by Sam Brock

One of the difficulties of managing in ministry is giving clear expectations as to what your values are. You make decisions and go in directions that seem right and natural to you, but those around you do not always seem to be going the same direction. Listed below are ways to show others what is important to you

1. How you spend your time—Look back on the last month and ask yourself what you have communicated as important. Often, the urgent is communicated as what is important, instead of the important being important.

2. What has to be re-done—My first three days on the job as a groundskeeper were punctuated by doing the same project over three times. Each time there was a different aspect that was not quite right. I realized quickly that doing the job right was more important than doing it fast, and I had a better understanding of my boss’s values.

3. What gets done first (priorities)—Our limitations allow us to do one thing at a time. That one thing is the most important thing at that moment.

4. Where you spend your money—Just like your time and priorities, money spent says much.

5. What you are concerned about—Letting people know what you are nervous or concerned about is a sure sign of what is important to you. Make sure that this is not worry or fretting.

6. What you do in your life that is uncomfortable—Diets, exercise, classes . . . these are all things that may be difficult to us, but doing them shows what is important. Doing nothing shows what is not important.

7. What prompts emotion—Laughing, crying, and anger are all dead giveaways for what is important. Showing a little emotion is necessary to communicate value.

8. Relationships with others—The old phrase, “Birds of a feather flock together” applies to people. What are the values of those closest to you? People will infer that your values are similar to those of your friends.

The reality is that we do communicate our values. There is no way to hide what our values are. Bottom line: we must have the right values in order to communicate the right values.