A Leadership Getaway

On Wednesday, our senior management team (SMT) will be getting away over night (in another city) to talk, plan, laugh, eat, have fun and reconnect. We do this on occasion to make sure that we stay aligned with each other and the vision, and that our hearts are still beating fast for the mission.

Our last trip was two months ago. I've been asked what we do on trips like this. Some highlights from the last trip.

• We took the SouthShore railroad from South Bend to downtown Chicago.
• We walked a few blocks to the Hotel Allegro.
• We met throughout the day, and had great food for lunch.
• We spent an hour or so and walked around the new (and amazing) Millenium Park.
• That night we attended the musical Wicked together.
• We met again the next morning, then continued our discussion on the train back to South Bend.

The trip was full of great discussion, fun conversation and lots of laughing. We always try to keep a mix of agenda-driven topics and just hang-time. The older I get the more I realize how important hang-time is to the success of our team.

Our discussions in May focused on a vision for the next season of ministry at Granger. It was both exciting and challenging--the type of vision that messes with your mind and makes your heart beat fast. The type that makes you ask...is it even possible?