus bill. Spending is only accountable to the very ones who have the most interest in funding the project. So, when times of financial need arise in order to continue a program or project (or just to keep the government working), the solution is:  print more money.

Just like with nonprofit organizations, until accountability is driven by those who can honestly evaluate the need for a program and its success versus the actual cost of providing the program, this nation will always be faced with financial needs and the temptation to print money we do not have to pay for them.

Political alliances aside, we must hold all of our government officials accountable for the way our nation’s money is spent. Right now, the fox is guarding the hen house and we cannot fix the problem just by changing foxes.

To Criticize or not to Criticize, is that the Question?

There have been a number of negative comments recently on the activities of certain athletes, entertainers, and politicians. It has raised the question of how much can those of us who consider ourselves Christians participate in this talk that ranges everywhere from playful banter to outright venom. Does what we say as a Christ-follower say more about the topic at hand or about us and our walk? I don’t know about you but that question is beginning to step on my toes.

Most recently the antics by Johnny Manziel have stirred considerable controversy and a firestorm of negative comments. Some have insisted that the negativity has no place when discussing the attitudes and conduct of a twenty-year old football player. “Character assassination”, it has been called. “We all made mistakes at that age”, some have said. My answers to those comments are that it’s not character assassination as much as it is suicide and I know plenty of young men and women that would not, and did not act that way in similarly tough circumstances.

And what about Miley Cyrus? Evidently her performance, while not seen by quite as many of my friends, was equally disturbing. I understand (since I did not see the awards show) it was presented in a forum that many of our nation’s youth were watching and would most certainly be emulating. I’ve heard “trashy” and “provocative” used to identify her actions, and from what I have seen I would probably agree.

These are both tough calls. There were obviously some actions in both of these cases that offended many, especially if you are not a fan of either of these young people. Christians, in many instances were members of the groups offended. So where do we stand when it comes to criticizing the actions of others publicly? Does it matter whether or not the offender professes to be a believer, as well? If we can criticize, how far can it go, and who decides?

While these are great questions for which I cannot answer to anyone’s satisfaction, let me go one step further and talk to those of us who don’t need the obvious actions of a Johnny or Miley (hey, maybe we shouldn’t name our kids with an “y” on the end of their name….) to bring out our negativity. Are you the Christian man or woman that cannot stand (insert team(s) or player(s) name here) and MUST point it out at every opportunity? Or are you the person who disagrees so violently with the political group and/or person in power that EVERY word from your mouth and/or FaceBook post reminds us all of that fact. Even closer to home, are you the person that ALWAYS criticizes the pastor and/or church leadership, regardless of the circumstances?

Unfortunately, social media has made it far too easy to make this behavior well known by all. I confess to being a part of the problem at some level, but have yet to decide exactly where the freedom to voice my opinion and my responsibility to share my thoughts get crossways with God’s desire for me to control my own thoughts and tongue and offer grace instead of judgment. Ouch.

I’m sure I don’t often cross that line (trying hard to pull beam out of own eye here) but I do often feel “put-off” by other Christians who continually speak badly of others. The President is always wrong. The Rangers are trash and will never win it all. The Cowboys can never win with a jerk like Tony Romo or Jerry Jones leading them. I could go on and on and some people do just that. Even the ones I pretty much agree with get old and I quit listening to what they say. This makes me wonder, does it hurt our credibility when we try to talk to others about the important things? How do I speak so poorly to you about someone God loves just as much as me, then turn around and share with you the Good News?

I feel certain the answer must reside somewhere within my attitude. So, I commit to be poorer in spirit, able to mourn with others, and more humble, I will hunger and thirst for justice, show mercy, strive for a pure heart, work for peace, and be prepared to be persecuted for doing the right thing. Yep, I think that’s a good place to start. Feel free to join me.

10 Things I Learned about Leading a Business from Coaching Football:

1.      If you don’t prepare, you prepare to fail. There is no getting around it; there is no substitution for hard work and good preparation.

2.    The only time you work harder than when you are losing is when you are winning. It’s a given that when you are losing you have to work hard to achieve success. What some never realize is how much work it takes to keep winning.

3.      Good offense may be exciting, but champions play great defense. Defense is not passive, but it is protective. Teams that do not defend their end zone (assets) well, never become champions.

4.      The success you achieve is usually proportionate to the risk you take. Darrell Royal said “When you throw the ball three things can happen, and two of them are bad.” He was right, but you could easily add that when you do catch it, the reward was worth the risk. Sometimes the greatest successes are also the greatest risks.

5.      No team wins or loses on the strength of an individual, but on individual performances. Consistent winners do the little things right. Everyone has a job to do and every job is important. Big successes are possible because someone is doing their job well and enabling success.

6.      Good teams can be replicated. Do things right and do them right every time. Consistency in your goals (policies) and good technique (job descriptions) allow you to recreate success.

7.      The first opponent you must overcome is yourself.  An inability to overcome your own shortcomings makes success difficult. (e.g. Poorly managing yourself and your time not only holds you back, but your company, as well).

8.      Don’t ask a teammate to do something you are not doing yourself. Asking a teammate to be on time to practice and showing up late yourself severely damages your credibility as a leader.

9.      Sometimes you just need to punt. Don’t jeopardize your field position by making foolish play choices when a good punt would buy you much needed time and space.

10.   Leaders never have to ask teammates to follow them. Teammates follow leaders because they see in them the confidence and ability to take the team where it seeks to go.

10 Things I have Learned about Marriage

After 27 years of marriage, I feel pretty confident in making the following suggestions to young married men:

1.      Clean is a relative term. Her definition is always right.

2.      The request to “take out the trash” is perpetual in nature and should not need repeating.

3.      The easiest way to get anywhere is to go the way she wants to go.

4.      Maintaining her vehicle is your responsibility. Always.

5.      If you say “my kids” in a conversation, be prepared to explain how you gave birth.

6.      Blonde jokes are only funny when you are married to a brunette.

7.      Any question beginning with “be honest” is a trick question. Find a way not to answer.

8.      “I don’t care where we eat” does not mean what it says. She cares.

9.       Proving you are right is not always something you should aspire to do.

10.   "When momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy" may be the truest statement ever made.

10 Things I Learned from Coaching Young Men

1. Never ask a young person what they think about a decision you have already made. They will probably tell you and you may very well not like the answer. What have you accomplished?

      2. Don’t yell all the time. When everything is said like it is the most important thing in the world, it all becomes just noise. The next time you have something really important to say, they will miss it because it sounds like the rest of the “chatter” they have been ignoring.

      3.  Embarrassing a young person is the worst thing you can do to them.  It may feel like you have established your dominance at that moment, but you have actually dealt your credibility with that young person a blow you may never overcome.

      4. If you give the impression you have all the answers, it becomes all the more obvious that you don’t. Young people are perceptive enough to know when it is more important for you to be right than it is to be respected.

      5. Sometimes it is better that young people think you are an idiot than for you to keep talking and prove they are right.  At times they will question your intelligence just because you are an adult. There is nothing to gain by always trying to prove your superiority.

      6. Don’t just tell them you care, show them. Even bad attempts are better than none at all. They may not respond immediately, but they can never respond to attempts that are never made.

      7. Sometimes you have to know when not to “cast your pearls before teenagers.” This may be a poor Biblical reference, but often your wisdom is based on experience they do not have. Since they don’t know what they don’t know, they will just as often dismiss your wisdom until it becomes something they can identify with.

      8. Be content that you may not be around when a young person has there “Ah-Ha” moment. You may never hear “so that’s what he/she meant…” but that doesn’t mean it won’t be said. It may be years later, hopefully following success but more often following another mistake where the meaning of what you said became apparent.

      9. Sometimes you should just “let that dog hunt.” A young person will always experience greater success when working at something they are interested in rather than something they are being compelled to be a part of. To the extent possible, put them where they want to be doing what that want to do.

       10. You will probably never reach the young people you do not reach for. Sort of a take-off on the “never up, never in” adage in golf. Relationships are always the key. Know the kind of relation you intend to create, understand and respect appropriate boundaries, and make a good-faith effort to reach the young people you are instructed, compelled, or called to reach.

Duke, is he a dog or a mouse...

About a year ago our daughter found a beautiful young golden retriever running the streets of Abilene in the rain. We happened to be in town and she was leaving on a trip, so we were convinced to take him home to FW with us "until she found his owner."  Righhhtttt. To make a long story short, there were numerous efforts to find said family with no luck and he has since become a part of our family.

I can't remember what Emily called him early on, but one night Lynette said he looks like a Duke. At which time his head popped up and he looked directly at me like "She knows my name!"  I asked him if his name was Duke and he got visibly excited, so Duke it is and shall be until he audibly lets us know otherwise.

There  are a number of odd things about Duke. First, we found that he will eat anything that is left out (he is large enought to reach anything on the counter or island in the middle of our kitchen). His favorite things appear to be chocolate. He has eaten from our counter two or three chocolate cakes, a couple of pans of brownies, and several chocolate chip muffins pulled directly from the muffin pan. The wives tale about chocolate being bad for dogs evidently does not apply to Duke. On at least two occasions he has eaten something wrapped in plastic wrap or foil because I have found his bowel movements in the yard, neatly wrapped in those undigested coverings as if intentionaly done for convenience.

The most unusual thing about Duke (and here is where your help is required) is his aversion to storms. This 65 pound dog becomes a pacing, whining scaredy-cat that shivers uncontrollably when a storm arrives. It is bad enough during the day, but at 3 in the morning it is more than a nuisance. Nothing like having a big dog land with all fours in the middle of you during a deep sleep. We have tried most everything and nothing seems to work.

Finally, a few nights ago Lynette had all she could take. We have a crate in the room that our small dog has used in the past and she decided Duke was going in that crate. I looked up from the bed to see her on the floor pushing Duke with all her might into the crate, and Duke was winning. After several intertaining minutes, Lynette succeded and Duke was packed in for the night. I threatened to film the next encounter for all to see on youtube, but Lynette reminded me I might not want the video of her in her night gown pushing anything across the floor. Point taken. Could you wear pajamas, I asked?

Anyway, if anyone knows a fool-proof way to help bring out the man, er dog, in Duke during storms we would appreciate it. Dog whisperers are welcome.

How important is Passion?

[This was recently posted on my nonprofit blog.]

It seems that everyone is looking for passion. Employers want passion from their employees, coaches want their teams to be passionate, speakers, preachers, and salesman all seek to motivate and create passion in their audiences. New nonprofits often exist because someone is passionate about a particular cause. But how important is passion to the overall success of our business, team, church, or nonprofit?

Having been a coach for several years and a sports fan forever, I have witnessed many "upsets" of favored teams by a "passionate" opponent. Most of us can pick out one or two of these instances when the underdog fought off the odds and exceeded their potential - coming away with a victory even they did not expect. The real question, however, is how did those teams do after that victory?

While a single passionate victory can do a lot to motivate or inspire success, those victories seldom change long-term outcomes, if that victory is built on passion alone. Passion built on knowledge and understanding, however, can sustain you. A team that is passionate because it understands what is necessary to win will win more often. A business whose employees are passionate because they know their company is a quality company with a good plan to be successful will be passionate for the long-haul.

More important, a person whose faith is built on knowledge and understanding will be sustained through the good times and bad because their faith is not dependent upon passion alone. Likewise, a nonprofit that involves people who are more than passionate and willing to invest themselves in the mission, will find itself more successful.

The bottom line is that passion without understanding is shallow at best and seldom sustains. As a leader of your business, church, or team hang your future on passionate people who bring with them the tools they need to support your mission even when their passion is lacking. If you do, when the down times come (and we all know they will) you will find the dip in enthusiasm will have less effect on your overall success.

Let's try this again....

Well, this is my second attempt at blogging and I will try to be more consistent with my posts this time around. The last 18 months have been interesting, to say the least. My son Bailey graduated from ACU, got married and started a new job. My daughter Emily graduated from ACU, got married and is about to start a new job. Both have settled in the area about three blocks from each other, but not too close to their parents (by design, I'm sure).

My 93 year old father spent a month in the hospital which culminated in major surgery, which he came through like a champ. Lynette also had major surgery and had an additional two hospital stays as a result. I came down with a staff infection that became sepsis (blood poisoning) and spent a week in the hospital with an additional four weeks of in-home antibiotic infusion. This was followed by surgery four days after Emily's wedding and another month of recouperation. 

We daily praise God for blessing our family through the wonderful times and the difficult ones. It has been tough, to say the least. For the first time in a couple of years, Lynette and I are feeling like the stresses of life are easing. However, we do not assume everything will be easy moving forward. We have taken a look at our priorities and have decided to intentionaly relieve ourselves of some of the "stuff" in our lives. Twenty-seven years of marriage can produce a lot of baggage - literal and metaphorical. Our goal this year is to purge our lives of the things that prevent us from having a closer relationsh with God, our families, each other, our friends and those in need.

I'm not sure how successful we will ultimately be, but any step in the right direction will be positive. God is consistently good, even when we are not.