Long-term, Short-term Planning
by Dr. Keith E. Webb

I've lived and worked in 4 countries. In each country I was fully engaged in ministry. After moving to the next country I wondered what was left behind? What happened as a result of being there?

These are daunting questions! The answer for me has been: "Not nearly as much as I intended."

One idea is to work in such as way as to focus on small wins early on - putting something helpful that can stand on its own into the hands of others. I call this approach Long-term, Short-term Planning.

In January 2001, I moved to Indonesia, just after the ethnic, political, and financial crisis of '98-'99 had settled down. And just in time to be caught in the new battle between extremists and "democracy". For most of our five years in Indonesia we lived under the stress of never knowing how long we'd actually be able to stay in the country. That kind of uncertainty plays havoc with long-term planning.

Usually people recommend building ministries over a long time period. What happens, however, if four years into things and before things are firmly established, you suddenly have to leave due to a medical emergency, education issues, visa rejections, threats, etc. What would remain?

Think Long-term, Work Short-term
Plan long-term by determining what you're trying to achieve, and then plan short-term by breaking it down into parts that can stand on their own.

As you implement each stand alone part one-by-one, you build toward something greater and yet will leave something behind if you can't continue working long-term.

For example, in Indonesia I worked to make a change in the mindset of leaders: focusing on character, calling, and giftedness - and how to develop these in others. I worked from a 3-year plan (it took me 5 years!). I wanted to develop reproducible processes and materials and see those used by Indonesians.

I divided the larger whole into smaller six-month projects that would move the ministry forward, be reproducible, and build on previous projects. This way, if I couldn't stay, I would leave behind all the previously completed projects because they could stand on their own.

Here's my "3-year" schedule of projects, each to take 6 months:

• "Focusing Leaders" materials developed
  
• "Focusing Leaders" beta groups completed
  
• "Focusing Leaders" facilitators trained
  
• 2 supporting books translated and published
  
• Focusing Leaders implemented in 2 large networks, 2 and 3 generations deep
  
• Coaching workshop developed and implemented
  
• Small group workbook developed and published

At any point after the first facilitators were trained something reproducible would have existed if I had to leave. Each additional project that was completed added to the system, supporting my Indonesian colleagues.

In your ministry, what would you leave behind if you had to suddenly move? What would you like to leave behind?

Make Long-term, Short-Term Plans

1. What is the vision you are called to implement?
   
2. What are smaller, stand-alone projects that would build toward completing this vision?
   
3. How would you order the projects so that from early on they are important, stand alone, and reproducible?

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Copyright © 2010 Keith E. Webb & CRM

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Dr. Keith E. Webb is a trainer and experienced cross-cultural leadership coach helping organizations, teams, and individuals multiply their cross-cultural impact. Find free articles at http://www.CreativeResultsManagement.com.