New Podcast

I am excited to announce a new podcast of my teaching messages. This podcast is available directly from Podbean (including on their mobile Apps) or from Apple’s iTunes (including all iTunes Apps) or from within Spotify (if you are a subscriber). It is not possible to publish podcasts on Google Play from Australia yet.

Every week or so a message will be published, selected from recent messages I have spoken at various churches or conferences, as well as some messages given over the years when I was at the Senior Minister at CityLife Church (1995-2016) and more recently as a teaching team member for Bayside Church (2018 onwards) in Melbourne.

I also intend on including some conversational podcasts on a variety of relevant issues and topics in the near future.

Be sure to subscribe so you are notified of recent releases.

Finally, you might like to visit the Media section of my web site where you will find video messages and some of my music.

Enjoy!

Mark Conner

Video Messages

From time to time, I have people asking me about where they can listen to messages of me speaking. My web site now has a page with a variety of media links – including videos of messages I have given recently at different churches and over the last few years, as well as some worship videos/audios too.

Check it out here.

Happy listening 🙂

Mark speaking

Mark Conner’s Web Site Update

Website-refresh

Just for your awareness, my web site is undergoing an update at the moment. Soon there will be new graphics, new pictures, and my BLOG and web site will be integrated into one location. As the renovation continues, here are a few things that are new – all accessible via the Main MENU on the front page:

  1. My speaking schedule, outlining the places and events that I am speaking at.
  2. Various services that I am now making available – including coaching, consulting and speaking.
  3. A link to my resources including this BLOG, the books I have written, and links to various messages available on video, as well as some worship music (audio and video).
  4. A Contact Form for anyone wanting to make enquiries.

More changes are coming.

Until then, enjoy!

The Smart Phone?

Smartphone-evolution1
I love my mobile phone. I have had one ever since they first came out back in the 1990s. I've moved from the Motorola brick size ones … to the flip lid … to a few versions of the Nokia … and now I have my faithful iPhone 6 Plus (no, I never had a Blackberry or a Samsung). I am an 'early adopter' when it comes to technology. I love to have the (almost) latest and greatest. But I probably won't jump right away to the new iPhone 8 or iPhone X (with face recognition!), as amazing as they sound. At least, not yet.

On my phone, I can not only make and receive calls. I can check my email. I can transfer money or pay a bill from my bank APP. I can read an eBook while while out shopping. I can surf the internet and find all kinds of information, which is especially helpful when you are travelling to new and unfamiliar places. I can check my list of tasks that I am hoping to complete. I can listen music or watch a video. I can text my family and friends – from anywhere in the world. I can do a quick currency conversion or check the share market or a sports score (Go Cats!). No wonder some people call it a 'smart phone'!

But is it really that smart? 

It is estimated that the average phone user checks their phone 85 times a day and a huge 91 percent of users would never leave home without their 'friend' in hand. But as our constant companion, it also never shuts up. Whenever it rings, beeps or vibrates, we snap to attention. Even when it is silent and not in use, it still affects our concentration. A recent study titled Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One's Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity, published by the University of Chicago Press, indicates that the mere presence of a phone on the table, in the pocket, or bag, is enough to impair performance on off-screen tasks. The authors note that, "Results from two experiments indicate that even when successful at maintaining sustained attention – as when avoiding the temptation to check their phones – the mere presence of these devices reduces available cognitive capacity." They go on to say, "We propose that the mere presence of one's smartphone may impose a 'brain drain'."

In our ever-increasingly connected world, the wonderful smartphone is actually impairing our ability to be fully present and engaged with those around us, as well as our ability to be productive with the tasks we are endeavouring to achieve. I believe it's time to program some more extended 'off line' spaces in our day. In fact, why not just leave your phone in another room when you are having a meal or interacting with family and friends?

That sounds pretty smart.

Taming the Email Monster (Part 4)

EmailMonstersmallSo how do we manage all that incoming email? Here are a few tips:

1. Make Your Email Inbox an 'In' Box.

Make your email Inbox a processing station, not a holding station. Imagine if you left all your paper letters in your physical letter box at the front of your house for weeks on end. What a mess it would be! See you email inbox the same way. How many email are there right now? 50, 100, 500, 1000, more? Learn to process items as soon as possible and get that inbox to empty.

2. Set Up a Simple Folder Filing System.

Within your email inbox you can create additional folders (just like drawers within a physical filing cabinet). Just select 'File/New/Folder' within your email program and give the new folder a name. You might want to include folders for various projects, people or categories such as: Urgent, Waiting, Reading, Events, Finance, etc. etc.

3. Use a Process for Handling Email.

For each email that arrives, make an immediate choice to:

  1. Delete it, if it of no use or interest to you.
  2. Do it – if it will take 2 minutes or less.
  3. Delegate it – to someone better suited to respond to it.
  4. Defer it – set a time in your Calendar, flag it, make it a Task, or put it in your ‘Reading’ folder (CCs are fyi). 

Touch emails only once and never open an email without processing it. 

Another idea is to right-click on an email and see a host of options, including 'flagging' it for follow up later, creating a 'rule' as to how you'd like your email application to handle that kind of email. Also, check out the various 'view' options available to you.

 4. Set Some Specific Times to Look at and Respond to Emails.

Depending on your work or personal role, maybe having some time to check email first thing in the morning, at lunch then and before the day ends is best for you. Either way, have some 'email free' hours each day. Turn off those sound notifications. Don't multi-task, it merely causes distraction, lowering your productivity. Go offline if that helps. If someone needs to get in touch with you urgently, they can always text or call you. 

I hope that these posts about email have been helpful. There is much more to life than sitting in front of a computer or digital screen. Get outside and smell the roses and don't forget that life is about loving God and people. That's best done 'live' – in person. Be fully present with people and put that phone away for a while. You'll be fine.

Taming the Email Monster (Part 3)

EmailMonstersmallLet's face it, we all send emails to other people and add to their inbox. So let's talk today about how to write effective emails.

1. Don't Over-Communicate by Email. 

As we have already noted, a big source of stress for people, especially at work, is the sheer volume of emails they receive. So, before you begin writing an email, ask yourself: "Is this really necessary?” Sometimes, it is better to speak directly to the person by phone or in person.

Email is not as secure as you might want it to be, particularly as people may forward emails without thinking to delete the conversation history. So avoid sharing sensitive or personal information in an email, and don't write about anything that you, or the subject of your email, wouldn't like to see plastered on a billboard by your office. Also, work email accounts are the employer’s property.

Whenever possible, deliver bad news in person. This helps you to communicate with empathy, compassion, and understanding, and to make amends if your message has been taken the wrong way.

Remember the protocal in regards to whose email address to put where: 

  • TO: only send to the person who is to take action on your email.
  • CC: (courtesy copy) is simply 'for your interest'. No is response required. It's for their reference only. A person can read, delete or file the email.
  • BCC: (blind copy) is for use when sending an email to a private distribution list.

2. Make Good Use of Subject Lines.

A newspaper headline has two functions: it grabs your attention and it summarises the article, so that you can decide whether to read it or not. The subject line of your email message should do the same thing. Use an informative Subject Line – referring to a project, action, or important date. A blank subject line is likely to be overlooked or rejected as “spam”. Use few well-chosen words to tell recipient what email is about.

A well-written subject line delivers most important information without the recipient having to open the email. It also serves as prompt that reminds recipients every time they glance at their inbox.

3. Keep Email Messages Clear and Brief.

Keep your sentences short and to the point. The body of each email should be direct and informative plus contain all the pertinent information. Email is free, so send a separate email for each topic. Ideally, limit emails to one subject. Keep it to one screen (1-2 paragraphs). Avoid long drawn out emails. Short and simple is better. Combine several, related points into one email. Use bullet points or numbers. Most importantly, be clear on what action orresponse you want. 

4. Be Polite and Check Your Tone.

Emails are less formal than traditional letters but your messages reflect you (your values, professionalism, and attention to detail). Recipients may decide to print emails and share them with others, so always be polite.

When we meet people face-to-face, we use the other person's body language, vocal tone, and facial expressions to assess how they feel. Email robs us of this information, and this means that we can't tell when people have misunderstood our messages. Your choice of words, sentence length, punctuation, and capitalisation can easily be misinterpreted without visual and auditory cues. Think about how your email "feels" emotionally. If your intentions or emotions could be misunderstood, find a less ambiguous way to phrase your words. Without empathy, misunderstanding often results. 

5. Proofread. 

Finally, before you hit "send," take a moment to review your email for spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. Your email messages are as much a part of your reputation and rapport as the clothes you wear (hopefully, you look in the mirror before you head out the door each morning!), so it looks bad to send out a message that contains typos. As you proofread, pay careful attention to the length of your email. People are more likely to read short, concise emails than long, rambling ones, so make sure that your emails are as short as possible, without excluding necessary information. 

Next: Managing Email Effectively.

Taming the Email Monster (Part 2)

EmailMonstersmallYesterday, we briefly referred to the exponential changes that have taken place over the last 500 years in the way we communicate with one another.

Today let's talk about some of the challenges of email.

1. We often feel expected to reply immediately. Have you ever had someone ask you if you got their email – yesterday? Long gone is the era where it took 10 days for a letter to a arrive from overseas and you had a few weeks to respond and send a reply!

2. Online messages interrupt our day. Most workers dread the Monday morning over-flowing email inbox. Many people now receive over 50 emails every day and it is estimated that the average office worker receives 80 emails daily. Reading and responding to them all takes a long time. Our work can easily take a back seat and we can get behind on our projects. The average American worker is interrupted 11 times per hour, costing an overall loss of of $600 billion to industry. We often stay up late just to catch up.

3. Emails create the stress of new tasks and information. This overload of continual and relentless inflow can be exhausting, even affecting people's sleep patterns. Nowadays, we read less and spend less time with our loved ones.

4. Email can become highly addictive, like a drug. Any repetitive behaviour can lead to compulsive behaviour, including email checking. It alters our brains and causes attention or concentration span disruption. A recent survey of average response time revealed a rate of 104 seconds. Amazingly, 70% of people responded in just 7 seconds! How many times a day do you pick up your phone to check your email? Have you ever experienced 'email withdrawal'?

Email can be very helpful when used properly and controlled. If not … we start to feel overwhelmed.

Next: How do we tame the email monster??

Taming the Email Monster (Part 1)

EmailMonstersmallLet's do a quick tour of how communication has changed over the last 500 years.

  • In Britain in 1500, only 5-10% of the population could read or write. Wow! What did they do. They probably talked to each other – sharing stories in person.

  • Postcards took off in 1871, resulting in what TIME magazine called an ‘epidemic’.

  • In 1840, the average American sent 3 letters a year; in 1900, that number rose to 69.

  • The telegraph changed everything. A message could be sent across the Atlantic in a matter of hours rather than the 5 weeks it took for 'snail mail' to arrive.

  •  This peaked in 1945 with 240 million telegrams a year.

  • In 2007, just over 60 years later, emails globally hit 35 trillion (10,000x higher than the peak of the telegram). Email communication is easier, faster (pretty much instantaneous) and cheaper (basically 'free').

Email has completely changed the way we communicate and has made life easier in countless ways … BUT it's come at a price.

Next: The Challenges of Email.

[Source: The Tyranny of Email: The 4,000 Year Journey to Your Inbox by John Freeman]

An Alternative to Task Lists – Kanban Project Management

KanAll of us have tasks we want to get done or projects we are working on. Keeping a record of them all in one place is really important. The most popular method is a task or project list, which can be looked at regularly then items are ticked off when completed. But what if you are more of a visual person?

The Kanban (meaning 'signboard' or 'billboard') project management method was invented by Japanese engineers to create a logical workflow system. Over time the concept has been adapted for use by organisations, workteams or individuals. The method involves (1) visualising your workflow by using a board to diagram all your tasks/projects, (2) limiting your work-in-progress to a minimum, and (3) viewing your accomplishments.

All you need is a pen, a whiteboard and some sticky notes to start mapping your workflow and boosting your productivity. Use three columns:

  1. READY (work waiting to be tackled)
  2. DOING (for work-in-progress)
  3. DONE (for completed tasks).

Understanding your work is often the key to controlling it. Kanban helps you to keep everything in sight.

I now use an App based on the Kanban method of time management called Kanbana (iPad video demo), which is highly visible, lists projects that are in backlog, focuses on what I am doing now, and allows me to move completed items to an area where I can see what I have done so far in the day. I really like it. You might too …

Read more about the Kanban Method:

Developing New Habits

Good_bad_habits_large

Habits are what we do habitually, automatically or without thinking. They are very powerful! An old poem puts it like this:

    Sow a thought, reap an act

    Sow an act, reap a habit

    Sow a habit, reap a character

    Sow a character, reap a destiny.

A lot of new research has emerged of late about not only the power of habits but about the difficulty we experience in breaking bad habits and establishing new healthy habits. One of the keys to developing new habits is to have some accountability for the goals or rituals you are seeking to embed in your life. This could be a friend that checks up on you or even better an App that can be your daily coach.

There are now a huge variety of apps that have been designed to help you form good habits. Recently, I've started using the Strides App and I find it really helpful. It syncs across different devices and has a variety of types of goals and habits you can measure. The basic version is free and it's very easy to use. Check out a review or a video demo if you are interested.

My habits are vital to my disciplined lifestyle and having a tool that holds me accountable is very helpful. I DO have good intentions but if they are not pushed to me and if I don't measure my progress, I can often drift and fall short. This leads to frustration and ill-health. In contrast, living daily by habits that shape my life positively creates joy and a sense of fulfillment.

What new habits are you going to form or strengthen in the new year? It's all about becoming the person you really want to be.

See also:

A Blogger’s Creed

Meida

In our world of social media, it seems like everyone has a platform from which to share their opinion. The benefit of this is that it gives everyone a voice and it encourages open dialogue. The downside is when people get to preaching without listening or considering their tone and the impact that their words have on the listeners.

The apostle Paul wrote this to Timothy over 2,000 years ago. I reckon it's a good credo for anyone who BLOGs, tweets or posts on Facebook.

1 Timothy 1:5-8. The whole point of what we're urging is simply love – love uncontaminated by self–interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God. Those who fail to keep to this point soon wander off into cul–de–sacs of gossip. They set themselves up as experts on religious issues, but haven't the remotest idea of what they're holding forth with such imposing eloquence. It's true that moral guidance and counsel need to be given, but the way you say it and to whom you say it are as important as what you say. Message Bible

Wise words for our wordy world.

Is it worth buying an iPad?

IpiPads or portable computing devices seem to be all the rage nowadays. If you like technology, they can sure be a fun and beneficial device, enhancing our lives and work in amazing ways. 

I love this brief video clip (in German but easily understandable in any language) about a daughter asking her father how the new iPad she bought him for his birthday is going … enjoy 🙂

Play Video

Day One – A Great Journal App

Day oneI have been journaling for many years now. I find it a great tool to help me unpack what I am think and how I am thinking. It's a place for me to process the events and circumstances of my life. It's a way for me to open my heart to God and listen for his voice of guidance. 

I used to use a paper journal, then a few years ago I switched to a computer word processing document. That enabled me to have my journal wherever I am, shared across devices, as well as search functionality. Earlier this year, my son Ashley made me aware of a really cool app designed especially for journaling. It's called Day One. Visit the Day One web site for full details or watch an online video review. [Unfortunately, it is only available for the Mac at this stage, but a Windows version is on the way. Windows users can benefit from a number of alternatives]

Why I like Day One:

1. I can have separate entries throughout the day – for general diary stuff, for spiritual prayer times, for reflection, and for recording insights. Dividing these up makes them easier to find later, and separates them into neater categories.
2. The ability to put pictures into an entry is cool too, as it gives visual reminders to clues to what is happening in my life.
3. Tags are very helpful too – for tracking down related entries.
4. Location works well, as it reminds me where I am when I write, including the temperature of the day.
5. Focused view enables me to put everything else out of my mind, avoiding distraction.
6. Having a live copy on my mobile devices is fantastic too (synced via Dropbox), enabling me to read what has taken place, add in new events or thoughts, and insert photos.
7. Automatic time and date insertion is helpful.
8. The formatting is basic but workable.

I also like the concept of a DAY:

* Each day is a new beginning – “day one” of the rest of my life.

* On each day, “one” thing is needful and that is connecting with God, then reflecting on that experience so that I change and grow. 

* The “day” was created by God as a segment of life. I can learn lessons from the creation week and how God lived out a rhythm of work and rest.

[Related BLOG posts: A few thoughts on seeing your journal as a listening book, 3 great questions to start the day]

The Future of Social Media

2014Facebook, Instrgram, Twitter and Snapchat. Welcome to the exploding world of Social Media. Where will it all go and what trends are trending into 2014? Ryan Holmes, the CEO of HootSuite, a social relationship platform, recently wrote for Fortune magazine outlining five trends that could be poised to shake up the industry and the way we use social media in 2014:

1. The rise of ephemeral social networks.

2. Learn to tweet. Your boss expects it.

3. Social customer service kills the dreaded phone tree.

4. Social media finds you as you browse.

5. Get ready to see ads from the neighborhood pub on Twitter.

Read the full article for the details. 

For more, see ..

Top 10 Social Media Predictions for 2014

Major Changes coming to Social Media in 2014

Social Media Explained

Donut

Social-media is slowly creeping into all areas of the web. Even websites and services that have no social features usually place a Facebook or Google+ like button somewhere to help spread the word of their existence. Even so, it’s quite difficult to explain to someone new to the Internet, or social aspects of the web, exactly what this social media revolution is. And just as importantly, what the difference between social media services are.

That problem has now been solved by using a donut analogy. Douglas Wray posted a whiteboard breakdown of all the major social media services and explained how they differ from each other using the example of a donut. Quite fittingly he posted the image on Instagram –the photo sharing service.

The breakdown is the clearest I have yet seen of how something like Twitter differs from Facebook or LinkedIn. Twitter is for telling people what you are doing at any given moment (eating a donut), Facebook is more for sharing what you like in general (I like donuts), and LinkedIn is for sharing what you’re good at (skilled with donuts). Yet all rely on the sharing of information in different ways to remain relevant and keep people using them.

So, the next time someone asks you what social media is, or how two services differ, save this image and pull it up on your phone. They’ll understand much more quickly and you won’t be standing there trying to find examples that work to show the differences. Alternatively, memorize the donut analogy and look clever at parties.

[For Further Reading]