Education Innovation tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-1294120 2012-06-13T16:18:10-07:00 Applying Lateral Wisdom to Personal, Organizational, and Church Learning TypePad Learning Strategies Pastor tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e20167677c9511970b 2012-06-13T16:18:10-07:00 2012-06-13T16:18:10-07:00 The learning church model is focused on how people learn. That role might fall to the Learning Strategies Pastor. Their role is design and create environments, teaching/preaching, messages, systems, etc., that build upon these questions. What do we want them... Robert Jacobs

The learning church model is focused on how people learn.

That role might fall to the Learning Strategies Pastor. 

Their role is design and create environments, teaching/preaching, messages, systems, etc., that build upon these questions. 

 

What do we want them know? 

Why do we want them know it? 

What do we want them to be able to do? 

Where do we start?

Who are your learners?

What’s the goal?

How do we remember?

How do you get their attention?

How do people See?

How do people Read?

How do people Remember

How do people Think

How do people Focus their Attention

What motivates people?

How do people share ideas? (what they have learned) 

How do people Feel when learning? 

What common mistakes will people Make? How can they avoid them? 

How do people decide?

How to design for Knowledge?

How to design for Skills?

How to design for Motivation?

How to design for Environment

 

Key Question: How will we know they learned it? 


Based on the ideas of Julie Dirksen’s book Design for How People Learn and Susan Weinschenk’s 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People. 


 

 

 Boss, Leader, Builder tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e2017ee521b91e970d 2012-11-14T17:12:47-08:00 2012-11-14T17:12:47-08:00 Change happens. As current models become outdated, misaligned with current needs, and in some cases broken, current leaders can only continue to adjust, repair, and re-align the old model the best they can. But, according to Umair Haque, author of... Robert Jacobs
Change happens.

As current models become outdated, misaligned with current needs, and in some cases broken, current leaders can only continue to adjust, repair, and re-align the old model the best they can.

But, according to Umair Haque, author of a post on the Harvard Business Review blog entitled “The Builders’ Manifesto” it is not leaders that we need, but “builders.”

“What leaders ‘lead’ are yesterday’s organizations. But yesterday’s organizations… are broken.”

 “Today’s biggest human challenge isn’t leading broken organizations slightly better. It’s building better organizations in the first place. It isn’t about leadership: it’s about “buildership”, or what I often refer to as Constructivism.

“Leadership is the art of becoming, well, a leader. Constructivism, in contrast, is the art of becoming a builder — of new institutions. Like artistic Constructivism rejected “art for art’s sake,” so economic Constructivism rejects leadership for the organization’s sake — instead of for society’s.”

If what is desired is to build a new organization, what will be needed are builders.

Umaik Haque contrasts the boss, the leader, and the builder

 

image

 

For it is the “builder” that includes us all. The builder watches and learns, for the builder is both teacher and student. Most importantly, the builder harnesses the love. For it is the love, the love of God, Jesus, the World, and people that drives us all forward to build the organization and church of tomorrow. The builder harnesses that love.

 Leadership Starts With Love tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e2017ee4ea3ce0970d 2012-11-09T15:52:32-08:00 2012-11-09T15:52:32-08:00 If you want to Lead it…you better Love it. If you want to keep your passion for ministry you got to stay in love. Love -where you lead -who you lead -why you lead Love -your calling -your current role... Robert Jacobs <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div><strong>If you want to Lead it…you better Love it.</strong></div></p> <p>If you want to keep your passion for ministry you got to stay in love.</p> <p><strong>Love</strong></p> <p>-where you lead</p> <p>-who you lead</p> <p>-why you lead&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Love&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>-your calling</p> <p>-your current role</p> <p>-your peers</p> <p>-your staff</p> <p>-your volunteers</p> <p>-your members</p> <p><strong>Love</strong></p> <p>-God</p> <p>-the Word of God</p> <p>-your church</p> <p><strong>Love&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>-the past your church came from</p> <p>-the current reality of your church now</p> <p>-the future you are leading your church to</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Leadership starts with Love</strong></p> <div><strong><br /></strong></div></div> Growing Churches Require Growing Leaders tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e2017d3d655bd0970c 2012-11-07T18:32:36-08:00 2012-11-07T18:34:37-08:00 Growing churches require growing pastors and leaders. Leaders are learners. Can’t use same methods forever New problems require new solutions. Methods are many, principles are few, methods always change, principles never do. What kept Moses out of the promise land..traditionalism... Robert Jacobs <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Growing churches require growing pastors and leaders. <p> <p>Leaders are learners.&nbsp;<p> <p>Can’t use same methods forever<p> <p>New problems require new solutions.</p> <p>Methods are many, principles are few, methods always change, principles never do.&nbsp;</p> <p>What kept Moses out of the promise land..traditionalism and inflexibility- he was unwilling to change.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Greatest enemy of progress is yesterday’s success”&nbsp;</p> <p>Fear of change is unfaithful..change requires faith.</p> <p>Never stop learning</p> <p>You need the right skills- work smarter not harder</p> <ul> </ul></div> Learning Church- It's More Than Just Powerful Preaching tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e2017d3d54140c970c 2012-11-05T18:52:48-08:00 2012-11-05T18:52:48-08:00 Preaching is what we do. Preaching is powerful. Preaching connects. Preaching changing lives. But there is so much more to learning than that just your preaching. In a Learning Church, preaching is just the tip of the pyramid. A Learning... Robert Jacobs

Preaching is what we do. Preaching is powerful. Preaching connects. Preaching changing lives. 

But there is so much more to learning than that just your preaching. 

In a Learning Church, preaching is just the tip of the pyramid. 

 

Learning_retention_rates

 

A Learning Church incorporates knowledge of learning and retention rates into its planning and methodology. Practices are developed the recognize the need to do more than just talk at people. 

A Learning Church know that learning must happen in other places, in other circumstances, and in other ways than just the Sunday sermon. 

A Learning Church is constantly striving to drive learning down the pyramid for the biggest impact and life change possible. 

 A Learning and Practicing Pastor tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e2017ee434aa58970d 2012-10-16T08:31:24-07:00 2012-10-16T08:31:24-07:00 Teach only to the extent that you have learned. Preach only to the extent that you have practiced. Robert Jacobs

Teach only to the extent that you have learned.

Preach only to the extent that you have practiced. 

 Church In The Cloud tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e20163060543b2970d 2012-05-31T20:09:18-07:00 2012-05-31T20:09:18-07:00 In a meeting the other day, my team and I were brainstorming about how to ship or transfer the Saddleback Church DNA to the 12 new Saddlebacks we are launching around the globe. We had toyed with the idea of... Robert Jacobs

In a meeting the other day, my team and I were brainstorming about how to ship or transfer the Saddleback Church DNA to the 12 new Saddlebacks we are launching around the globe.

We had toyed with the idea of "Church in a Box", but we realized that everything we are using will eventually have to be digital.

I said, "If it's digital then it will eventually be accessed from the cloud. It's not church in a box, it's church in the cloud." Church in the cloud. That is the global church future. 

International telecom companies have a goal, to connect the entire world with Internet access.

Storage and hardware is also becoming cheaper and more available.

Most churches want all their content digital. Once it is digital it can be easily broken into smaller and smaller bits, or assembled into huge files of digital bytes.

A ubiquitous Internet will provide the power grid or the pipeline from which all this digital content can flow.

And because the Internet is social…all of the digital content from churches can be shared. No. It will be shared.

Because open source platforms and the philosophy of openness is becoming more expected by people and the organizations (churches too) that people work and interact with.

The cloud means we spend more time creating quality content and less time about where to store it or ship it. It goes on the cloud.

And once on the cloud the social sharing nature of users combined with openness of platform will spread the content far and wide. And one thing we know already, the better the content, the wider the distribution.

The potential for global distribution via social sharing is always one click away in an Internet connected world.

Church is going to the cloud because technology enables it and people demand it.

 

 The Dark Side of Social Media and Discipleship tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e2016305927775970d 2012-05-15T20:01:05-07:00 2012-05-15T20:01:05-07:00 The Web We all know the power of social media to connect and reach out. That is not disputed. But I have been considering the other side of the coin. There is a dark side. The web is such an... Robert Jacobs <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><strong>The Web</strong></p> <p>We all know the power of social media to connect and reach out. That is not disputed. But I have been considering the other side of the coin. There is a dark side.&nbsp;</p> <p>The web is such an appropriate name for the Internet. It truly lures us in, captures us, and is so sticky, it becomes nearly impossible to escape.&nbsp;</p> <p>It entangles us. Ensnares us. Traps us.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Social Media and our Spiritual Life</strong>&nbsp;</p> <p>Is Social Media detrimental to our spiritual disciplines?</p> <p>Can you go without media, without being connected to friends and family, without getting&nbsp;jittery and anxious?</p> <p>Can you say the same about praying to God or thinking about God?&nbsp;</p> <p>Does being cut off from social media make you feel like you are missing out? &nbsp;</p> <p>Social Media stokes our appetite for attention and to be known and loved.&nbsp; "Friend" is now a verb "like" is now a noun.</p> <p>Facebook&nbsp;does not discriminate between our intimate friends and family, interests, and news.&nbsp;Friends become "fans" and we become "brands".</p> <p>We consume info and manage relationships/connections in ways we never could face-to-face with people.</p> <p>It's all facilitated by a corporate entity that is harvesting all our data and the info of our lives.&nbsp;</p> <p>We have&nbsp;commodified&nbsp;relationships. Friends and family...with ads.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Networked Individualism</strong></p> <p>Our system of friends unbound by time or location.&nbsp;</p> <p>Physical location is not as important. We don't have to be present to be considered present.&nbsp;</p> <p>And at the center... it's not a location, cause, or common identity- but rather the individual- that is at the heart of social media.&nbsp;</p> <p>On-demand social connectedness. &nbsp;We control and manage others access to us. Don't like you...block you. &nbsp;</p> <p>Dialed down human contact. Guard against commitment.&nbsp;Autonomy vs. Belonging.&nbsp;</p> <p>Insensitive to surroundings- we are not able to be present, while we are face down in our smart phones or&nbsp;iPads.&nbsp;</p> <p>We don't have to look up and see the messy people around us...we see the "digitized perfect reality" of those somewhere else.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Christian Community</strong></p> <p>Psychically far away from those who are near. - We excuse ourselves from the call of God whom we serve and the situation/circumstances of those around us.&nbsp;</p> <p>Are we missing something...not actively connecting mind and spirit?</p> <p>Ignoring people...God's creation. People that Jesus died for.&nbsp;</p> <p>Christian community requires real presence- with real people with real differences.</p> <p>People who are not like us. People with needs. Broken people,&nbsp;unattractive people,&nbsp;people who will put demands on us, people who require attention, who require our time.&nbsp;</p> <p>This is at odds with social media- &nbsp;all choice, efficiency, control.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Technology and Discipleship</strong></p> <p>Is technology is more than just a tool?&nbsp;</p> <p>It shapes us and&nbsp;embeds itself into our social practices.</p> <p>The new etiquette allows technology bleed into every aspect of our lives.&nbsp;</p> <p>What does sacrifice, servant-heartedness, &nbsp;or selflessness look like on-line?</p> <p>What does sacrifice or servant-heartedness&nbsp;look like surrounded by Google or&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;ads?&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>People as Channels</strong></p> <p>We have all the technology we need to ignore those physically around us/near us... and feel we have a good reason to do so.</p> <p>We don't join as a family or jointly with our spouse-- we have to join individually and participate individually.</p> <p>When we go to church or small group we are with people.</p> <p>When we go online...we are alone...even when surrounded by people.&nbsp;</p> <p>Typically we express an idealized reality of our lives....not the painful dirty reality of our lives.</p> <p>We let people in, but we manage them via privacy settings.&nbsp;</p> <p>It's the digital veneer that we project...not the raw reality of our needs, pain, and hurts.&nbsp;</p> <p>We have turned people into media channels that we tune into, turn off, mute, or ignore.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>God vs. Social Media</strong></p> <p>Think about your time with God and with people.&nbsp;</p> <p>• Do you have push yourself to carve out time to pray, read, meditate, and connect with God?</p> <p>• Do you have to push yourself to stop and make time for people...messy people with messy problems?&nbsp;</p> <p>• Do you constantly, almost without thinking pray, reach out to God, and reach out to others.&nbsp;</p> <p>• Does it require effort?&nbsp;</p> <p>Think about your time online.&nbsp;</p> <p>• Do you have to push yourself to go online, Like, Friend, Tweet, post...to disappear into your screen and the web of social media.</p> <p>• Do you constantly, almost with no effort go into your online into social media?&nbsp;</p> <p>• Does it require effort?</p> <p>• Is it easy? Maybe to easy?</p></div> If We Treated Information Like Food tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e20168eb6c9060970c 2012-05-10T20:57:45-07:00 2012-05-10T20:57:45-07:00 Like food, we all consume information. If we treated information like food then we may realize that… 1. Some of us need to go on a diet. We are consuming too much information. 2. Some of us need to add... Robert Jacobs

Like food, we all consume information. If we treated information like food then we may realize that…

1. Some of us need to go on a diet. We are consuming too much information.

2. Some of us need to add more variety. We are consuming too much from the same.

3. Some of us need to get off the junk food. We are consuming way to much junk. 

4. All of us need to ensure we are getting the essential information we need each day. 

 

 3 Notes on Leadership tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e20168ea9e7775970c 2012-04-23T18:53:23-07:00 2012-04-23T18:53:23-07:00 Big difference between letting people try and fail and letting them become failures. One is leadership, the other is neglect. If you aren’t willing to be wrong, fail, admit it, learn from it, and encourage that in others…you are not... Robert Jacobs
  • Big difference between letting people try and fail and letting them become failures. One is leadership, the other is neglect.

 

  • If you aren’t willing to be wrong, fail, admit it, learn from it, and encourage that in others…you are not ready to lead.

 

  • Leadership doesn’t have to be about changing the world…Leadership can be about changing someone’s day

 

 If The Medium Is The Message tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e2016764dc0375970b 2012-04-09T15:03:24-07:00 2012-04-09T15:03:24-07:00 Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase ”The medium is the message“ This got me thinking… What is the message when the medium is…. stone tablets a scroll a book the Internet a smart phone app The 10 Commandements and the Bible... Robert Jacobs

Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase ”The medium is the message“ 

This got me thinking…

What is the message when the medium is….

stone tablets

a scroll

a book

the Internet

a smart phone app

The 10 Commandements and the Bible have all been written in these mediums. 

If the medium is the message…what is the message of these mediums?

 

 Leaders Let People Fail tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e201676445ec82970b 2012-03-26T19:03:47-07:00 2012-03-26T19:03:47-07:00 Leaders let people fail…but leadership does not let people become failures Robert Jacobs

Leaders let people fail…but leadership does not let people become failures

 10 Things Cirque du Soleil Taught Me About Teamwork tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e20168e8963d90970c 2012-03-08T18:20:59-08:00 2012-03-08T18:20:59-08:00 Cirque du Soleil can teach all teams a few lessons.. 1. Your team must be strong 2. You must have great balance 3. Momentum is key to performance 4. You must be flexible...very flexible. 5. You must practice 6. Support... Robert Jacobs

Cirque du Soleil can teach all teams a few lessons..

1. Your team must be strong

2. You must have great balance

3. Momentum is key to performance

4. You must be flexible...very flexible.

5. You must practice

6. Support from each other is key

7. Everyone must play their role. 

8. What you accomplish may look astonishing to outsiders, but you know it comes from lot’s of hard work. 

9. Everyone needs to be in synch. 

10. Great teams have a story to share.

Bonus: 

When you fail..the crowd will be even more appreciative when you try again and succeed. 

 

 Collaboration- It's Not What You Think It Is tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e201676331e91c970b 2012-02-29T20:39:21-08:00 2012-02-29T20:39:21-08:00 Collaboration is not… Coordination Cooperation Connection Collaboration is... your team coming together to intentionally achieve more together than they could separately. Collaboration is 1+1=3 Collaboration leverages coordination, cooperation, and connection. Robert Jacobs

Collaboration is not…

Coordination

Cooperation

Connection

Collaboration is... your team coming together to intentionally achieve more together than they could separately. 

Collaboration is 1+1=3

Collaboration leverages coordination, cooperation, and connection. 

 

 Leadership Doesn't Have To Be About Changing The World tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e2016762c32691970b 2012-02-21T19:39:03-08:00 2012-02-21T19:39:28-08:00 Leadership doesn’t have to be about changing the world… Sometimes.. Leadership can be about changing someone’s day. Robert Jacobs

Leadership doesn’t have to be about changing the world…

Sometimes..

Leadership can be about changing someone’s day. 

 

 Meeting Induced Dumbness tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e20168e732d2f5970c 2012-02-11T23:26:42-08:00 2012-02-11T23:26:42-08:00 Do you feel dumb in group meetings? Do you feel like you have nothing intelligent to add to the discussion? You are not alone. From the Wall Street Journal - Speaking Up Is Hard to Do: Researchers Explain Why “Have... Robert Jacobs

Do you feel dumb in group meetings? Do you feel like you have nothing intelligent to add to the discussion? You are not alone. 

From the Wall Street Journal - Speaking Up Is Hard to Do: Researchers Explain Why

“Have you ever clammed up at a party or found yourself tongue-tied at a meeting for fear of saying something stupid—even though you consider yourself at least as smart as anyone else in the room?

 Research from scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute offers an explanation of why many people become, in effect, less intelligent in small group settings.

If we think others in a group are smarter, we may become dumber, temporarily losing both our problem-solving ability and what the researchers call our “expression of IQ.”

 

 Systems, Mission, Vision, and Change tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e20162ffd13900970d 2012-01-18T20:52:34-08:00 2012-01-18T20:52:34-08:00 Systems Mission Vision Change If the system you use in the mission to accomplish your vision is not built to change then… your mission will end up being about changing the system at the expense of the vision. Create a... Robert Jacobs

Systems

Mission

Vision

Change

If the system you use in the mission to accomplish your vision is not built to change

then…

your mission will end up being about changing the system at the expense of the vision.

Create a system that is able to change, that is built to change, that expects to change.

Build in change.

Your vision is counting on it.

 

 Second-Screen Experiences In Church tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e201675f057576970b 2011-12-20T05:34:00-08:00 2011-12-20T05:34:00-08:00 Imagine seeing related maps, pictures, artwork, architectural layouts, bible translations appearing on your iPad, Kindle Fire, or similar tablet, as your pastor gives the message or sermon. This is the Second-screen experience. A learning church could harness this technology in... Robert Jacobs

Imagine seeing related maps, pictures, artwork, architectural layouts, bible translations appearing on your iPad, Kindle Fire, or similar tablet, as your pastor gives the message or sermon. 

This is the Second-screen experience. 

A learning church could harness this technology in the form of an app and allow for people listening to a sermon or message to see pictures or artwork of the people being mentioned in the message appearing on their iPads. People listening could have maps of biblical locations or ancient kingdoms instantly displayed on their iPads as the pastor mentions them. 

Think of Wikipedia or the Glo Bible, but in real-time, matched to the sermon you are listening to in the palm of your hand.

The ability to harness and enhance a message or sermon synchronously using second-screen app technology would have a powerful visual impact and increase learning and understanding. 

 

 9 Point Paradigm For Launching a Venue tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e20162fdd286ec970d 2011-12-14T20:02:23-08:00 2011-12-14T20:51:09-08:00 I wanted to sketch out a paradigm for my approach to starting a new venue for Saddleback Church. I came up with this approach that I call "Awareness" - AWAARNESS A- Ambidextrous Thinking Hold two competing, if not opposite, ideas... Robert Jacobs

I wanted to sketch out a paradigm for my approach to starting a new venue for Saddleback Church. I came up with this approach that I call "Awareness" - AWAARNESS

A- Ambidextrous Thinking

Hold two competing, if not opposite, ideas embrace the duality and integrate them into a workable solution. 

Global and Local

Bigger and Smaller

Faster and Slower

Take risks and be careful

Bias Towards Thinking and Bias Toward Action

Kaizen and Tenakaizen

High Levels of Teamwork and High Levels of Personal Accountability

We Have the Answers and They Have the Answers

Data Driven and Skeptical of Data

Predictable and Change is Normal

 

W- Wisdom Stewardship

The knowledge, learning, and wisdom of the team is intentionally curated and viewed as an asset to be leveraged intentionally- not passively. New learnings are integrated with existing knowledge. No knowledge wasted. 

 

A- Adapting

Copy, imitate, mash-up, pirate, re-mix and re-purpose ideas from outside to fit your needs. 

 

A- Attaching

Find other who are on the same mission or doing similar things and look for ways to attach to what they are doing creating synergy and conserving energy. 

 

R- Relationships

Human capital is key. Avoid falling into hierarchical traps. Keep the organization flat and insist on people building relationships. Relationships must be established inside and outside. 

 

N- Network

Connect with other people, teams, organizations, and networks. Leverage personal networks, organizational networks, and social media to create serendipitous learning. Networks 

 

E- Experimentation

Create a “skunk works” atmosphere where people are not afraid to experiment and fail. Fail fast and fail forward. 

 

S-Sharing

Resources need to be shared between people, teams, departments, and organizations. Do not allow resources to sit that could be shared with those who can use now. No hoarding. 

 

S- Scalability

Try ideas and systems with this question in mind, “Can this be done bigger and at a larger scale?” Those ideas will have power. 

 

 Learning Innovation Debate: Dance vs. Powerpoint tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83533a43669e201539412d90e970b 2011-12-05T17:43:13-08:00 2011-12-05T17:43:13-08:00 Take a few moments to watch this interesting TED presentation. After, I think you will be amazed at how much the dance aspect helped you to remember and understand an complex idea. I wonder if there might be lessons we... Robert Jacobs
Take a few moments to watch this interesting TED presentation. After, I think you will be amazed at how much the dance aspect helped you to remember and understand an complex idea. I wonder if there might be lessons we can learn that can be applied to our organizational learning and training, our church messages, etc. Interesting.