As children most of us received speeches and words of caution about good posture. Though we might not have been concerned with them at the time, most of what we heard was good advice. Posture is important to our muscular and bone health later in life. Good posture is also key to our listening and learning abilities. Slouching posture truly does reduce the learning receptors of our body.

Whether standing or sitting, our posture is communicating to those around us. In my years of conducting more than 5,000 interviews with job applicants, posture during an interview became one of my telltale signs for a person’s character and his/her desire for work. Most people enter an interview with a sense of nervousness. Therefore, the interview begins with him sitting in a pretty straight up, healthy postured position. As the interview progresses, the interviewee will begin to relax. For some this relaxing turns into a slouching position.

Slouching posture demonstrates little interest for the job or topic being discussed as well as a sign of disrepect. This disrespect may be concerning the interviewer and his company. It could be about work in general, or a disrepect for the work being discussed. While slouching posture during an interview may not always be the only reason not to hire, it is a large communication indicator of the person’s character. In my experience, slouching posture was one of a cluster of communicators – and it nearly always proved correct.

Conversely, straight up, healthy posture reflects interest in the job and the topic at hand. Yet, that was not always enough for me in an interview. Nerves could also keep a person sitting up straight in the chair. Nerves will also keep a person fidgeting in his/her seat.

In most cases, I was seeking the person who would sit on the edge of his/her seat, leaning forward as we discussed the position being considered. Sitting on the front portion of the seat and leaning into the conversation not only displays interest, but also intrigue and enthusiasm for the topic being discussed.

Not only in job interviews, every meeting, discussion, and casual conversation you engage in, posture is communicating the interest of each person involved.  As a leader, you should not only learn to watch for these communiqués of posture, but you should also observe and have others observe your posture as well. Practice good healthy and enthusiastic posture.

What can you do today to begin to learn and observe of your own posture? What can you put into practice to learn what is being communicated to you by the posture of those you speak and interact with?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Parts of this post adapted from Coaching: A Way of Leadership, A Way of Life.

John’s small 50 member business had been cruising just fine, or at least it seemed that way. They were not setting sales records, but the bills were paid, and a little extra was being set aside for renovation. John and his leadership team had put more money into their budget for promotion in the past two years any time in the organizations history. The organization’s theme had become “Take Care of The Client”. Cause every potential client to believe the organization truly cared for the client. With business going fairly well, John could not understand why there seemed to be infighting among employees and leadership, why employee morale was in such decline, and why more new customers were not sticking.

Leaders and organizations often focus on production with little attention to relationships within the organization. If you do not have some focus on new clients, members, volunteers, you will never reach new heights or increase production and effectiveness. However, focusing only on the client, does not breed healthy environments. Unhealthy environments will always lead to disparagement, low morale, and loss of people.

Every organization needs a balance between new business (sales, production, new members) and relationships inside the organization. The lack of recognition of the importance of relationships within an organization will stifle production, stunt growth, and ambush effectiveness. “Without good relationships, the organization will begin to lose its best people, and the results will decline.” Ken Blanchard, Leading at a Higher Level, pg 198

Effective organizations have found the path to effectiveness includes both promotion of production and healthy internal relationships. Developing a highly effective organization is an ongoing journey, not a quick trip to the super market. As a leader or member, you must be in this for the long haul. You build up to the effectiveness desired, designing around production and relationships as a synergy – one building off the other. Then you keep rethinking, planning ahead, observing both the good and bad of today’s production and relationships to drive the organization to the next level of effectiveness and relationships. The way to sustain effective production is to continually learn and grow through both the current positive happening and those areas that need work.

One of the absolute best leadership tools I have ever seen, heard and learned is Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership. I was privileged to have gone through this training while serving in retail management. More than any other, this concept changed – revolutionized leadership for me – and I was blessed to learn it 30 years ago. Understanding leadership styles and personal development is key to effectiveness in leading and growing individuals and organizations. Understanding how these two concepts interact is crucial to developing effective employees, volunteers, and organizational health.

Unfortunately, there is not enough room in a blog post to cover these. Yet, you can begin by understanding how to strengthen relationships within your organization and intertwining those relationships with the effective production of your organizations purpose. Contact me for more information or look up some of The Blanchard Group’s information on Situational Leadership II. (It is not a quick fix and reading one source on it will not get you to the level you desire. It takes time to study, read, and learn. Then you must continue to study and practice the principles and habits therein.

Jesus was so relationship driven that people came from regions all around to meet and spend time with Him. What is your first step of strengthening the relationships in your organization (church) and intertwining those with the purpose of your church (organization)?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

As a youngster growing up in Louisville, KY I didn’t always agree with my mother and Father on what I needed to help me grow and remain healthy. You probably did not either. Take food for instance; my parents wanted me to eat all kinds of green vegetables, black-eyed peas, and carrots.

As a child, I was a fan of Popeye the Sailor man. But what he was popping open and eating and the spinach my mother tried to feed me were two different things. It had to be! There is no way Popeye would’ve gulped down a can of the Spinach my mom was serving. I don’t know who the manufacturer of Popeye’s spinach was, but I am certain it tasted more like chocolate – or at least like Flintstones vitamins.

The point is as kids, we don’t always know what is good for us. Why, had it been left up to me, I would have had a diet of sugar and candy. But now I know all sugar is not a healthy diet.

The same is true with our spiritual lives, isn’t it? We need a healthy diet. What does that diet consist of? We need a steady diet of the things that will produce wellbeing and growth. In our spiritual growth that is Bible study.

We know fish is a good source of protein. Some people like to eat their fish raw. I am not one of those people. I want my meat cooked, so I do not eat sushi. Besides a complete diet of raw fish is not healthy either.

By the same token, you can study the Bible in the privacy of your own home, but it will not be the same as studying with a small group of people. To get the full impact of God’s word, you need to study with others. God made you this way. There is no better learning than reading/studying God’s Word, The Holy Bible with others.

Not only God’s Word, reading for learning is essential. Learning is essential for intellectual growth. Just as a child needs a healthy diet to grow, so you and I need a healthy diet for physical and intellectual growth. Research shows us a large percentage of men (over 80%) never read a book cover to cover after their last year of schooling. No matter their level of classroom education, reading stops within two years afterwards.

While the percentage of women reading is higher than men, much of their reading is not for education or intellect, but for pleasure; novels, poetry, short stories, and magazines. Very little of this leads to intellectual growth.

We all lead in some capacity of life. A leader is a reader and a reader is a learner. I am a slow reader. Almost all of my reading is for education. I continually want to learn more, to strive for intellectual growth. Not trying to be better than anyone else, reading is the spinach of growing brainpower. I now eat spinach since I have learned the true value of it. Likewise, I understand the value of reading for intellectual growth allowing me to be better prepared for discussions and processing various situations that arise throughout each week.

Begin reading subjects you are passionate about. Read how to books on those subjects. Read biographies of leaders in that industry, sport, or profession. Read to gain useful information, not trivia only. Read to improve, whether it is a sport, a hobby, or your profession. Begin today. Do an internet search for topics relating to your passions. Then pop open that can of intellectual spinach and gulp it down.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

“I have heard people talk about that for years, but no one ever showed me how.” The first time I heard this was from a retired widow in her seventies. Since then I have heard something similar on several occasions. What she was speaking of was praying scripture.

I love to pray scripture. Not only the prayers found in scripture. I love praying many different portions of scripture. Apart from the genealogies, most all of scripture can be prayed. When prayed, scripture comes alive and takes on a more personal significance.

When praying scripture, I format the wording to my life situation pertaining to the verse. The very first Psalm recorded in the Bible begins like this: “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.”

Here is how I might pray that verse. “Lord, I want to be blessed by you. Therefore, keep me from walking in the way of the ungodly. Keep me from standing in the path that leads to sin. I do not want to be one who sits in the seat of the scornful. I need your help to be one whose delight is always in Your law O Lord. Teach me, lead me to meditate on Your law day and night.”

Praying scripture is simply taking God’s word, what was written by His Holy Spirit through His servants and applying it to what is going on in my life. Sometimes those prayers are soothing and comforting. Other times those prayers are strengthening and encouraging. Still there are other times when those prayers are sobering and even convicting.

I pray scripture in every Sunday morning worship service when serving as Interim pastor. One Saturday evening I prayed, asking God what scripture I was to pray the next morning, because I had not settled on one. The answer came back, “As always, pray what you’ve been studying this week.” I was reading Jeremiah, and I was not comfortable with that, so I thought, “Lord, is there something else I can pray?” But I knew the answer.

The next morning I read Jeremiah 2:20, “Long ago you broke off your yoke, and tore off your bonds; you said, ‘I will not serve you!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every spreading tree you lay down as a prostitute.”

Then my prayer was something like this, “Lord, forgive us, long ago we broke off our yoke – we, me and this nation, this church, we broke off our yoke and stopped serving you the way you desire. On every high hill you gave us pleasure in beautiful vistas, yet we prostituted ourselves from you for our own pleasures. You gave us comforting shade from every spreading tree, yet we me, and this country and this church, we lay down and prostituted ourselves from you…

Those are tough words and some reading this may think no way or George, you’ve gone off the deep end. Yet, I would ask you to consider, if God were to have Jeremiah write this letter to the churches of North America today, what would He have Jeremiah write? Jeremiah was not writing or speaking to the world that did not know God. He was speaking/writing to God’s chosen people.

Not all scripture is easy to pray. But it is all revitalizing and replenishing. Will you look at scripture differently after reading this? Will you begin to pray scripture daily? It will change your life.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Sitting in a church worship service as a guest, I was not surprised at the prayers being lifted up. In all honesty, the same prayers were being lifted in churches all across our nation. Being blessed to be a guest in several different churches each year, I hear the same prayers are voiced in most every evangelical church each week. I am talking about denominations that do not have liturgical prayers quoted in each service. At these churches, at the time of receiving the offering, whoever is praying is likely going to voice, “Bless the gift and the giver…” At the close of the service you will hear, “Put a hedge of protection around us.” Or “Keep us until we meet again…”

Not that any of these are bad or unbiblical prayers. They are rote. Most of our prayers are rote, even in church services. We are praying what we have heard others pray for years. I was at lunch one Sunday after visiting a church, with a man, his wife and college age son. The father asked his son to bless the food. After some awkward hesitation, the son voiced this prayer; “God is good, God is great, thank you for our food. Amen.” Had this been a four-year-old child, I would have been impressed. But this was a 21–22-year-old college student. Though apparently raised in church no one had taught him to pray beyond a preschool prayer.

I know, it is easy to fall into this trap praying rote prayers that we hear and voice on a regular schedule. We are praying from the head when God’s desire is for us to speak from the heart. We have become experts at praying from the head and not from a heart seeking God’s face. Jesus gave us what is referred to as the sample prayer, The Lord’s Prayer. I believe we should pray the Lord’s Prayer, among others. I also believe Jesus was trying to teach us to pray from the heart, not memorization.

Study the prayers of men and women in the Bible. They are rich and flowing with heartfelt passion. They are speaking to God with a passion or a burden as if kneeling before his very feet, pleading for life. Our prayers should be the same. Yet, we default to some prayer ritual we have heard or have been taught as liturgy. I seldom hear great emotion or passion in prayers, even in church services. Whether it is prayers before meals, at bedtime, in worship services, or other times, many of our prayers are vain attempts at empty rituals as if it were a duty to be filled.

Praying from the heart is simply crying out to God with a deep-seated passion that emanates from deep within your soul. When you long for something so bad that you will do almost anything for it, your passion index has raised almost to the level about which I am speaking. A heart-felt prayer is a yearning so strong that you cannot hesitate in crying out to God.

Will you set aside the regular run of the mill, rote prayers to attempt today to voice your prayer from a pure God-seeking heart? Try to use words and sentences that you have never used in prayer before as you thank, request, and intercede to God.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Recently I received a preliminary copy of a press release about me coming to work with a particular organization. In it was recorded, “We welcome Dr. George Yates…” I see or hear this several times each year. When I share that I do not hold a Doctorate degree, I get differing responses (none condescending). Some of the major reasons I hear are, “You’ve written several books.” Or “I’ve heard you speak on several occasions and…” or “I’ve read and heard of your experiences. You must have…” My favorite response and I’ve received it more than once, “Well, You’re Dr. Yates to me.” That one is always a welcome affirmation of God’s working through my feeble self.

Our society has equated formal education with success and recognition. Formal education does bring knowledge. Yet knowledge alone does not breed success. It is my belief that the gaining of knowledge is a great thing and necessary in life.

Education is a must for growth and effectiveness in life. To be effective, you must be a life-long continual learner. I am constantly attempting to learn. Reading, listening, viewing videos, and observing others to learn all that I can, a life-long learner. I also try to learn from my mistakes and shortcomings. First, I must recognize and acknowledge those shortcomings. Then, I oftentimes consider my mentors and contemplate, “How would he have handled that differently? How should I have …?

Understanding how to apply knowledge is wisdom and wisdom is where the effective use of knowledge is applied.” Speaking of our society, Bob Biehl, in his book on Mentoring states, “The criteria for the judgment of people usually rests upon knowledge rather than wisdom, achievement rather than character, profit rather than creativity.”

Knowledge is great, get all you can. But do not stop at acquiring knowledge. Knowledge builds great trivia buffs and may help you if you are ever a contestant on Jeopardy. Yet knowledge without application will never breed effectiveness or success in your ventures. Application requires wisdom and will always breed deeper levels of wisdom.

Some men and women that I have learned from over the years have had several diplomas on their walls. Others had not one. Each one of those men and women has been used by God to equip, encourage, and inspire me to be better, to gain more knowledge and wisdom, to reach for God’s best for me.

Be a life-long learner in every experience of every day. Get all the education you can. If you are a classroom learner, take classes to grow you into God’s best. Even if you are not a classroom learner, read, study books, videos, and most of all study the actions of other people – especially those you look up to and respect. Find others to mentor you.

Think on this: Most all of the learning of God’s servants and servant-leaders in the Bible gained their learning by means other than in a classroom. There is no greater learning experience than through mentoring. Be a mentor to others and no matter your age, always be on the look out for those who can mentor you. Who can you learn from and grow because of the time you spend with him/her?

I’d like to think some refer to me as Dr. Yates, not because of my knowledge or achievement, but because of God’s gifting and His wisdom demonstrated – His character depicted – and His creativity displayed. I live to learn to be used by God, not for personal recognition, but to bring Him glory and exaltation.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Mentorship is not a lifelong commitment. Certainly, it can be, but not necessarily. You, like me, have likely had several mentors throughout your life. Though not always in a formal mentoring relationship, various men have come into my life if only for a season. I must admit, I have very seldom used the term mentor or mentorship in my life. The fact is, I have never entered into a “formal” mentorship agreement either as the mentee or mentor. Yet, I have been blessed with mentors throughout my life.

Until recent generations, mentoring historically was as commonplace in life as daily eating. For centuries the greatest education came through mentoring relationship. Mentoring was a way of life between generations. It is how things were passed down, generation to generation; skills, trades, parenting, cooking, you name it, mentoring made it happen.

Mentoring in its absolute rawness is developing another person. Think back on your life, even as a child. Who in your life were those people – other than parents – that you looked up to, whom you respected, who you learned from. For many people an aunt or an uncle was an early life mentor. Some of my uncles were. Others could have been Bible study teachers, choir leaders, sports coaches, even school teachers. A mentor can be any person who takes a personal interest in you with a desire to see you succeed.

As you entered your adult life, who were the people or person who you looked up to and respected, a person who knew you by name and perhaps took you under her/his wing without wanting anything in return? They may have been in the same profession, or not. Their objective – whether stated or not – was to help you succeed.

Can you name three of those informal mentors who have been in your adult life? Why not write their names down and this week send each one a note of thanks for being one of those informal mentors in your life?

Now let’s turn the wheel around full circle. Perhaps one of the main reasons we have a separation of generations today is because we have allowed the art of mentorship to slowly die away. Mentoring as a lifestyle- as practiced since the first two generations of humans has all but disappeared in our lifetime. You and I have the power to stop the disappearance of mentoring. It is time to think of the young people in your life. Will you list the names of three younger adults, in their twenties whom you know by name? Young adults whom you have a desire to see succeed. How could you pour into each one as a mentor beginning this week?

Let’s close the separation of generations by engaging in mentoring relationships this week.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

“We’ve seen phenomenal growth; great spiritual growth, individual growth of team members…and how that spiritual growth spilled over to the church…” Jeff Perkins, Pastor, Mansfield Baptist Church, GA.

Perhaps today, greater than any time in modern history, utilizing teams in any organization is being realized as producing more effective results and forward progress. The collaborative effort of teamwork will propel any organization forward. The combined knowledge and varied experience of team members propels the team and organization toward preset goals, potentially reaching beyond expectations. However, not utilizing team traits effectively can lead to less than stellar results. (see previous post)

Let’s identify three organizational benefits of utilizing teams properly. First, the collaborative effort blends complementary energies and influences. Rather than one personality controlling the conversation and direction of a team, a collaborative effort combines every team member’s experience and wisdom. This creates a positive energy that incorporates everyone. In addition to the experiences and wisdom of combined energies, created also is a corporate influence among the team members which can overflow throughout the organization.

The second organizational benefit of properly utilizing teams is it fosters creativity. As discussions ensue, the brains higher level thought processes kick into gear and creativity begins to flow. One person may make a suggestion or ask a question. A second person adds a possible ingredient. Then a third person chimes in with a component that will be conducive to the workforce and a fourth person may bring to light some resource already within the organization. All these together form the basis of the right path to follow.

Organizational seldom comes from one person. A team of five to seven will prove to be an optimal source of creativity time in and time out. When teams get too large decision making becomes hampered and input from all team members is weakened. Keep teams at seven or less for your greatest productivity and results. Leaders should interject questions that encourage and promote creative thinking.

The third organizational benefit of utilizing teams is teams supports proprietorship. It is not that team members will be taking ownership of the organization. But they will take ownership of moving the organization forward. It no longer is about a job or self-interests. The team project is about results, moving the organization forward.

When teams are properly utilized, when the purpose is clear, goals and objectives are established from the beginning, open communication prevails and achievements are celebrated, people move to a higher level of achievement. Individuals begin to take responsibility in ownership of the success of the team’s objectives and the organizations progress.

What will you do this week to improve the organizational benefits of your teams – those you serve on and the teams throughout your organization?

To see a 4 minute video of Jeff Perkins and 2 church members testimony click here .

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Not only in sports, teams have become commonplace in the business world, private sector and in the spiritual community. While the team concept has been around for ages, it has certainly increased in the past few decades. In the past decade and a half, I cannot remember how many times pastors have stated to me, “We’ve moved from committees to teams.” I actually believe this is a good move, if the move is truly to a team concept. Unfortunately, in many churches, the “teams” still serve as committees only with a new moniker.

A team is a small group of people serving with a specific purpose and working in coordination to accomplish stated tasks and goals. You do not go to a football stadium and expect to see some players using an American football, others a European football, and still others swinging a golf club or tennis racket. There would not be much of a team in that atmosphere.

Let’s briefly look at four characteristics of highly effective teams.

1. The purpose of a team is clear to everyone on the team and those looking in from outside the team. If a team is put together to seek and clarify the future vision for the organization, then their tasks should be driven by the aspects of seeking said vision. If on the other hand a team is put together to “rubber stamp” the leader’s desire, then a better name for the team would be “The Yes man and woman team” (sarcasm).

Whatever the purpose of a team is it should be succinctly stated from the very beginning and clear to all inside the team and those outside looking in.

2. Goals and expectations should be set at the implementation of the team. The first meeting of any team should be orientation of the purpose (see #1) and establishing goals and expectations. Without these being set at the start, will lead the team to floundering, chaos and a breakdown of the team’s drive.
3. Open, continual communication between team members is a must. While teams may not meet together in person, regular, open communication channels should be set during the expectations meeting and a follow through pattern established at the start. With today’s multi-instant communication methods continual or regular communication between team members is 100 times better than getting together for regular scheduled meetings. And in many cases, it’s all in writing!
4. Celebrating team achievements is more crucial to effective teams than most people would give credit. When your team, a portion of your team, or an individual on your team reaches a goal or achievement or brings to the team a key in effectively moving forward, that individual, portion and entire team should be recognized within the larger organization. You want people at all levels to know achievements are recognized and celebrated within your organization.

No matter what field you are in, your organizations effective forward movement depends on proper establishing and empowerment of teams within the organization. One of the most important obligations you have as a leader (organization or team) is to ensure your teams are established with a clear purpose, with properly aligned goals and objectives, a communication process, and a celebratory mindset.

What should your first step be in realizing effective team strategies within your organization?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

As a child one of my earliest Christmas shopping memories was a particular shopping trip with my Dad & brothers. Our goal was to each pick out a gift for Mom. Dad would purchase the gifts, take them home, wrap them, and place them under the tree until Christmas morning.

As we walked through the perfume section of the store, I saw what I thought looked like a stage coach with perfume bottles in it. I grew up in an era where westerns were king and every boy wanted to be a cowboy. Intrigued by the “stagecoach”, I spoke up and told Dad that’s what I wanted for Mom.

To my surprise, Dad reached up and picked only one piece of the stage coach. Instead of a stage coach, what I had chosen looked more like a canoe with a bottle of perfume. My disappointment quickly faded as Dad handed it to me to place in the shopping cart. I was thrilled, looking at this small boat-like canister white and dazzling with glitter. I was extremely excited to buying (with Dad’s money) a gift so shiny and sparkling for my Mother.

In fact, as soon as I got back to my Mother, with extreme excitement in my voice I said, “Mom, let me tell you what I got you.” Dad interrupted me right away to explain that it would not be a surprise Christmas morning if I told Mom what I bought her. From that moment until Christmas morning, I could hardly contain myself. I so wanted to let it out. I was ready to burst with excited emotion, desiring to tell my Mother of this special gift.

Those are great memories of childhood Christmases. As I reflect on memories like this one, I also think of the Christ of Christmas. The reason we celebrate Christmas. If an inexpensive, plastic, canoe shaped perfume container could evoke that much excitement and exuberance, how much more deserving is the one who came to earth as a child to offer me a home in heaven? Is my excitement for Him paled in comparison to the excitement I displayed as a child over this one small gift?

Where is your excitement this Christmas season? Was it displayed at the opening of presents? The sharing of fond memories with family? How much excitement will be displayed through your words and actions this Christmas season and into the New Year for the one who provides so much in your life, including an opportunity to spend eternity in a place called heaven?

Enjoy this Christmas season recalling the Christ of Christmas and all He has brought you through.

• This is an updated post from a Christmas past.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.