How well do you manage your shelf?

This past week I shared a significant chunk of learning content to a school’s leadership team that is on the cusp of diving into the ’24-’25 school year.

It was extremely well received, feedback was outstanding, and kudos to their engagement and level of presence!

But…can you imagine?

It was their first foray into the year’s school calendar – a literal transition point as they shift from their summer mindset and heart-set.

Kids will be roaming the halls in just a few days. The demands of staff, students, and parents are just around the corner. To-do lists and priorities are pounding on the door.

I guarantee you – every note they took and every insight they treasured from our time together – no matter how valuable – was immediately and unapologetically placed on the proverbial shelf.

No worries. We all get it. Learning opportunities like this, though valuable and necessary, impact our flow.

And when the tide is pushing hard, we absolutely must get back to the mission at hand and manage the floodgates well. 

The question for us as developing leaders is: How well do we manage our shelf?

Thursday and Friday of that same week I got to drink from the firehose at GLS2024 (The Global Leadership Summit).

Great speakers. Pages of notes. Fantastic insights. Books I can’t wait to read. An incredibly powerful resource overall.

And it will all go on the shelf for a time, because I’ve got two sermons to finalize, two Convene meetings to facilitate in the coming week, a guest speaker coming in later today…

Priorities.

Even though we may LOVE our work (which I do), “duty” calls, and that means I, like you, have to put a lot of things on the shelf.

For now.

Putting things on the shelf is not the problem. Leaving them on the shelf is the problem.

How well do you manage your shelf?

A client of mine stayed at his seat long after the others had left. I was tidying up the room and packing my things while he mulled over his notes and wrote in the margins.

I had to ask what that was all about.

He said, “When I walk out these doors, everything else in the world is going to hit me again. I know this about me, and I have learned that it is important for me to take a few minutes in the moment to process my notes before I leave the room. Managing them well on the front end helps me to access them more readily on the back end – when I need them.”

This leader – of multiple businesses and a development program of his own – understood how intentional we must be in managing our shelf.

How about you? Do you have a trusted process that helps you incorporate new learning into your life and leadership?

Here are two action items for you to consider as an intentionally developing purpose-driven leader:

1.     Don’t neglect the act of consistently “stocking” your shelf

2.    Develop a trusted process for managing your shelf that intentionally incorporates new learning into your leadership MO

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About the Author

Ken Stewart, CEO Advisory Board Chair

Ken Stewart is the principal and founder of The H3 Leader, an Executive Coach, Convene Chair for two Christian Executive Leader Peer2Peer Advisory Teams, and the Central IL Area Chair for the entire downstate region of IL. His breadth of experience spans the business, leadership, training, project management, and pastoral worlds and includes: 19 years of engagement across a variety of disciplines in the corporate environment; over a decade of supervisory and managerial experience; seven years as a corporate trainer; 8+ years in business ownership; 14+ years in pastoral ministry in both large and small churches; and 9+ years in the executive coaching realm.

His strength is in helping others—leading them through problem resolution and tension management; seeking efficient and effective solutions to challenges; offering opportunities for others to develop and master their professional contributions; and working with senior leadership to help them consistently meet or exceed the ever-changing needs of the communities they serve.

Born and raised in Central IL, he lives outside Peoria with his bride Beth (33+ years), dog “Pepé”, and cats “Ollie” & “Rusty”. Their daughter Anna recently graduated from his alma mater (Illinois State University) and is living in the Bloomington area.

Transforming Workplace Culture: The Vital Role of Chaplains in Supporting Employee Wellbeing

Compassion and perseverance are vital as we navigate today’s interpersonal interactions. It’s fair to say that everyone you encounter is facing a battle you may know nothing about. Whether you lead a team of four or 4,000 employees, their hidden hardships can shape your company’s culture and outcomes. 

Addressing sensitive subjects or unspoken needs with genuine support is something key leaders often want to provide but may be limited in undertaking due to capacity, personality, and even conflicts of interest. 

However, there is hope! Having a Chaplain in your workplace can be the help you need to extend compassion and healthy pathways for your employees.

When adversities go unspoken and unseen, employees may become irritable, overwhelmed, and even ineffective in their role.  As a company you may encourage transparency and a desire to support employees on a personal level, but sometimes the experience of shame or despair feels like too much to bring to your “open door.”  

Alternatively, with dedicated Chaplains, employees rest assured that the details of their struggles are held in confidence. A three-minute hallway interaction can result in an employee’s ability to focus the rest of the day. A private meeting scheduled with their Chaplain can give them a safe space to process their anxiety or anger or emotions, at a designated time away from work. There is peace of mind knowing their coworkers or supervisor won’t be watching them step aside to have a tear-filled or heated conversation.

While confidentiality is paramount, regular reporting of frequency and general themes of the care being provided can help management understand the common areas of concern in their workforce. If they learn that a particular stressor is a frequent source of overwhelm for employees, they now have an opportunity to brainstorm other ways the company can offer help.

Chaplains can also help employees gain insight into why sharing their hardships with trusted associates may better their workdays and experience of connection. Oftentimes some practice discussing one’s personal issues with a Chaplain helps the employee put words to what they need from their employer or partners to overcome the battles they’re facing.

There are so many resources surrounding employees today for wisdom and accountability with one’s health, finances, wellbeing, and spirituality. Yet most employees live lives of self-reliance and distraction, which results in low utilization of benefits and tools.  Alternatively, when Chaplains consistently pursue connection with a smiling face and 24/7 availability, relationships form that will transform lives. 

In some settings, an 8-minute exchange provides a timely voice of hope; and in others it takes eight years of patient pursuit to finally have the employee circle back for support in a time of grief and uncertainty.

Even a simple text with a trusted Chaplain can mean the world to someone in need.  Below are four illustrated stories of exceptional employee care that could happen in your company too.

Learn more with this FAQ page, or inquire here to see how you can invite Marketplace Chaplains into a partnership of caring for your employees.