What's Best Next

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Developing a Christian Worldview

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As Christians, we are called to engage the culture, not retreat from it. In order to do this effectively (and winsomely, avoiding spiritual weirdness), we need to understand how to develop a Christian worldview.

Philip Graham Ryken’s booklet What is the Christian Worldview is the best short read on how to do this. It outlines the four basic components of the Christian worldview—creation, fall, redemption, and restoration—and shows how they apply to every area of life.

This book gives a good basis for understanding the framework for thinking Christianly about anything, so that you can then apply the framework to your own specific callings.

 

Creating a Business Plan that Actually Works

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Thanks to the many of you who have been so encouraging as we announced the launch of What’s Best Next. You emails and shares have been meaningful.

We hope you’ll stick around to benefit from the things we have planned, and to help us refine the resources and services. None of this makes sense if people like you aren’t inspired and helped.

Creating a Business Plan that Actually Works

One of the things we’re looking to do, in addition to developing many free resources, is to publish, over time, focused books for helping Christians be more effective in their work.

Creating_A_Business_Plan_COVERThe one we started with, which seemed to make sense given what we were already working on, is a short digital book called Creating a Business Plan that Actually Works: Especially, But Not Only, for Faith-Based Organizations.

With a title like that, and given that What’s Best Next is a mere three days old, I would expect at least a snicker or two! But here’s the deal: this e-book is not about guaranteeing a level of success, however you measure it. It’s about a process that does what it’s intended to do—a framework that can make a significant difference as you plan any kind of real-world endeavor.

Whether you’re launching a new business, starting a ministry, planning an event, or managing a project of a certain size or scope, this short e-book can help guide you in thinking through your plans. Matt originally wrote this a few years ago and we’ve updated several sections in light of working through the vision for What’s Best Next.

 Here’s what you’ll find in Creating a Business Plan that Actually Works: 

  1. How Do You Think Biblically About Business Plans?
  2. Making Business Plans Useful: A Brief Overview
  3. The Elements of a Business Plan (And Getting Them Right)
  4. Further Resources

This focused book is especially for those who are making plans from a Christian perspective—whether in churches, ministries, other non-profits, or anywhere else. While you don’t have to operate from a specifically Christian perspective to benefit, it will be especially helpful for those looking for a resource that makes the integration of faith and work explicit.

Available for download from WhatsBestNext.com or Amazon.com

Matt Perman talks Productivity on the “Am I Called?” Podcast

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Matt recently sat down (virtually) with Dave Harvey to discuss productivity in light of the Bible.

In the latest episode of the “Am I Called?” podcast, Matt & Dave discuss the story behind the name “what’s best next,” why Christians can benefit from secular thinkers, how time management relates to the Christian life, and more.

Listen to the interview directly on AmICalled.com or on iTunes.

 

 

Announcing What’s Best Next (The Organization)

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WBN_Full_Logo_RGBFor a long time I’ve wanted to update WhatsBestNext.com and turn it into a more complete resource site. I have a few hundred articles on leadership, productivity, and theology that I’m in the process of getting online.

Last summer, my friend James Kinnard and I started talking about these things and we both sensed the articles were just a small part of what is possible. What is really needed is an organization where Christians can be equipped in gospel-driven productivity and leadership from all angles, with new resources, online training, coaching, and more in-person training.

This flows from our passion for helping Christians connect their faith and their work, and takes it another step: giving practical teaching on how to be more effective in our work and all areas of life.

James is a good friend going back many years. He worked at Crossway for the last 7 years, leading their marketing & communications team, making a significant contribution. He is remarkably productive, and has been an enthusiastic proponent of gospel-driven productivity from the start, helping me over the years in refining the concepts. We think very much alike on leadership, management, and productivity, coming from the same framework of Scripture and both having been influenced by contemporary thinkers like Patrick Lencioni, Marcus Buckingham, Jim Collins, and others.

We’ve been sharpening the vision over the last few months, and are excited to launch What’s Best Next.

The Vision

Our vision is to launch an organization focused on helping Christians be more effective leaders, managers, and individual contributors. Through a variety of practical resources, we want to empower men and women in their daily work, from a gospel-centered perspective.

We want to help Christians sharpen the disciplines and skills of knowing what’s most important (c.f. Matt. 6:33, Matt. 40:37-40) and doing what’s most important, in ways that work out the ethic of the gospel.

In other words, whether it’s strategic planning, setting goals, managing email, collaboration, or a hundred other topics, we want to help Christians be more effective in doing good work, all in light of the biblical principles and gospel-centered motivations that drive true productivity.

The Need

We believe that a gospel-centered paradigm for productivity is needed for Christians working in churches, nonprofits, and in the marketplace. The world of work is one of the chief arenas through which the gospel of Christ can impact lives. It’s the main place most of us love our neighbor and serve the common good. And so increasing our personal and organizational effectiveness is a key means of honoring God and serving others.

But few organizations provide focused training in these areas, and fewer still seek to do so from an explicitly Christian perspective.

At What’s Best Next, we want to provide an integrated biblical outlook from the outset—an outlook which not only is based on the Scriptures, but which also takes into account the best business and leadership research from secular thinkers. For their findings are also a gift of God’s grace, and are to be leveraged by Christians.

The Opportunity

Imagine what could happen if churches, non-profits, businesses, and individual Christians everywhere were making plans and getting things done in ways that consistently honor God and commend the gospel.

That’s what What’s Best Next aims to help bring about. We will seek to do this through a range of resources, online webinars, productivity coaching, and workshops.

You can learn more on WhatsBestNext.com, but if you’re interested in receiving updates, productivity tips, and free resources as we go along, the best thing to do is sign up for the What’s Best Next Newsletter.

H3 Leadership Q&A with Brad Lomenick

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Brad Lomenick’s latest book H3 Leadership: Be Humble. Stay Hungry. Always Hustle just released at the end of last month.

I highly recommend anything Brad writes. His experience leading Catalyst and working with some of the greatest thought leaders of the day give him a unique angle and depth of insight.

In this book Brad identifies what he describes as the 20 key habits that great leader shave in common, all built within the foundational elements of H3- Humble, Hungry, and Hustle.

Here are a few Q&A’s on the book.

Can you give us a quick overview of the book?

H3 Leadership is an application driven, practical leadership playbook that provides a proven process and much needed guidance on how to not only run, but finish well in the leadership race. Readers of this highly practical book will find it chock-full of easy-to-incorporate tips for catalytic leadership and ready to install strategies for living out the transformational habits of a leader.

Breaking down the “what” and “how daily leadership habits and routines that will awaken and transform the way you lead, H3 Leadership is a strategic guide and roadmap that uncovers and clearly defines the 20 key habits that will build your core leadership framework and establish a clear path to long-term sustainable influence. These 20 key Habits are not grand gestures of power, but simple practices that can easily be implemented into everyday life. 20 Key habits all great leaders have in common and essential to all effective leaders.

Based on over a decade of work with Catalyst and the gathered insights of some of America’s most respected leaders from wide ranging fields, H3 Leadership offers 20 key leadership habits that will teach and train you to be a better, stronger and ultimately a more effective leader. A “how to put your leadership into practice” book focused on the habits a leader must form to lead now, and lead well.

True leadership can be complex. I’m trying to keep it simple with the three transformational habits of leadership: be humble, stay hungry, always hustle. These powerful words describe the leader who is willing to work hard, get it done, and make sure it’s not about him or her; the leader who knows that influence is about developing the right habits for success.

Nearly half the actions leaders take every day aren’t choices—they’re habits. That’s why great leaders are intentional about what habits they develop and why. My goal is to show the path to long-term sustainable influence through these three key leadership building blocks.

Leadership is hard work, so leadership must be habitual work.

How is this book different than your first book, The Catalyst Leader?

My first book, The Catalyst Leader, was a big picture, destination book providing essentials for leadership for the next 30 years. A foundation book you might say. If you think of it in terms of an organization, The Catalyst Leader was the corporate and staff handbook.

H3 Leadership is more of a playbook of discipline that will help get you to the finish line. A practical application, daily practice, process, routine and “on the journey” book that can and should immediately transform the way you lead. What leadership looks like on a day-to-day basis. The organization playbook, daily map and gameplan focused on daily practice and discipline that will make your leadership come alive.

The Catalyst Leader provided the key essentials and H3 Leadership provides the key habits. Essentials are what you become, and habits are how you become the leader you desire to be.

H3 describes the “ready” leadership position. I played basketball growing up, and I remember many coaches talking about the ready position in basketball. The posture from which you can dribble, pass, or shoot. I believe that H3 Leadership describes the ready leadership position — the triple threat posture of a properly prepared leader:

  • Humble is internal leadership. Hearts.
  • Hungry is external leadership. Head.
  • Hustle is expression and extension leadership. Hands.

The phrase “humble, hungry, hustle” is my life and leadership mantra. If he had to describe his leadership style in 3 words, these would be it. So much of what I have worked for and want to see in the next generation is a combination of these three transformational habits. Humble, hungry and hustle describes the leader who realizes it’s not about them, is willing to work hard, and ultimately get it done. H3 Leaders know that influence is about developing the right habits for success.

H3 is practical. In the trenches, a bit chaotic, organic and dirty handed leadership. The dirt under your fingernails kind of leadership learned from digging the ditch, focused on the discipline, process, practice and journey of becoming a better leader. The everyday habits, not necessarily the sexy sizzle. The broccoli and vegetables, not necessarily the steak. Not always pretty but hopefully constantly practical. I’ve tried to be practical at every level. Combining experience and wisdom and practical from the trenches. From my story and the story of others. Put your hardhat on and let’s get to work!

You’re very open and honest about how you’ve led, especially Catalyst? Why did you decide to include so much about, frankly, what you feel like you did wrong?

It was important to me to shoot really straight in this book. The very nature of this book required a bit more transparency. But I would also say that I believe the leaders who will have the most influence and impact are the ones who are willing to be vulnerable and talk openly about their struggles and failures.

And that’s a hard thing for a lot of leaders to do. Many times, when we get to a point where other people are listening to us, and we’ve got something to manage––something to lose––we sort of go into the default mode of “Okay, make sure everything looks perfect.”

Today, people crave authenticity. This need has even influenced the way we shop and purchase our products from organizations. Today, customers buy from those we feel are trustworthy. Equally, we want to invest in people and companies that we can trust, not necessarily because they’re well known or largest or leaders in their industry.

Really, the first couple of chapters of the book are about defining and setting this foundation of “Man, you’ve got to be willing to be real with people around you if you want them to follow you.”

So often, leadership, especially self-help leadership and personal growth literature, can feel very pie in the sky––very esoteric. You’re philosophizing constantly.

Readers need a practical example that they can wrap their arms around––actually feel and see and experience the very specific thing that somebody has gone through. It’s one thing to tell others to be willing to share struggles and to talk about failures. It’s another thing to say, “Here’s what I’ve failed at.”

But the leaders I respect the most are the ones who continue to run the race well until the gun goes off, whether that’s because their life is over or they retire. That’s the posture of hungry: the idea that you constantly are learning and getting better. That’s the kind of leader I want to be. I think that’s the kind of leaders we need today.

I think it’s important for people to realize this is an ongoing journey.

GoFundMe Update

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Thank you to everyone who has given to the GoFundMe campaign so far! It is making a big difference.

The campaign is shttp://web.archive.org/web/20150914181305/http://www.gofundme.com/mattpermantill going on. If you would like to give to the vision, you can do so here. It would be a huge help, and I appreciate everyone’s support.

6 Lessons from What’s Best Next

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I really enjoyed this review of What’s Best Next by Luke Simmons over at Faithful and Fruitful, a blog dedicated to equipping ministry leaders to be more faithful and fruitful.

He so well captures six key lessons from the book, which I underscore:

  1. The gospel makes productivity about love
  2. Everyday life provides many opportunities for good works that honor God
  3. Know what’s important and put it first
  4. Systems trump intentions
  5. Weekly planning is crucial
  6. Plan your day

Crowdfunding Project #3: Short Ebook on Gospel-Driven Productivity

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For the last few days, I’ve been taking you back into the kitchen of our GoFundMe campaign. So far we’ve looked at the first two projects this is helping support: an online course on gospel-driven productivity, and the online build-out of the resource library.

The third project is a short ebook on gospel-driven productivity — that is, on how to get things done, with less friction and frustration, but in a gospel-centered way (which most current resources on productivity completely leave out).

My book What’s Best Next gives the comprehensive perspective on this. But people have also asked for a shorter, quick hit version of those concepts so they can get going quickly. That’s what this ebook will aim to do. It will be about 25-40 pages, giving an overview of what it means to understand productivity in a biblical way, and then outlining the simple systems you can put in place to keep your focus on the most important things and get them done.

If you have already given to the campaign, thank you! And if you’re still thinking about it or just hearing about it now for the first time, your involvement would be a huge help. You can be involved by giving at the GoFundMe page and/or sharing it by email, twitter, or Facebook. Thank you so much!

Crowdfunding Project #2: The Online Resource Library

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Thank you to everyone who has been giving to and sharing our online funding campaign. Please keep it up! Even a simple tweet or Facebook share makes a big difference.

Yesterday I took you back into the kitchen with the online course. Today I want to do the same with a second project, the online resources.

Expanding the Resource Library

You may have noticed the “resource library” section in the global navigation for this site. That is where I post more detailed and long-term articles, as opposed to the general blog posts which are more front-burner and timely (for the most part).

You may also have noticed that there are more categories than there are resources. That’s because this section is under construction. I have between 600 – 1,000 articles I want to post. These articles are on all aspects of theology, leadership, productivity, and management, from a biblical point of view. Once we get them up, the site will hopefully be able to serve you as a large on-going resource site on these subjects, similar to how Desiring God is such a helpful resource site on theology.

What Kinds of Articles?

Someone recently asked me, “how can you possibly have 1,000 unpublished articles?” The answer is threefold.

First, I used to answer theological correspondence for John Piper. I kept many of the more substantial responses I wrote for people on important subjects in theology and Christian living. That totals about 300-400 I think. (Since some of these are short, I don’t always include them in the full count of articles, hence I usually am thinking in terms of 600 articles; but there are about 1,000 units.) These emails were written before this blog, which is why they are not up yet.

Second, in college I wrote a bunch of articles on all aspects of Christian theology and apologetics as I was learning those subjects. I put those articles on the website Justin Taylor and I started together in college, way back in the early days of the Internet. They have been there ever since, and my plan is to move them over here so that everything is in one spot.

Third, over the last 8 years or so I’ve written many articles on leadership and management from a biblical viewpoint, as I have been developing my thinking on the subjects. These articles outline biblical leadership philosophies that also utilize the best of secular research (such as Jim Collins and others), and also develop systems for implementing these principles in your organization (performance management, hiring, meetings that are better than movies, and many other things).

You can see an example of what I’m doing in the “web strategy” category, where I’ve already posted most of my resources on that subject.

I’m also posting the audio and video of my messages over the years, whenever I have it, so this will be multimedia as well.

A Comprehensive Tool for Free

My plan is to get all of these resources posted so that this site can be a comprehensive tool for you, serving you both with fresh content through the blog and a large amount of ongoing foundational content through the resource library. And I want all of this available to you for free.

To make it available for free, of course, costs time and money on my side, getting things posted and set up. Which is a big reason for the financial appeal. If this vision is exciting and compelling to you, would you consider a gift?