Meridian Magazine : : Print

Leadership for Saints, Part 31: Stay on Message, Calibrate for Result
by Rodger Dean Duncan and Ed J. Pinegar

In the previous parts we introduced the first of six steps to helping people walk comfortably down the road of Christian service. Step 1 is Validate the Journey – making a case for the change, and showing people the relevance to them personally. Step 2 is Scan for Speed Bumps – assessing the “history of implementation” and identifying the possible points of resistance. Step 3 is Chart the Course – balancing the compliance and commitment components of the change effort. Step 5 is Build a Coalition – ensuring that the change effort has appropriate cascading sponsorship.

In this part, we discuss the importance of targeted (and repetitious) communication, and the necessity of constantly calibrating for results.

5—Stay on Message. Inexperienced leaders often make the mistake of communicating a message once or twice, then assuming that it got through. Seasoned leaders know that effective communication requires repetition, repetition, repetition.

Here’s an example. More than seven years before this is being written, the general authorities of the Church embarked on what they called the “Leadership Training Emphasis.” In a statement to all stake presidents, bishops and other local leaders, they wrote: “To accomplish the mission of the Church, leaders should encourage every member to receive all essential priesthood ordinances, keep the associated covenants, and qualify for exaltation and eternal life. Church leaders should use priesthood quorums, auxiliaries, and stake and ward councils to help produce the following results.” Listed were specific instruction and services to be provided for “Families,” “Adults,” “Youth,” and “All Members.”

The brethren referred to this as a “balanced effort” to help convert, retain and activate Heavenly Father’s children.

Now, here’s the clincher. At the bottom of the written statement was a telling sentence: “This emphasis will continue until steady improvement is apparent.”

Today, nearly eight years later, that same emphasis is part of the message carried around the world by apostles and the seventy.

As leaders, we must carefully and prayerfully decide what we will emphasize, what “message” we will carry. Then we must “stay on message.” This is done by repeating the message at every opportunity and in every venue. That doesn’t mean you give the very same talk every time you stand before your people. It means that you continue to teach the core principles and doctrines. You may use different stories and scriptures and metaphors to illustrate your points, but you stay on message. You enlist the aid of your team (your counselors, your council, etc.), and you stay on message. You consistently reinforce good performance and you promptly correct poor performance.

Great leaders understand that the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

6—Calibrate for Result. Even in this age of sophisticated aviation, an airplane flying from, say, New York to London is slightly off course much of the time. Yet it can safely cross the Atlantic and land in London within seconds of its schedule arrival time. Why? Because the pilots and navigators work hard to calibrate for result. They constantly examine wind direction and velocity and other weather conditions. They constantly monitor the airplane’s instruments, its speed, the sounds of its engines and the tilt of the wing and tail flaps.

As a leader, you will do well to calibrate for result. Listen and watch for evidence that the “case for action” is firmly embraced by your people. Make adjustments as necessary. Listen and watch for signs of new speed bumps or other points of resistance. Make adjustments as necessary. Listen and watch for problems people may have in making transitions. Look for signs that commitment may be eroding. Make adjustments as necessary. Be on the alert for opportunities to reinforce the cascading sponsorship. Make adjustments as necessary. Solicit candid, reliable feedback on the effectiveness of leadership messages. Then make adjustments as necessary.

Great leadership is more of an art than a science. To be successful you must be constantly alert. You must be ready to make adjustments along the way. You must calibrate for result.

Creating an atmosphere of hope and encouragement is one of the most important things you can do for your people. Don’t rely on pep talks, although plenty of enthusiasm is a welcome ingredient in great teaching. Try the CPR (Converse—Practice—Reinforce) process we discussed earlier. And use the six steps we’ve suggested to aid implementation. You’ll find that they make a big contribution to a performance climate where success is contagious.

Quotes to Remember

We must prioritize our teachings to emphasize that which is of the greatest worth. – Gordon B. Hinckley

Knowledge is the basis of all his successful adjustments, … An adequate knowledge means the elimination of error and success in making adjustments. – David O. McKay

Note: The excerpts of Leadership for Saints posted on Meridian are only a fraction of the contents of this 349-page book. To learn more about this ground-breaking book and to order copies, click here.