39. How Numbers Can Help Or Hurt You

Hidden Potential: A Guide For Ministry Leadership

Big thought: Many leaders carry vague ideas of different recordable metrics in their heads, and many times their ideas of these numbers give a false perception of what success looks like. A leader can be making a valuable impact in people’s lives while thinking that they aren’t making a difference at the same time. Someone can go through a slow down period and think that all of their efforts were for nothing just because of their confusion on how numbers work.

Today we’re going to talk about the importance of recording and understanding numbers. We’re going to talk about the ways that it is helpful and how you can use them to your advantage. We’re also going to talk about the mental dangers of recording numbers and how to avoid common mistakes.

This topic is so important to talk about because many people have an idea about recorded numbers but don’t really fully understand how to utilize them. And many have replaced their whole spiritual motivation by chasing after the numbers instead. We have to learn how to use them in a healthy way without letting them fully dictate how we make decisions.

1. How they can help.

Once you start recording different metrics like: attendance, financial receivables, volunteers, donors, recurring donors, baptisms, decisions for Christ, etc. You can lay them out over the weeks, months and years. When you do that, you’re able to see different trends and build foreseeable expectations within reason. From there, you can better plan for the following months and years with more of a strategic impact.

2. How to record them.

There are a lot of different ways and softwares that you can use to record these different metrics. The most important thing to consider when choosing a method is ease of access and data entry. The second is how clearly the data can be recognized. And the third is how you most feel comfortable.

3. How they affect your judgment.

While these different numbers can really help your planning and potential for impact, they can easily damage the vision to your organization by replacing your motivation to make a difference. I’ve seen time and time again, and I’ve made the mistake myself, of chasing after a higher number rather than being guided by my core values. Simply put, WHY you do something matters.

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Take away:

1. Make a list of different recordable data that you feel could be important and useful to reference.

2. Choose a method in which recording said data and break it out to be seen according to timelines that best make sense for your organization. (days of the week, months, quarters, years).

3. Make an annual calendar and forecast your next quarter or year using a general expectation of number data, and when the time comes, compare that forecast with the actual data so that you can narrow down a more accurate forecast.

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