By Mike Klockenbrink

You’re called into a meeting to discuss a problem or situation. You are just one component somehow involved in a process that isn’t going the way it’s supposed to.

Even before you get to the meeting your brain is racing. What is my role in all of this? Am I doing everything I’m supposed to? Am I in trouble? It’s amazing to me how many times we instantly go on the defense. It’s that part of that lizard brain I hear author Seth Godin talk about so much. The lizard brain is known as the Limbic System. It’s the part of the brain takes over in a flight or fight situation, survive at all cost.

So you get to the meeting with several other people connected to this process. The process is laid out and you start to discuss the areas where it’s broken down. After a while everyone is heavily involved in the discussion. Together you realize that someone isn’t properly trained in part of the process. There are assumptions made, and you know where that leads. This person didn’t have particular rights. This person was waiting for this person and so on.

Now that we understand where the break down happened, areas of miscommunication and assumptions occurred, we can fix the process. We clarify who is going to do what, we give individuals the tools needed to complete the task and clearly define who, what, when, where and why of the process. Everyone agrees and you leaving the meeting feeling like you accomplished something together.

Somewhere during that process you realize, it’s not about you, it’s about the process. Once you realize that, you switch from defense to offense looking for solutions with the team. I have found that it is rarely about you and usually about the process.

If you’re the one calling the meeting on fixing the process, save the team unneeded anxiety by clearly stating what the meeting is about. You are looking to this group to help you solve a process problem. Let them know this meeting is not about them, it’s about the process.

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. [www.lakesidechurch.com]

By Mike Klockenbrink

When was the last time you’ve shown appreciation for your employees or your co-worker? If you have to think about it, then it’s been way too long.

Have you created a culture of appreciation to show your staff that you appreciate them? Appreciation is shown in many different ways. No matter how you show it, it must be sincere.

Sometimes a simple, “Thank You,” is all that is needed. Show your appreciation for their hard work and contributions. And, don’t forget to say please often as well. Social manners do belong at work. A more gracious, polite workplace is appreciated by all.

So what else can you do to show your appreciation?

Be interested in them not just as an employee, but as an individual. Ask your employees or co-workers about their family, their hobby, their weekend or a special event they attended. Your genuine interest will help people to feel valued and cared about.

Introduce them to guests as you pass through the office. Don’t blow by employees as if they are insignificant. They’re important – so show it!

Give them an important project; show you trust in their capabilities.

Praise something your coworker has done well. Identify the specific actions that you found admirable.

Offer staff members flexible scheduling for the holidays if feasible. If work coverage is critical, post a calendar so people can balance their time off with that of their coworkers.

Know your coworker’s interests well enough to present a small gift occasionally. An appreciated gift, and the gesture of providing it, will light up your coworker’s day.

Almost everyone appreciates food. Bring in bagels or bakery goods to treat your staff and coworkers. Offerings such as cookies or cupcakes, that you’ve baked personally, are a huge hit. Another hit? Bring chocolate – chocolate anything.

Create a fun tradition for a seasonal holiday. This past Christmas our entire staff helped with an on-site work project together. Afterwards we had a potluck lunch where people were divided into cooking teams. Each team prepared a meal to share, and people got to vote on the best overall meal. Team winners got a gift card.

Last, but not least, provide opportunity. People want to participate on a special group or team where their talents are noticed. Invite them in to participate and not just sit on the sidelines like a spectator.

Show your appreciation, and they will appreciate you for it.

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. [ www.lakesidechurch.com]

By Mike Klockenbrink

I’ve always dreamed of playing a guitar up on the stage rocking it out. I tried trombone and bass guitar in high school but it didn’t stick.

A dream without action will always be a dream. Flash forward 30 plus years and the dream won’t go away. So, in 2009 I got a guitar for Christmas. I thought this was going to be easy. After all, I’ve played air guitar all my life, and recently, Guitar Hero. How difficult could this possibly be? Okay, several months have gone by, and all I can do is strum. Not quite the rock star I envisioned. So for my birthday my wife bought me guitar lessons.

When I headed to my first lesson at Graham Music Pros with Scott Graham, I was a little nervous, but I thought I would have it nailed within a few lessons. After my first lesson, reality set in and I realized it wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought.

Sitting in my office I asked myself how many employees have dreams to be something more. Maybe not a rock star (I don’t really want to be a rock star, but it sounds cool) but having more responsibility or move into an area they’ve never been before. How can I make those dreams come true? This comes back to getting to know your employees and what it is that they want to do. You can provide for them the opportunities as they become available. You can give them the necessary tools (guitar). You can even give them the training they need (music lessons). However, if they don’t practice on a regular basis they will never get better. They may become frustrated and give up, because it’s too difficult.

This is where a simple nudge or word of encouragement can go a long way. Know that they will have some highs and lows along the way. Celebrate the little successes.

As for me and my guitar, it goes the same way. The more I practice the better I sound. I still have more than my share of sour notes, but I’m having fun along the way. I’m tired of just dreaming, I want to play. So practice, practice, practice and let the music play.

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. [ www.lakesidechurch.com]

By Mike Klockenbrink

Excuse me, did you just tell me NO?

“Hey Matt, could you take care of this for me?”
“No I can’t at this time. I’m really buried in this project at the moment.”

Did he just tell me no?

Congratulations! As a leader you’ve done your job. When an employee can tell their supervisor no, you have helped to eliminate the fear factor. The fear factor of I’m too busy to take on anything else at this time. Too many times we hand off projects or assign tasks to people who are overburdened and would never say no to their supervisor. That’s an unhealthy spot to be in. I’ve heard it too many times, “I’m drowning here and nobody seems to care.”

Now does this mean that “no” would be acceptable all the time? Of course not; each situation must be looked at independently. You may ask Matt to take this on because he’s the only one capable of doing it or because it’s time sensitive. In any case, if you’re going to put more on his plate you have to take something off or change your expectations.

What if everyone isn’t like Matt and they don’t say no? Then it’s your responsibility to ask questions before you just add something on their plate. What are you working on at this time? Is it possible for you to add this to your already full plate? Is there something I can do to alleviate some of this workload for you? Reassure them that it’s okay to say no.

If you’ve hired the right people in the first place, they’re going to work hard. Believe in them, encourage them, push their comfort zone from time to time, and let them know that it’s okay to say no. Don’t let fear get in the way.

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. [ www.lakesidechurch.com]

By Mike Klockenbrink

Direction, not intention, determines destination.

It doesn’t get much clearer than that.  Throughout my life I have had the best of intentions, but at times I have arrived at the wrong destination.  I remember throwing a surprise birthday party for my wife.  I thought it was  going to be great; she’s going to love it; I’ll be a hero.  I made the necessary plans, picked my wife up from work and told her we needed to run by the house to pick up my wallet.  We walked through the door and everyone yelled surprise.  My wife does not like surprises.  Ooops!

I had the best intentions in mind.  I like surprises, but I didn’t take the time to consider if she did.  Unfortunately, throughout my life I’ve had many good intentions both at home and work that didn’t end up where I intended.

Many times we have loved ones, friends and employees who may have gone the wrong direction, even with the best of intentions.  While I may appreciate their effort, I sometimes ask “Help me to understand what you were trying to accomplish?”

I found that there are usually a few reasons we get off track.

You’re happy overachiever.
If a little is good, more must be better.  Sometimes more comes with a cost.  You spent how much? How much time did this take? This is all I was looking for.

They do everything but …
Look at all of the things I got done.  That’s great, except the only thing I wanted to see completed didn’t get done.

I thought, therefore you should know.
So with little or no understanding your employees will do something and arrive at a destination.  In the words of the famous Dr.  Phil:  “What were you thinking?”

So what do we need to do to make sure we arrive where we’re supposed to? Know who you’re talking to. Everyone is wired just a little bit differently and will respond differently. Don’t assume.  Everyone knows this one.  Be clear with your direction and what your expectations are.

If you are not clear with your direction, nobody will ever end up at the destination regardless of your intention.

Direction, not intention determines destination.

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. [ www.lakesidechurch.com]

By Mike Klockenbrink

There’s nothing like driving on an open road that has just recently been paved or taking a boat out on a lake. You know what that’s like, right? That smooth feeling of gliding along is awesome. Then all of the sudden BUMP. What was that? Hands grip the wheel a little tighter; we sit up straighter and our eyes focus straight ahead.

When things are running smoothly, we relax. Don’t get me wrong, everyone should have a little rest and relaxation. After all, we’ve worked really hard to get here. But you should be aware that there will be bumps in the road as you cruise along.

Sure it’s easy to steer around the bumps when you see them coming, but that’s not always the case. What if you’re on a bumpy road, then you’ve got a few choices to make. You can take the first side street or exit and look for a smoother road to travel. It may take you a little bit longer, but you readjust your GPS and eventually arrive at your destination.

Sometimes there is no exit and you have to ride it out. That’s when you grip the wheel a little tighter; sit up and focus straight ahead. You’ll eventually arrive at your destination, you maybe a little shook up and worn, but you’ll get there.

We try to keep the roads that are highly travelled in good shape. We fill the potholes and resurface every so many years. This is great for the majority of people getting from here to there. However, if you want to lead, sometimes you have to take the road that is a little less traveled. Maybe even create your own road. If that’s the road you choose to take, know that there will be bumps, potholes and even some detours. This is what will make your trip an adventure.

So grab hold of the wheel, keep your eyes on the road and enjoy the ride.

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. [ www.lakesidechurch.com]

By Mike Klockenbrink

Are you flexible? No really? Are you flexible?

Today’s working environment is ever changing. Businesses open earlier and close later, seven days a week. With software changes allowing employees to work in the cloud, a lot of work can now be done anywhere anytime. So how do you schedule for this or even manage it?

The front desk gets a call from someone on staff letting them know they are working from home or off-site today. I understand that on any given day “life happens.” Trying to juggle schedules for work, school, family, friends and personal time. So I have to ask myself again, am I flexible with work schedules? In regards to having the ability to do a lot of this work in the cloud, I have to say yes. That doesn’t mean I keep my head in the clouds. I just need to put some guidelines in place for this to be successful.

I realize there are times when I can be more productive working on a project when I’m not in the office. But what is the right balance for working on-site vs. off-site?

How much time do you expect your employees to be on location to do their work? It really depends on the job or project they’re working on. I expect to have the front desk receptionist there all the time. You cannot greet people waking in the front door from off-site. But If I have an employee working with a tight deadline on a project, I may choose to let them work off-site. This will allow them to focus and eliminate majority of the typical distractions that surround them at the office.

During the summer months when kids are out of school, some of our staff change their schedules to meet those needs. Instead of working from 9:00am to 1:00pm, some staff will work 6:00am to 10:00am most of the week and one day from home. This could be changed up many different ways. The question is: Are you flexible to meet the ever changing needs? If you’re not flexible, I have to ask: Do you really trust your employees to get the job done?

I will trust you until you give me reason not to. That’s another discussion.

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. [ www.lakesidechurch.com]

By Mike Klockenbrink

When you venture into some place you’ve never been before, your eyes are wide open. Your senses start taking in everything around you.  It could be the vivid colors, the incredible smells or just the atmosphere you feel.

So how many times does it take before you lose those senses and start operating on autopilot? You don’t notice that the carpet is frayed, the paint job needs work, or that the same box is still sitting there. You become desensitized to what should have been the obvious.

My wife is great at helping the boys and I notice the less obvious. Recently she had the boys cleaning up and organizing their spaces. The comments were the same “Mom, nobody is going to notice if a book is out of place.  Nobody will even notice all of the stuff you have us doing.” Later that evening, they (the Boys) had several friends over and a couple of the girls made comments on how clean, organized and beautiful our home was. Nobody notices?

There is a little adventure I encourage you to take your staff on. Now your staff may think this is a little corny, but it works. Have them close their eyes and go on a little adventure with you. Don’t short sell any area of your adventure. I would start something like this: As you walk through your front doors what do you see? Is the place clean and well kept? If people are involved, how were you greeted or welcomed? As you enter into the main auditorium, office or kids area ask the same questions.

Now let’s change it up. This is God’s building or the president of the company’s building that is taking you on a walk through. Hit all the same areas. What looks different, how are the people? Is there a difference between your first walk through and the second? If there is, why the difference? Whose building is it anyway?

Help me to see what you see. So as you look around the office, the lobby or even your own home, can you see it?

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. [ www.lakesidechurch.com]

By Mike Klockenbrink

In the movie “A Few Good Men,” Tom Cruise asks Jack Nicholson for the truth. Jack answers back with “You can’t handle the truth.” While there may be some merit to that statement, it’s always better than lying.

Do you always get honesty from you staff? You would like to think that you do, but how do you really know? If a problem arises and you ask two different people how it happened and you get different answers, someone’s not being a truth-teller. There’s a lot of meat right here.

What is the office environment like? Do you rule with an iron fist or is it loosy goosey and nobody cares? Does the staff come to you when they’ve made a mistake or do they wait for you to bring it to their attention? Hearing about a problem today is much better than finding the problem two weeks down the road. If we would have only known sooner we could have prevented it.

I believe that most people want to tell the truth. The key is to create an environment that is conducive to telling the truth. That is an environment without fear. I don’t mean without consequences, just without fear.

I have three boys and we have a motto at our house that is repeated on a regular basis. I will say to my boys that we are Klockenbrink’s, and Klockenbrink’s are what? We are truth-tellers. And who do we represent? We represent God and our family. And how do we represent them? Well. Then I put my arm across my chest with a little pound to the chest and send them out. While they may laugh at times or think it’s corny, I believe I’ve been setting a foundation.

Now I’m not saying I do this same thing at work, but I try to go out of my way to make people know the truth is important and the truth will set you free. So if you were to ask your staff how you’re doing or what areas you need to improve on, would they tell you the truth? Are they willing to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help them God? After all, isn’t the goal to improve?  I don’t think this will come easy, so it’s up to you to set the tone!

Are you a truth-teller?

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. [ www.lakesidechurch.com]

By Mike Klockenbrink

When you hear the term flying solo, what comes to mind? Is it the pilot who’s making a solo flight? Is it the musician who rips off an awesome lick on his guitar during the middle of the show? Or is it the guy you work with who does everything on his own. He doesn’t need your help or want to belong to any team?

It’s a term we use for both good and bad. If you’re flying solo you’re on your own. Does this make you a bad person or a non team player? I think it depends on the situation. Today I want to focus on when it’s right to fly solo.

A newborn baby is 100 percent dependent on someone to take care of them. However, over a period of time this little baby will grow and, with some training and nurturing will be able to walk, talk and feed himself. At some point you need to cut the umbilical cord and stand on your own two feet.

So is it ever okay to fly solo? Yes, I think it’s necessary for our survival. Each time we step out of our comfort zone, the zone just got bigger. Show me how to do something and then let me do it. But let’s be honest, we don’t want to fly with a pilot who’s had just one lesson in a flight simulator. Nor do we want to go under the blade with someone who’s mastered the game of Operation. What we want are people who have been trained and equipped to do the job in front of them.

The reality is that we never really fly solo. There is always someone that we have to rely on. If you’re in sales, you rely on the warehouse to ship your order. If you’re leading worship, you rely on the tech booth to make sure everything is on and running.

As you prepare to go through your pre-flight check list, know that you’ve been trained, equipped and will be supported by your team back at mission control. The only thing left to do is spread your wings and fly as high as you can.

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. [ www.lakesidechurch.com]