Most communicators think that having a great message is 90% of the battle. Especially when I talk to people in the non-profit, advocacy, or religious media worlds, they often focus entirely on the message. Their thinking is that if the message is powerful and compelling, it will find the audience. But nothing could be further from the truth. Having a great message is important, but what the advertising world knows that others don't is that you have to build pathways to your audience. Business leaders understand the concept as building pathways to your customer. The fact is, ... read more

As people of faith, we like to think that we actually impact culture. But the truth is, historically speaking, it's usually the other way around. You've no doubt read the classic quote: "Christianity began as a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When it went to Athens, it became a philosophy. When it went to Rome, it became an organization. When it went to Europe, it became a culture. When it came to America, it became a business." Over and over, it seems Christianity ... read more

I dropped this idea on Twitter and Facebook and immediately received some hot responses. I expected it of course, because the idea is so ingrained in people that we don't ever stop to think about it. In a perfect world - absolutely, that's the way I'd love things. You do great works or minister to people; and then support, community, donor dollars - whatever, will flow in. After all, it sounds so noble and spiritual. But it's just not true and here's why: ... read more

I have often bought into ideas and plans because of a person's sincerity. I felt that because they believed in the idea so sincerely, it had to be the right thing to do. But over and over, I've been wrong. It took me a long time to learn that sincerity is a good thing - but it actually means very little when it comes to the validity or truth about good ideas. Over the centuries, lots of people have been very sincere about very bad ideas. Cults and heresies are almost always started by the most sincere people. Anarchists are sincere. Terrorists are sincere. And as a result, ... read more

While watching the news coverage of Walter Cronkite's death this week, I started thinking of comparisons to pop star Michael Jackson. I realized that Michael had "fans," and Walter had "admirers." People loved Michael's music and what he did on the stage. His personal life however, left much to be desired. Walter Cronkite on the other hand wasn't terribly spectacular, but he was brilliant at his job, and it literally impacted an entire nation. Personally, Cronkite was married for nearly sixty-five years to Mary Elizabeth 'Betsy' Maxwell Cronkite. They were married on March 30, 1940, and remained together until her death in 2005. Jackson on the other hand had ... read more

The single greatest complaint I hear from people is about organization. "I just can't seem to get organized." Or, "As soon as I get organized, I'll _______." (Just insert whatever.) Your creativity, productivity, and success will always be crippled until you can get your life together. In my personal case, the problem was writing ideas down. For years, I've carried index cards and notebooks, because you never know when the big idea will hit you. The inspiration that could transform your career or save the organization will forever be lost if you don't write it down - then act on it. Working from a handwritten list is fine, but if you spend most of your time on a computer, or need to update the list frequently, then software is the way to go. With that in mind, ... read more

One of the most surprising revelations to come out of the Mark Sanford sexual affair with a woman from Argentina is the exposure of their romantic email correspondence. Let me be very clear: When you type an email, once you hit "SEND," you've lost control of that message. You have absolutely no idea where it will end up, who will read it, and how it might be used against you. Attorneys will tell you that in a legal case, the first thing the other side demands ... read more