big one for me in growing as a leader and a manager of the discipleship students that work in the ATV (Appropriate Technology Village--the area I am managing as staff). Learning to be a project-manager has had a huge learning curve and conflict resolution has shifted in a great direction the dynamics of the group I have in the afternoon.
What do we need:
1 shade cloth
4 posts
4 carribeaners
4 hook-screws
4 cable clamps
4 concrete blocks
4-8 concrete bolts
4 L-shaped brackets
8-12 wood screws
cable or rope
So my plan of action: dig 4 holes, insert concrete blocks, attach brackets to concrete blocks and wood posts, with respective screws, hand-screw the hook-screws in, and pitch the shade cloth. Should take a day or two (5 hours of work time), right? ...NOPE!
It took 18 hours (worth of work-periods) to do a lot of things wrong before we figured out the right ways.
The concrete blocks weren't burried deep enough and weren't heavy enough, so we would need to re-do them, replace them with bigger/heavier ones, and add counter-ties; cotton rope that looks like it is falling apart will not even work as a just-for-now-solution, so lets re-do that; the post spacing needs to be back AND out from the corner of the shade cloth because it needs tension away and out in order to be stretched tight; there are many rocks in the ground--lets dig around them, break them down with a pick-ax, re-dig holes and re-dig some more; we don't need expert knots for the rope to be tied securely to the carribeaners, just get'r done...
The list goes on an on...
In the process I realized that I cannot live for the completion of projects without feeling frustrated, anxious, and/or disappointed--if I haven't done it before, I cannot expect things to go smoothly: a lack of foresight will bring tumult. I don't know much about planning out a project, collecting (scavenging) the materials we need, and managing 6 people on three projects all at the same time...all of this comes by experience alone. Instead, God told me to live for the process; this is not a corporate job site that depends on efficiency and timelines, but rather a place to disciple students and love my job!
On project-managing:
The eco-ponics fish tank which is about 3.5' tall and about 8' feet in diameter, was losing about an inch a week of water due to evaporation! This is not cool. It will throw off the water chemistry and mess with the process of bacteria creating available oxygen for the fish to live, and also mess with the nutrients like nitrogen that the plants need to grow to then feed the fish. Solution: let's build an upright for a shade cloth! |
| Complete Shade Cloth (click to enlarge) |
What do we need:
1 shade cloth
4 posts
4 carribeaners
4 hook-screws
4 cable clamps
4 concrete blocks
4-8 concrete bolts
4 L-shaped brackets
8-12 wood screws
cable or rope
So my plan of action: dig 4 holes, insert concrete blocks, attach brackets to concrete blocks and wood posts, with respective screws, hand-screw the hook-screws in, and pitch the shade cloth. Should take a day or two (5 hours of work time), right? ...NOPE!
It took 18 hours (worth of work-periods) to do a lot of things wrong before we figured out the right ways.
The concrete blocks weren't burried deep enough and weren't heavy enough, so we would need to re-do them, replace them with bigger/heavier ones, and add counter-ties; cotton rope that looks like it is falling apart will not even work as a just-for-now-solution, so lets re-do that; the post spacing needs to be back AND out from the corner of the shade cloth because it needs tension away and out in order to be stretched tight; there are many rocks in the ground--lets dig around them, break them down with a pick-ax, re-dig holes and re-dig some more; we don't need expert knots for the rope to be tied securely to the carribeaners, just get'r done...
The list goes on an on...
In the process I realized that I cannot live for the completion of projects without feeling frustrated, anxious, and/or disappointed--if I haven't done it before, I cannot expect things to go smoothly: a lack of foresight will bring tumult. I don't know much about planning out a project, collecting (scavenging) the materials we need, and managing 6 people on three projects all at the same time...all of this comes by experience alone. Instead, God told me to live for the process; this is not a corporate job site that depends on efficiency and timelines, but rather a place to disciple students and love my job!
On Conflict-Resolution:
I am sorry if my previous draft/version was more of a rant than anything else. My function of detail-oriented-ness and my chronic honesty can get me in trouble sometimes.
This project brought so many unforeseeable events and details and the peak of them was quite a conflict. It all came to a head when a work duty student's communication and long-term independent working style became a square peg for the round hole of teamwork and constructive brainstorming. It was an overwhelming experience for me: I was trying to manage 6 students in 3 different projects/chores and already frustrated with all of the setbacks...the tension and negativity I was picking up on were just too much to handle.
After some good processing and prayer with some incredibly wise and nurturing co-workers and with the anointing of many a prayer for heavenly wisdom and a better perspective, I was able to explain how I felt and admitted things myself, like that I didn't know the best way to do things but that the problem was "not what you said, but how you said it." I am becoming my mother! She used to say that to us growing up, and still does :)
I learned a lot that I had failed to take notice of: his spewing of ideas was him thinking out loud and that he had been his own boss for 35+ years. I really spoke out what God was telling me--that work duty is not about finishing projects to move on to finish another, but to become better equipped for missions/outreaches. That the best lesson I saw to be learned in the ATV was teamwork. Bam, that was the key. Teamwork was something he never really had to learn and he realized and proclaimed that that would be his challenge and he was willing to take it on. We ended with a hug and being in agreement and better understanding.
To top it off, he later apologized, and then tonight as I edit this, he has since given me a purple card with purple and blue butterflies with another apology, paired with A CAN OF PURPLE SPRAY PAINT. He learned my favorite color as he had built me a desk out of old pallets and I joked saying I wished it could be purple....and now it can.
He went way beyond a great resolution and has moved me with his sweetness and genuine heart--things I would never have known about him had God not paved a way to redemption, again.
How sweet is the end of this story? Who wants something spray-painted purple?!
This project brought so many unforeseeable events and details and the peak of them was quite a conflict. It all came to a head when a work duty student's communication and long-term independent working style became a square peg for the round hole of teamwork and constructive brainstorming. It was an overwhelming experience for me: I was trying to manage 6 students in 3 different projects/chores and already frustrated with all of the setbacks...the tension and negativity I was picking up on were just too much to handle.
After some good processing and prayer with some incredibly wise and nurturing co-workers and with the anointing of many a prayer for heavenly wisdom and a better perspective, I was able to explain how I felt and admitted things myself, like that I didn't know the best way to do things but that the problem was "not what you said, but how you said it." I am becoming my mother! She used to say that to us growing up, and still does :)
I learned a lot that I had failed to take notice of: his spewing of ideas was him thinking out loud and that he had been his own boss for 35+ years. I really spoke out what God was telling me--that work duty is not about finishing projects to move on to finish another, but to become better equipped for missions/outreaches. That the best lesson I saw to be learned in the ATV was teamwork. Bam, that was the key. Teamwork was something he never really had to learn and he realized and proclaimed that that would be his challenge and he was willing to take it on. We ended with a hug and being in agreement and better understanding.
To top it off, he later apologized, and then tonight as I edit this, he has since given me a purple card with purple and blue butterflies with another apology, paired with A CAN OF PURPLE SPRAY PAINT. He learned my favorite color as he had built me a desk out of old pallets and I joked saying I wished it could be purple....and now it can.
He went way beyond a great resolution and has moved me with his sweetness and genuine heart--things I would never have known about him had God not paved a way to redemption, again.
How sweet is the end of this story? Who wants something spray-painted purple?!
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