But of course, you’re not.
And this is the most important component of strategic marketing: we’re not our customer.
Empathy isn’t dictated to us by a focus group or a statistical analysis. Empathy is the powerful (and rare) ability to imagine what motivates someone else to act.
When a politician or a pundit vilifies someone for her actions, he’s missed the point, because all he can do is imagine what he would do in that situation, completely avoiding an opportunity to see the world through someone else’s eyes, to try on a new worldview, to attempt to imagine the circumstances that would lead to any action other than the one he would take.
When a teacher can’t see why a student is stuck, or when an interface designer dismisses the 12% of the users who can’t find the ‘off’ switch… we’re seeing a failure of empathy, not a flaw in the user base.
When we call a prospect stupid for not choosing us, when we resort to blunt promotional tactics to get attention we could have earned with a more graceful approach—these are the symptoms that we’ve forgotten how to be empathetic.
You don’t have to wear panty hose to be a great brand manager at L’eggs, nor do you need to be unemployed to work on a task force on getting people back to work. What is required, though, is a persistent effort to understand how other people see the world, and to care about it.
Seth Godin, Seth’s Blog
“The power of the gospel to save us and give us new life is also the foundation that we are able to build our marriage on. We love each other because of Jesus and His love for us. We work hard, daily, to love each other.”
“This growing together into his nature would be impossible without his transforming power and, apart from his will, we would never desire it. It is for his pleasure that we work to beautify and adorn his bride. This intentional communal life is for him, through him, and to him.”
“Genuinely love the vision of the team. You’ll work hardest in those areas for which you have passion. Ask God to give you a burning desire to see the vision succeed, then become a contagious advocate of that vision.”
Through my years in ministry, I have noticed people describe their commitment or calling to a specific place of ministry differently.
Some speak of a calling to a specific task or role, such as “I am called to preach” or “I am called to work with teenagers.” These are the “what” leaders who focus on “what” they do in ministry. Leaders who think only in these terms think much more about what they do than the people they serve or the people they serve alongside. Now, of course, there is biblical precedent for being called to a task. God called Noah to build an ark, Nehemiah to rebuild a wall, and Paul to preach to the Gentiles.
Others speak of a calling to serve alongside a leader or a group of people, such as “I am here to serve with John.” These are the “who” leaders who focus on “who” they serve alongside. They think mainly in terms of the team they are honored to serve alongside or the leader whom they believe will develop them for the future. The location seems secondary. Again, there is biblical precedent for sensing a call to serve alongside others (Paul and Barnabas, for example).
Others speak of a calling to a specific church or city/community. These are the “where” leaders who focus on “where” they are serving. They speak first of the passion for their church or their community. It is almost as if the role and task is a mere detail, one that can change without any loss of worth or identity. There is biblical precedent for a commitment to a specific location (Paul’s call to Macedonia, for example).
There is great danger in being only a “what,” “who,” or “where” leader. “What” leaders often love what they do more than the people they serve or the people they serve alongside. Ministry can easily become about them and the opportunity to utilize their gifts. “What” leaders must become more passionate for the church than for what they do for the church. While I deeply value loyalty, “who” leaders can drift into valuing the relationships more than valuing the health of the ministry. And “where” leaders can lose focus on important ministry functions while simply “loving where they serve.”
Sadly, in some moments I have been exclusively one of the three. I have loved what I do more than I loved the people I served. I have valued relationships over the health of the church. Graciously, the Lord leads me to repentance.
And, by God’s grace, I have been all three at the same time. The Lord changed my perspective as He matured me. In other words, my view of my calling changed more than God’s calling shifted. Ministry is most fulfilling when you are passionate about the what, who, and the where. Loving what you do, whom you do it with, and where you do it is such an amazing ministry sweet spot that I hope it’s where we all stay.
“When the goal is spiritual growth and health, production will always be a natural outcome. People function at their peak when they function out of identity.”
“Bad writing tries too hard to impress. It’s full of big words and awkward phrases that nobody uses in real life. Write like people talk. Write conversationally.”
“But thinking under the mighty hand of God, thinking soaked in prayer, thinking carried by the Holy Spirit, thinking tethered to the Bible, thinking in pursuit of more reasons to praise and proclaim the glories of God, thinking in the service of love - such thinking is indispensable in a life of fullest praise to God.”
“The right team will make hard decisions, knowing that the day they don’t forces them into cruise control where the biggest desire will eventually become to make sure everyone is as comfortable as possible.”
“Appreciation is motivation and inspiration. Don’t leave employees in the dark. Show them you appreciate their achievements. Celebrate their successes. This not only lets the individual know you appreciate their work, it encourages all your employees.”
“Kimberly and the rest of the Rangers taught me important lessons about friendship – fighting adversity and looking really good in all pink ensembles. Most of all, Kimberly taught me that you don’t have to choose between being a “girly girl and being tough” and that being both, actually makes you stronger.”
“Over communicate with your senior pastor/leader. I can’t overemphasize this one. […] It may seem like an unnecessary step, but this will result in a lot more trust from senior leadership and eliminate a plethora of misunderstandings.”
