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There is a regular local radio advertiser called the Ross Group. Their motto is that their training is 180 degrees different from the rest of the world's sales training.
I can not speak to their techniques, skills, etc, but the idea of training that is 180 degrees different is appealing to me. This is sort of a on going trend in my life.

I constantly examine things to see if there are better ways and techniques to do them. I guess that is one of the first things that drew me to computers. They are a tool to do certain tasks better, i.e. information storage, distribution, and retrieval. That is probably why I am constantly tweaking most of my web sites, my programs, my computer, my bicycle, my workouts, and my relationships with people. I examine everything that I can and always think there are better ways to do things. I then try to figure out ways to improve. That habit drives my wife crazy at times, when it is something she is satisfied with in it's current state, but it is the thing that draws her too me when it is something she wants to change.

In my mind, there is always room for improvement, and if what we are currently doing is not working as well as it should, then we must be willing to look at other options, methods, and techniques to improve. People do not go from average to exceptional in anything by using the same tools and techniques that they used when they were average. Craftsman buy or create better, specific need, and different tools as they hone their craft. Athletics find better training methods, equipment, diet, and self control as they improve at their sport. Successful businesses are constantly changing their means of production and distribution to stay ahead of the competition.

I have found that people and organizations that are always looking to find better ways have two things in common. First, and very importantly, they make a lot of mistakes as they are constantly trying to find better ways. It usually takes several less then successful attempts before a better technique is found. Secondly, and most importantly, they do not let the failures stop them. They fail, and try again, and again, and again, etc until they finally get a better means of doing something. Each failure is viewed as one step closer to the right answer, even if the failure was huge. They now know what NOT to do, and they learn as much from huge mistakes as they do from partial successes.

Simply, this note is not meant for you to apply on a church wide level. It is meant to be something that you do personally that can then be spread individual to individual, ministry to ministry within the body, as most of us know that churches tend to corner more cruise ships (turn the rudder and about 5 miles later it begins to change course), then sports cars. At the church wide level, changes and adjustments are things that have to be taken slowly. Unfortunately, at some churches all change or adjustments are viewed with suspicion. Many times, churches are not the best places to try new things and to fail at them, or places where it is encouraged to make multiple attempts at success - depending on your view. I think that is fundamentally wrong as the church is really nothing but a bunch of failed sinners that found a better way, but that is another topic for another day. Unfortunately, at most churches change within the body must only be attempted when success can almost be guaranteed. I learned in a management training class one time that there are fundamentally three types of people in any situation that involves change.

Group 1) The first group will eagerly embrace the new idea. They will take it to heart and maybe even retool it slightly. They will act as a proponent of the new idea simply because it is new, different and potentially better. Obviously they are a minority.

Group 2) The second group is comprised of people that will embrace the new idea only after they have seen it improve the work and labor of the first group (who also works the bugs out). This second group is the majority of any organization. They will change, but only when they see that it benefits them and that they have little choice other then change or be left behind.

Group 3) Then there is the third group, another minority population within any organization. This group will never change and adapt and will fight any attempt to change until they either die or leave the organization. Their mind set is that what worked in the past is good enough to work in the future.