To make our meetings more effective, we need to have multiple types of meetings,
Pat Lencioni – Death by Meeting, 2004
and clearly distinguish between the various purposes, formats,
and timing of those meetings.
Back to Ordinary Time! This 2nd Sunday of OT, God have given each of us different gifts. In order for God’s plan to work, you have to do what God is calling you to do and I have to do what God is calling me to do. And guess what? God has given each of us a different plan! So, stop comparing yourself to others. Don’t let envy and jealousy enter your life. Be thankful for the gifts God has given you and become the saint that God is calling you to be.
Back to life, back to reality, back to meetings! As the new year has begun, so have meetings. I remember reading this book that changed the way I look on all our meetings. Through a serious story set in business, Pat Lencioni outlines his vision of how to make meetings much more effective and, … enjoyable. Indeed, I enjoy catching up with our leaders, and praying together, for our families, and discerning how best to serve the mission. It is a joy to work in the Lord’s vineyard together!
WHAT IS THE REAL PROBLEM WITH MEETINGS?
Meetings are boring because they lack drama. Or conflict. This is a shame because most meetings have plenty of potential for drama, which is essential for keeping human beings engaged. Unfortunately, rather than mining for that golden conflict, most leaders of meetings seem to be focused on avoiding tension and ending their meetings on time. And while these may seem noble pursuits, they lie at the heart of bad meetings.
To make meetings less boring, leaders must look for legitimate reasons to provoke and uncover relevant, constructive ideological conflict. By doing so, they’ll keep people engaged, which leads to more passionate discussions, and ultimately, to better decisions.
Pat Lencioni – Death By Meeting, 2004
What is the goal of our parish meetings? As disciples, and as a Church, mission isn’t just something we do. Mission is who we are. This week our Leadership/Mission team continued the conversation regarding ongoing discipleship paths, our culture of hospitality, our ongoing efforts towards all things evangelization, improving our Sunday experience, and a reliance on the Holy Spirit. These are some of the elements that will shape our new pastoral plan going forward this year.
Back to our meetings. Shalom House Board members met on January 10, and the Parish Pastoral & Finance Council meetings are set for January 17, and January 31, respectively. The Parish Renewal Committee will be rescheduled to meet sometime in February, allowing a deeper dive into important topics for our North Glengarry Parishes. We’ll also schedule a meeting with all parishioners following these conversations. Please pray for your parish leaders.
Finally, at the start of the new year our Parish Councils are preparing to present the Annual Report to all parishioners. Again, the date will be confirmed shortly, but is expected in late February at all Sunday Masses. Here’s a link to that past two years:
Improving meetings is not just an opportunity to enhance the performance of our companies. It is also a way to positively impact the lives of our people.
Pat Lencioni
Earlier, I mentioned our new pastoral plan for 2023. As disciples, and as a Church, mission isn’t just something we do. Mission is who we are. How will our meetings going forward help with our mission to make disciples, to make saints that God has called each of us to be? A few parishioners this week mentioned to me they would like to see greater transparency regarding the minutes and summary of our different meetings. There will be ongoing changes to the website, but please stay tuned for a section here on this topic.
Also, we are also looking to add new members, and to make some changes to some of the terms and responsibilities. If you are interested in serving on the Shalom House Board, or the Parish Pastoral Council, or the Parish Finance Council, please come and see me. Have a great week. Peace.
ps. here’s a picture of Lorne and I on one of our “meetings”.
