Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64trends are identified, and focus management attention on critical issues. Our organization measures a large number of things. We know exactly how many men are at the shelter nightly, how many people the food bank served, the number of meals produced in each of our kitchens, and the daily donations received. While we do compile data, we need to use the infor- mation to help direct our efforts and energy with greater precision. Monitoring high-level informa- tion helps me ask detailed questions that broaden my understanding of an issue. With a deeper grasp of critical information, our team can identify areas where we can improve our outcomes. 4. Invest energy in critical external relationships. L ike most missions, we have dozens of important stakeholders, from major donors to key suppliers. An incoming CEO has a finite period to ensure that existing goodwill and relationships continue. The same time period also allows for expectations to be adjusted, if required. The community that supports the mission starts to form impressions of the new CEO immediately. They likely looked at your LinkedIn profile or spoke to someone who knows you. I recommend that an incoming CEO make a list of all the important stakeholders and meet as many as possible in the first 90 to 120 days. In my case, with the assistance of the outgoing CEO, I was able to visit our largest food supplier and most of the other CEOs of the various shelters and social agen- cies in the city. I was also able to meet with our mayor and other important municipal officials, our Member of Parliament, some donors, our auditing firm, and our outside counsel. In conclusion, I’ll make one other suggestion. Ensure that you have a small, dedicated prayer team to support your efforts. You will need ongoing guid- ance and protection that is energized by prayer. Ĩ 42 WWW.AGRM.ORG MARCH/APRIL 2017 2. Set the tone and pace as quickly as possible. T he first few meetings or conversations with your staff matter more than you can imagine. Pay close attention to the pace you set and the tone of your interactions. I inher- ited a talented staff, including several seasoned senior leaders. If you are like me, you have a preferred decision-making style, but it’s wise to flex to the decision-making style of your senior team before you initiate major changes. Asking questions is critical. When team mem- bers look to me for an opinion, I typically ask for their recommendation. Most of my opinions over the last 90 days have been framed as ques- tions or “what if” ideas. Establishing expectations around what infor- mation you expect to obtain from your direct reports is equally vital. I have a “no surprises, please” rule! Tell your team what you need to know about right away and what they need to figure out with their respective teams. Some deci- sions don’t require your input or consideration. In some cases, the things you need to be involved in will be quite different from the way your pred- ecessor worked. It’s also wise to be candid about your limitations. If you aren’t open about your weaknesses, the team will eventually discover them in spite of your efforts to cover them up. 3. Identify the key metrics of measurement and monitor them. W hat gets measured gets attention. Far too many charitable endeavors are run by good-hearted people who don’t know how to apply basic management prin- ciples to their efforts. Without proper systems and measurements, a mission will eventually be unable to respond to the needs that it was set up to address. A new leader needs to figure out what measurements are most important, ensure that Sam—speaker, writer, business executive, and pastoral leader—was a team performance management consultant for the past 17 years while leading the board of a large church. He is married to a talented corporate attorney and they have two teen daughters. Reach him at swatts@missionba.com If you aren’t open about your weaknesses, the team will eventually discover them in spite of your efforts to cover them up.