Ron Edmondson

JULY 28, 2016

If I could implement the right strategy in working with this department – find the right system – I could improve performance. I tested numerous systems to try to increase their productivity, but nothing seemed to work. Sometimes it’s not a systems problem. The problem is it’s not a systems problem.

System 30

System Committee Maturity Edmondson 30

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 13, 2024

We have no system of practice of follow up with people on their work. Our team has no clear purpose, no planned goals and objectives, and no follow up system of accountability. Give yourself a point beside each one of these true of your team currently. 10 ways we create unhealthy team environments: 1. Avoid all conflict.

Environment 72

Environment Team Edmondson Follow-up 72

Ron Edmondson

APRIL 22, 2024

So, build into your system some inexpensive ways to develop people. Trial and Error – The best development may be putting systems in place that allow the team to take risks, but then evaluate the success or failure in an effort to learn from them and grow. The process of sharing the idea discovered will prove to be development.

Development 68

Development Team Conference Budgeting 68

Ron Edmondson

APRIL 10, 2023

Here’s the principle that emerged: Apart from a system nothing was done wrong. Yet, when there is no system in place to address those concerns, or when the system isn’t good enough to address the issues in the current season, people will perform the best they know how to perform. We all have. And, friction grows.

Team 61

Team Leadership Long-term System 61

Ron Edmondson

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

Current systems need improving. Therefore, I personally feel the challenge. As an organization grows and changes: People ask harder questions. More decisions have to be made quickly. It is harder to find healthy rhythms. More people are needed to do the work – likewise they are often hard to find.

Organization 66

Organization Delegation Edmondson Leadership Development 66

Ron Edmondson

FEBRUARY 22, 2023

However, if you dread it, it’s not a good system. This one came to me while working in an organization with a terribly burdensome review system. Whatever system you use – make sure it is not too time consuming and encourages people. Plus, the larger the organization the more prevalent it becomes.

Organization 63

Organization Review Edmondson System 63

Ron Edmondson

FEBRUARY 1, 2024

I’ve had both, but visionary leaders need a system or a person who can keep them on task. Two Things Visionary Leaders Must Have to Be Successful: 1. Someone to keep them organized. In fairness, this could be some “thing” rather than someone. Otherwise the visions compete against themselves.

Succession 62

Succession Edmondson Career System 62

Ron Edmondson

MAY 16, 2023

Soon they become comfortable with a system or strategy. Protectors build systems. There are a few other things I landed on in my pondering of this concept: In my experience, people naturally become protectors. They get accustomed to the way things are done. Even protectors can help with advancing when encouraged to do so.)

Team 59

Team Budgeting Edmondson Goal 59

Ron Edmondson

MAY 17, 2021

Management is about guiding healthy systems. Whenever a mistake happens, you simply create a new rule or tweak the systems to keep it from happening again. Leadership always stretches systems. You have a system already in place for everything you are going to do. Again, we need good management to support leadership.

Management 78

Management Resistance System Learning-by-Doing 78

Ron Edmondson

FEBRUARY 14, 2024

When one person is disrupting that system – causing more harm than good to the organization – that’s a problem to be solved. That’s a tension to be managed, not a problem to be solved. However, an employee taking advantage of a casual organizational structure is a problem to be solved.

Policies 66

Policies Committee Budgeting Edmondson 66

Ron Edmondson

JULY 26, 2022

Hopefully, he simply fell through the cracks of our system, but this type of thing frustrates me more than just about anything in leadership. I encourage all leaders to figure out a system, which works best for them, which will assure responsiveness. Have a system is in place to respond to all queries.

Stakeholder Analysis 61

Stakeholder Analysis Fashion Bottom-up Edmondson 61

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 17, 2020

Systems will need to improve, but for today people must ask questions when they don’t know, avoid assumptions and often give others the benefit of the doubt when they don’t understand. New systems and structures will be needed. This bothers those who are used to “being in the know”. Stretched structures.

Learning Curve 83

Learning Curve Edmondson Learning-by-Doing System 83

Ron Edmondson

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

He challenged the tired, worn out system first. (Do I have to make that point for Jesus?) Willing to lead the way A leader who is easy to follow is willing to go first. They pave the way. Jesus went first. He suffered first. Others could follow, because He led by example.)

Quality 66

Quality Loyalty Edmondson Learning-by-Doing 66

Ron Edmondson

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Again, while a team of “like-minded” people may sound good in principle, it can actually become a very limiting system. Before long, as the organization grows, it is full of people with similar interests attempting to reach the vision. Variety on a team is what stretches the team to reach new heights.

Team 58

Team Edmondson System Skills 58

Ron Edmondson

JANUARY 11, 2024

Maintainers Maintaining involves setting up and managing systems in an effort to continue the progress usually begun by others. These are the people who embrace change and are always ready for something new. BTW, this is the group where I typically fit.)

Organization 61

Organization Edmondson Follow-up Innovation 61

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 5, 2022

They get accustomed to the way things are done and become comfortable with a system or strategy. Protectors build systems. There are a few other things I landed on in my pondering of this concept of advancers and protectors. In my experience, people naturally become protectors. Generally speaking, protectors manage programs.

Organization 55

Organization Budgeting Short-term Edmondson 55

Ron Edmondson

JULY 20, 2022

I prefer systems and structures which allow for freedom of individualized methods of execution, towards a more defined vision we are seeking to attain. When one person is disrupting that system – causing more harm than good to the organization – that’s a problem to be solved.

Policies 58

Policies Committee Budgeting Edmondson 58

Ron Edmondson

MAY 30, 2023

Develop an organized system of ideas. It’s good “therapy” for me just to get them recorded in a system where I can easily refer back to them – often in categories such as staffing, programs, new initiatives, etc. You can’t reach one good idea without working through a few bad ones – sometimes many bad ones. Some I don’t.

Advice 63

Advice COO Resistance Delegation 63

Ron Edmondson

JULY 20, 2021

Current systems need improving. My ability to continue to lead well is called into question. As an organization grows: People ask harder questions. More decisions have to be made quickly. Time is stretched and it is harder to find healthy rhythms. More people are needed to do the work – and are often hard to find.

Organization 75

Organization Edmondson Delegation Leadership Development 75

Ron Edmondson

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

Example : We once recognized our system of business meetings was not sustainable. When all creativity is structured out of the system. Structure based upon people, for example, rather than progress, will eventually need changing as people change. Ask yourself will this structure work 10 years from now?

Committee 41

Committee Long-term Creativity Efficiency 41

Ron Edmondson

JANUARY 18, 2022

It’s not programs, systems or structure. Do you know the number one change needed for an effective church revitalization? Everyone always things about those first. Those are easy to change. Okay, well, maybe not easy. Try changing the library into a welcome area or removing the choir robes.

Library 70

Library Edmondson Budgeting Energy 70

Ron Edmondson

AUGUST 23, 2022

10 phrases which point to a healthy teams: Relationships matter more than structures or systems. I have noticed a few key things which are taking place when I’m on a healthy team – and I put them in 10 simple phrases. A titles never determines the importance of a person’s voice.

Team 60

Team Edmondson Diversity System 60

Ron Edmondson

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

Trust your instinct and the system of decision-making you used. You’ve invested a lot of energy on a major decision and now you are faced with making it happen. My words to him and my words to you is to trust the process. Don’t allow decision remorse to keep you from celebrating the joy of what’s to come.

Leadership 67

Leadership Edmondson Energy Process 67

Ron Edmondson

JUNE 1, 2023

The situation is beyond the current plans and systems. There are times when the leader has no answers. He or she has exhausted every bit of knowledge gained. The current strategies don’t seem to work anymore. People are complaining. Expectations upon you are greater than you feel you have capacity to deliver.

Delegation 78

Delegation Learning-by-Doing Edmondson Conference 78

Ron Edmondson

JANUARY 31, 2024

There are other times, such as after we’ve accomplished a major project, where I may intentionally “rest” from leading to catch my breath and rely on our current systems and structures to maintain us. Again, those times should be intentional and they shouldn’t be too extended.

Long-term 64

Long-term Edmondson Goal Definition 64

Ron Edmondson

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

You might be maintaining current systems well, but leadership is taking people somewhere new. As a leader for over 30 years, I’ve received my share of criticism. It comes with leadership. In my experience, if you aren’t receiving any criticism — you probably aren’t leading. That involves change.

Edmondson 76

Edmondson Motivation Leadership System 76

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 23, 2020

I have a “system” I have used over the years when I’m in an especially stressful season. By the way, I didn’t invent this system. I realize anxiety is high for all of us. It is a sort of therapeutic exercise that seems to work for me. As I type this the current stressor in all our life stems from the COVID-19 Coronavirus.

Stress 69

Stress Management Edmondson Budgeting 69

Ron Edmondson

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022

But true “balance” is less realistic on a healthy team than perhaps helping individuals – through systems and structures – to create healthy rhythms for their life and work. As leaders, we must continually evaluate our systems to promote good communication flow. I will always know everything that’s happening around here.

Team 59

Team Edmondson Environment Course 59

Ron Edmondson

MAY 30, 2018

Here’s the principle that emerged: Apart from a system nothing was done wrong. But, when there is no system in place to address those concerns, or when the system isn’t good enough. They will either function under the current systems the best they knew how or they will make up how they think things should be done.

Team 34

Team Long-term System Objective 34

Ron Edmondson

JULY 19, 2023

It doesn’t matter what system you use, but keeping some sort of prioritized list of tasks increases the rate of completion. Usually for me this is the first part of my week. If I know where I’m headed it’s much easier to get everything done and still handle distractions. Prioritize your day. Don’t say yes to everything.

Tips 55

Tips Edmondson Planning Efficiency 55

Ron Edmondson

APRIL 1, 2021

We need good objectives and results, with the proper systems and strategies to accomplish them. We can begin to think we’ve figured out a system to success. It matters not if there is a great vision if I don’t discipline myself to help the team reach it. This includes making sure we have good plans and goals.

Leadership 74

Leadership Edmondson Learning-by-Doing Conference 74

Ron Edmondson

JUNE 29, 2023

Trust his instinct and the system of decision-making he used, which was a good, intentional and thoughtful process. It can be natural to question yourself at this point. You’ve invested a lot of energy on a major decision and now you are faced with making it happen. My words to him was to trust the process.

Edmondson 56

Edmondson Process Energy Consultative 56

Ron Edmondson

JULY 6, 2021

To be clear, the mission is not programs, systems or buildings. When all the systems for doing church are in place and nothing new is being attempted you can do church without His intervention. As soon as a church stops caring for the mission of the church more than any other activity it has lost it’s way. The mission must come first.

Edmondson 82

Edmondson System Consultative Course 82

Ron Edmondson

MAY 11, 2022

If you are like me then you have days – even seasons – where you have more ideas than you can process – certainly more ideas than you or your team can handle – you need a system. What do you do when your head is about to explode with ideas? Here are a few suggestions: Take a walk.

Edmondson 58

Edmondson Creativity Process System 58

Ron Edmondson

MAY 11, 2023

It’s okay to have different opinions, challenge the system – and even the leader. Understanding why they feel as they do can help address their performance on the team. I should also note, I’m not advocating always agreeing with a team. Differing viewpoints help make us all better.

Team 63

Team Consensus Cooper Edmondson 63

Ron Edmondson

FEBRUARY 13, 2024

A bottleneck is defined as “ A point of congestion in a system that occurs when workloads arrive at a given point more quickly than that point can handle them.” I have also learned that the term bottleneck matters in the field of leadership.

Leadership 64

Leadership Delegation Long-term Edmondson 64

Ron Edmondson

JUNE 22, 2023

Give up when change is resisted – don’t push through towards doing the right thing Make excuses when things go wrong – pretend it is never your fault Quit dreaming – or allowing others to do so Resist any organized system, strategy or plans to grow the church Stop praying – pretend you’ve “got this” Insist (..)

Resistance 75

Resistance Comparison Edmondson Learning-by-Doing 75