- Everybody's responsibility is nobody's responsibility. Somebody needs to assume specific responsibility.
4. The principle of motivation
When you organise any project, help people "own" it. In Nehemiah, you see again and again men making repairs near their houses. If you lived in Jerusalem, where would you be most interested in building the wall? Probably by your house!
Allowing for ownership in a project helps increase motivation. I think Nehemiah is also saying, "Make the work as convenient as possible." Nehemiah allowed people to work in their area of interest. That's a key principle of organisation - good organisations allow workers to develop their own areas.
5. The principle of cooperation
B.C. Forbes, the man who founded Forbes magazine, said, "You spell success: T-E-A-M-W-O-R-K." Cooperation is a key principle to good organisation. I read recently that geese can fly 72 percent farther when they're in formation than when they fly by themselves.
When we cooperate together, when there is teamwork, there is great growth. Cooperation is a greater motivator than competition, and it lasts because you feel like you're together on a winning team.
Good organizations provide a supportive climate of trust and teamwork. In the Bible, when referring to Christians in the church, the phrase "one another" is used 58 times. It's as if God's saying, "Get the message! Help each other!" There is no such thing as Lone Ranger Christians. We are together in this. We're a team. There is tremendous power in cooperation.
God can overlook almost anything in a church, but God will not overlook disunity. In the first 10 chapters of Acts, 10 times it says, "they were of one accord ... of one heart ... unified." When you have unification like they did in Acts, you'll have the power of Acts.
Snow is a beautiful demonstration of what God can do with a bunch of flakes. Snowflakes are pretty frail, but if enough of them stick together they can stop traffic. Alone, I couldn't have made much of an impact on the Saddleback Valley, but together, the Saddleback Church family has touched tens of thousands.
6. The principle of administration
Even after you delegate, you must supervise the work. Nehemiah walked the line, inspecting the work. Tom Peters, in his book Passion for Excellence, calls it MBWA - Management By Walking Around.
Nehemiah knew which part each man built because he went out, checking up on people. This also allowed him to find out what was going on.
Good organisations establish clear lines of authority. People do what you inspect not what you expect.
7. The principle of appreciation
Good leaders give recognition. For instance, Nehemiah knew the names of those working on the wall, and I think that's a mark of a good leader. He even listed them in his book, and now here we are thousands of years later, and pastors across the world are mispronouncing the names of Nehemiah's helpers. He cared enough to recognize these men and women for their work.
Do you know who's doing a good job in your organisation?
If you do, are you telling them they're doing a good job?
Nehemiah had a huge task in front of him when he organised people to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. Yet he did it. God gave Nehemiah a plan with these seven principles for a reason - they work.
What project can you use them on?
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Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose-Driven Life and The Purpose-Driven Church, which was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th Century. He is also founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for ministers. Copyright 2005 Pastors.com, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
