Tip of the Week-- October 23, 2015

Wow, almost 2 months without a Tip.  You must be feeling lost and all alone in this great big world. ;-)  I was in the States for a few weeks.  I really enjoyed my trip and seeing so many great people, though I could have used another few weeks just to kick back and relax.

Coming back, I jumped right into a busy schedule that has included a few meetings.  It seems to me that many people these days dislike meetings and are very public about their eye-rolling when meetings are announced.  Maybe this has always been the case.  In any case, I think I have the solution for all my American (and European) friends who are finding themselves dreading their meetings.  We'll call it conditioning therapy for meeting-phobia.

Really, everyone should, at least once in their life, experience a meeting conducted in a foreign language in a non time-oriented culture.  Really, it's a blast.  And you'll never look on your American meetings in the same way.  Now, you'll need some pointers to get through this, but fear not, I'm here with today's Tip of the Week to get you through.

Meeting Launch

First, always take meeting start times with a grain of salt.  They are more of a suggestion than a hard and fast deadline.  The first half hour is usually just reserved for catching up and waiting for people to show up.   Of course, if you show up 15 minutes late, it will already be started.  So either be on time or come unapologetically late.  There are merits to both.

Prepare for the conditions

You will almost surely not be in an air conditioned room.  And you can kiss the idea of comfy chairs goodbye.  So what you are hoping for is leg-room and a fan.  Drinking plenty of water and taking sweat precautions are recommended (see previous tips). 

As in church, fan speeds will never be high enough for your liking.  You would happily put up with your papers trying to blow away, but trust me, that won't happen.  You will find, among certain nationals, the extreme dislike of the feeling of direct air current on their skin or in their face.  You'd like to be in a wind-tunnel, and they like the air movement to be as subtle as baby's breathe.  If possible, avoid these people.  Sit with people who, though not to your extreme, actually sweat and therefore, like their air to move.

Telephone etiquette

I know you are used to turning your phones off in meetings.  Or perhaps you are one of those rebellious types who keeps your phone on silent, sneaking in texts while you should be listening.  In this case, however, there is no need.  Feel free to get up and take your calls.  It can be a wonderful chance to stretch your legs and get a change of scenery.  Or if you think it will be quick, just stay in your seat and answer in a "quiet" voice.  It is polite to at least duck down a bit. 

Language

On the day of any given meeting, your language abilities will be inversely proportional to the importance of the meeting.   In other words, the more you'd like to understand and impress, the more of a bumbling fool you will be.  This is an immutable law of the universe, and there is little use in trying to sidestep it.  Embrace it.

You'll encounter a couple additional obstacles to full understanding.  The first is what I call the restatement dilemma.  As someone is talking, you'll realize that they are, in effect, restating something that you've already heard someone else say.  You'll be confused, seeing this as needless repetition, but that's where you are likely to be wrong.  It could be that they are actually in agreement with what was previously said, so they are saying it again for emphasis or to help others better understand.  Or they may be in agreement but want to add a subtle nuance to the statement or actually go farther than the previous speaker.  Or they may completely disagree, but not wanting to offend, they restate the whole argument changing it in ways so subtle that you are likely to miss but are somehow clear to everyone else in the room.  There is no such thing as, "I agree with David." or "I agree with David, and I think..." or "I agree with David, but...".  So when you find yourself saying, "This has already been said" some deep, cynical voice should respond, "Oh yes, but has it really??"

The second obstacle is concentration fatigue.  After about  2 to 3 hours in the meeting, you'll start to involuntary zone out.  This is especially difficult after a break, since your mind will likely have stayed on pause. You'll find yourself staring at the lips of the speaker, but your ears will be tuned to the constant whirl of the ceiling fan, and your mind will be comparing that sound to the noise your DVD player was making the last time it refused to play your movie.  Speaking of your DVD player and other broken things around the house,  you will remember that plumbing leak that you need to get repaired, and as you mentally see the drip, drip, drip of the faucet, you'll get lost in thoughts of the ocean, of mountain lakes, and of bygone days of youthful adventure.  You've traveled far, you'll realize, as you come back to reality, sitting in a desert, watching the movement of the lips of a man talking about something incomprehensible, but most certainly not about water and very likely, not of fun.

How to measure success

You'll find yourself, as you near the end of the meeting, trying to sum up what you've actually accomplished.  You might feel a bit like a hasty hobbit who, having waited into the wee hours of the night, asks the Ents what has been decided after their all day meeting, and you'll be shocked when the Ents reveal that they've only just finished the greeting.

Yes, you've made a bunch of "should" statements, but you'll have assigned out no tasks, you'll have created no deadlines, and most certainly, you will not have laid a detailed action plan.  You will count the hours in puzzlement, and think, "What just happened?"  It is important, in such times, to remember that there is no way to say anything quickly in Old Entish.

On the bright side, you will likely have scheduled another meeting.  And this, my friends, is where success is measured.  Was the new meeting scheduled because there is a sense of excitement and agreement in the room, a sense that, "next time" all the pieces will come together?  Or was it scheduled because the debate has worn on too long, and no one can think clearly any longer?   Or was it scheduled because of resigned obligation?  In other words, are you leaving with more unity, consensus, and forward-momentum?  Or are you leaving with less unity, less consensus, and more frustration?  The former is success and will open all the necessary doors in good time; the latter is an omen of defeat and many more painful meetings.

Prayer Requests

 1. Pray for me in my role as team leader.  I've got many "irons in the fire" right now, as it is a busy time for our team.  Pray that I would lead well and have clarity on which projects to tackle first.

2.  Pray for the health of our team and our national friends as malaria seems to be especially pervasive and aggressive this year.  Many of our hospital staff have been ill.

3.  Praise the Lord that our recent meeting went well. It was between church leaders from both sides of the nearby border, exploring how we can all work together to respond to the needs in the area.  Pray that we'd have wisdom as we work together in partnership.

4.  Praise the Lord that Djakari has been able to start schooling.  His situation at home has calmed down (the head of the house was threatening to kick him out because of his faith).  Pray that Djakari would continue to grow in his faith and that he would be successful in school (learning to become a tailor).

5.  Pray for my colleague Anco, who does great work in development, like well drilling and solar installation.  He has a large number of projects on his plate, all of which will make huge differences for the people he is helping.  He will also be doing a large solar installation project at the hospital that will greatly reduce our energy costs.  Pray that he'd have wisdom and enormous energy as he prepares for these projects.