Maurilio Amorim

Author: Maurilio Amorim

Because Ministry Matters: The United Methodist Publishing House New Site

The best projects are the ones that have a big vision, great impact, tough challenges and stretches everything you have learned to date. The A Group has recently launched a website that meets all of that criteria and then some: MinistryMatters.com .

We developed the user interface as well as the back end system.

Ministry Matters started as a vision of Audrey Kidd, COO of The United Methodist Publishing House. Audrey wanted to bring UMPH’s vast collection of reference, scholarly, practical and inspirational content along with blogs, articles, video and audio together in a true community-focused destination. The vision was clear and so were the challenges: how to integrate UMPH’s multiple legacy databases and systems with a dynamic, user-friendly and social media-rich interface. That’s where The A Group comes in.

From the site’s name selection, branding, user interface development, back end content management system and finally database integration, our design and programming teams work side-by-side UMPH’s content and IT departments in creating a new destination for Christians who want to research, consume, interact and create content. The site is truly elegant, fresh and rich with a ton of information and yet looks and feels light and simple to navigate. I have loved being part of the branding, and site development and now marketing of MinistryMatters.com. It’s not often we get to be such an integral part of a project.

You need to jump over and spend time there. It’s worth it. And as you do, check out the “Bins.” They are perhaps my favorite feature so far. You can set up a public or private study bin and put all your assets for a message, lesson or just personal study in them. You can see other public bins from authors, pastors or friends who make them available to the community. Bins can also be private, so you choose to share them with only certain people.

MinistryMatters.com is truly a work of vision and collaboration. I’m thankful for partners like Audrey and her team that allow us to become better at what we do, and in the process, create something truly useful for the entire Christian community.

What’s the most fun project you have ever worked on?

May 19, 2011
Bad Church Hires: What You Don’t Know Can Cost You a Lot

The wrong person in your staff can cause you not only headaches, but a bad hire can be the difference between amazing growth and a church split or even an early retirement from the ministry. Not long ago I went to dinner with a friend who shared with me what could’ve been a staffing nightmare. A charismatic personality and a winning smile, had my friend convinced that this man was the right person for a key position in his church. There were red flags, however. First, our candidate seemed very eager to leave his job. He put his house on the market before he even got an official offer from my friend’s church. He began looking for a house in the new city right away. Things were moving fast–too fast indeed.

But thanks to a new HR policy my friend’s church had put in place a few months prior, he was able to uncover a web of lies that could have cost him so much of his ministry equity. “Thank God, we were able to find this out before he was hired,” he said relieved. But others aren’t so lucky.

A few years ago, I was contracted by a new pastor of a prominent Florida church to do a secret-shopper visit during the weekend services. I spoke with the pastor several times before my trip and arrived Saturday afternoon for a special college event that night. Once on campus, I soon found out that the pastor who hired me just a couple of weeks before, had been fired that morning. A couple of months earlier, someone mailed the local newspaper a lawsuit against this man by one of his previous church’s board citing that he had sold the church parsonage and kept the money for himself, leaving the church in debt. The news had been difficult for the congregation, but, as churches often do, they forgave the contrite new pastor and moved on with him.

Less than a month later, the same newspaper reporter contacts the church leaders to inform them that on Sunday morning, he was running a story about their new pastor’s credentials. As it turn out, they were “mostly” bogus.

I hate to have been a member of that search committee. Interestingly, this man had baptized 75 people in the last 6 weeks he had been there and the church was filled with anticipation for its future.

Church committees are staff are often eager to hire likeable people but without due diligence and careful screening a bad hire could be disastrous.

What’s your experience with a bad hire?

May 18, 2011
Why You Need Contracts
I used to think that contracts, or agreements were a sign of distrust and as long as I trusted the person or organization I was dealing with, they were not necessary. After all, early in my business career, I dealt exclusively with churches and ministries. Boy, I was wrong! So wrong. And I had to learn the hard way. When it comes to putting your resources on the line for a person or organization, you cannot be too careful in protecting your assets. You can lose everything if a big project falls through or if it’s not financed. No matter where you are in your career or business development, good contracts are critical to your success. Here’s a few reasons why:
1. A contract holds you and the other party accountable to a set of expectations and deliverables. No matter how many discussions you had about the project or how many people have given their opinion, the contract defines the ultimate delivery. During long negotiations, selective memory becomes a problem. A tight contract takes care that.
2. The person you know and trust might not be around during the execution of the agreement. People leave, get fired, or even die during a project timeline, and the very trusted agent that initiated, understood and saw the vision for your project might not be around. A clear contract will help you manage expectations to whomever inherits the project.
3. While your trusted friend might have given his word, he, most likely, is not the ultimate decision maker. A superior, board of directors, Elders, or even a bank might cancel your project, leaving you without any recourse if you don’t have a written agreement.
4. Your “friend” might not be a friend at all. I know you might have a tough time with the idea of less-than honorable “Christian” leaders. Sadly, there are posers out there who never had any intention to pay for your goods and/or services but know how to win over your affections and get you to trust them. Even with a written contract sometimes it’s hard to collect from these scoundrels. Without one, you might just as well forget it.
I have been blessed in that not too many of my clients have reneged on their word or agreements. But I’ve had enough of them falter that agreements are an integral part of my business model. I would recommend having them even for projects for family and friends. I have never regretted having a signed written agreement.

How do you feel about business agreements with friends? Family?
May 17, 2011
Leadership Style: Opportunity vs Crisis

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

I understand where Shakespeare is coming from even though I’m not sure anyone is truly born great. But the last part of that sentence has always caught my attention: some have greatness thrust upon them. Sometimes a strong leader guides us into new opportunities. Other times a wise leader guides us through difficult situations. But in each of those cases, the quality and heart of true leadership is forged out of either the crucibles of opportunity or crisis.

As I look back in my own life and weigh in my own leadership style, I am coming to the realization that I am probably a better leader during crisis than I am during the season of opportunity. I’m not sure it’s complacency or content, but I find myself staying too long in the status quo–you know, maintenance mode. But most every major achievement during my professional career has been the byproduct of successfully navigating a crisis situation.

My own business, The A Group was started due to a failed and fraudulent relationship that forced me to be on my own. Those difficult days gave birth to an amazing business that I’m thankful for and proud of its work. Even the extremely talented team that I work with every day was assembled after a tough season. I entrusted my company to the care of someone who didn’t have my best interest in mind and had to rebuild my team again. Both crisis were catalysts for the necessary change that help me move forward.

No matter what type of leadership is natural for you and me, we will never be great leaders until we master the pursuit of opportunities as well as the navigation of crises. To me that means pushing forward more aggressively during the opportunity times.

What about you? Which leadership style are you naturally drawn to?

May 16, 2011
Summer Essentials Part 1: Shoes
Nothing says summer more than the right shoes. Recently, men’s casual shoes options have grow beyond flip flops and boat shoes. But if you’re going to sport some sweet summer footwear you should keep a few dos and don’ts in mind.

Dos:
- Clean your feet. Cut your toenails. I know it’s obvious, but it needs to be said. I’ve seen some of your feet. If you’re gutsy, go a step further and have a pedicure. Your feet and those who look at it will thank you.
- Have more than one pair of flip flops
- Pair sockless dress shoes with jeans or even shorts. This is a bold move and for the fashion forward. You can’t be timid and pull this off.
- Have fun with bold colors
Don’t:
- Wear your ratty flip flops to work. When in doubt don’t wear it.
- Wear socks with your sandals (even if you’re European, this is America)
- Wear black slacks with light-colored footwear unless it’s jeans. Very few people can pull that look off. If you have to ask someone if it looks good, then don’t do it.
Dean McDermott is secure enough not only to get his pedi, but also get color on his nails. If you don't live in Hollywood and are married to a star, I would stay away from nail polish.

This is not for everyone, but this look is growing on me. If you're in your 20's and early 30's you'll look fashionable. If you're in your 40's, you'll look like a dufus.

Preppy is making a strong come back with the college and young career crowd. Boat shoes work great with all things preppy.

What’s your favorite summer footwear?
May 13, 2011
Partners, Lovers & Investors You Should Avoid Like the Plague

The best way to get out of a bad situation is by never getting into one in the first place. I have been fortunate to have avoided some very bad relationships over the years. These have been both personal (crazy girlfriend) as well as professional (bad business partner). In retrospect, there were signs along the way that have helped me walk away before it was too late. Here are the types of people you should avoid like the plague.

The Jerk. I remember having dinner with a potential business partner. He was trying hard to court me by having dinner at a very expensive restaurant. Our server made a mistake with this man’s appetizer. Suddenly, the cordial and fun individual sitting across from me turned into a tyrant, throwing a hissy fit over lettuce instead of spinach. The poor waiter apologized profusely and remedied the situation almost immediately. But that was not enough for the Jerk. He still wanted to complain at length to the manager. At that moment, I knew I wanted nothing to do with the guy. Later on I heard he bankrupted several business. He never delivered on his promises.

The Jealous. She was a lovely girl and very attractive. We went out several times and things seemed to be going well. One day, I found myself worrying about “checking in” several times a day and also feeling guilty every time I talked with another single female. Suddenly I realized that the young lady I was dating had some serious trust issues and no matter how much I tried, her insecurities became a full-time job to manage. I know guys who after decades of marriage, still have to call their wives multiple times a day for no apparent reason than just “check in.” Years later, I’m so thankful that the woman I eventually married is secure enough to allow me to travel the world on my on my “International Man of Mystery” pursuit.

The Micromanager. Sometimes partnerships are formed where one side brings capital (cash) and another expertize and sweat equity (everything else). Early on my entrepreneurial career I was offered a lot of money for a piece of my young business. The man wanted to be a silent investor and assured me that I could run the day-to-day operations. I knew this potential investor through another relationship, but not very well. As I spent time with him, I realized that he couldn’t just be an investor. By seeing how he operated his businesses and his own family, I quickly realized the man needed to know everything about, well, everything. While he was successful in making money, his employee turnovers were horrific. People didn’t stay long and those who stuck around were miserable. Money is great, but peace of mind is better.

What other types of people should we avoid?

May 12, 2011
Could a Fitness Goal Help Your Career?

Sometimes we need goals that have nothing to do with our careers, financial future or performance. From time to time I find myself focusing on seemingly inconsequential, somewhat irrelevant goals that from a glance can be seen as a distraction from some of the critical parts of life. For me these usually are fitness goals: run a marathon, have my personal record on a race, do a certain number of pull ups or drop to single digits in my body fat (if you know how much I love to eat, you’d know that’s almost an impossibility). So why bother with them, you might ask. Here’s what these goals do for me.

Forced disciplined. I’m a disciplined person by nature, but when I’m focusing on a fitness goal I get in a whole new level of commitment. Interestingly, that discipline spills over other areas of my life including professional and relational.

Broken routine. One day you wake up and life is a series of predictable activities. I often find myself going through my daily routine without much thought or focus. The interjection of a new goal, by the nature of it, disrupts the status quo and forces me to do things differently, and more importantly, intentionally.

Heightened performance. I found out that each time I met my fitness goals there was a major psychological boost in my professional performance as well. I cannot quantify it, but a shift happened in my thinking that simply says “if you can accomplish this, you can take the next challenge in your professional career.” These fitness goals somehow transferred a sense of confidence to other areas of my life, embolden me to get past performance and thinking plateaus.

For me, reaching these goals give e more than just a sense of accomplishment, a plaque and a t-shirt. These are personal morale and productivity boosters that help me work through the moments I might feel stuck or not sure of my own abilities to go to the next level.

Have you experienced anything similar? What was the outcome?

May 11, 2011
Lakers vs Mavericks. Talent vs Character.

I’m not a Mavericks or a Lakers’ fan. This post is not about basketball, but about character. Yesterday, Lakers center Andrew Bynum was ejected in the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals sweep by Dallas after a dirty foul on Dallas Mavericks reserve guard J.J. Barea. With the Mavericks winning 98-68, Barea drove to the basket and put up a floater. Bynum entered the lane and delivered a hard elbow to Barea’s ribs. Barea landed hard on the ground as the referee immediately called a flagrant foul and threw Bynum out of the game. You can watch it in the video below. It was so bad that ESPN announcer, Mike Tirico said “And that is one of the biggest bush league things I’ve ever seen! That is terrible!“. Interestingly, Bynum had just come off a two-game suspension for another flagrant foul.

Here what Mr. Bynum's behavior tells me: 1. Our talents can only take us as far as our character is able to hold us. 2. Talent alone does not make a man. 3. Last year's trophy means nothing. 4. Our true self will come out when we are under the most stress. 5. Our actions, not our intentions define us.
What else would you add? Am I being too harsh?

May 9, 2011
My Mother’s Day Strategy

Sunday is mother’s day. Somehow my boys, 16 and 12 still rely on dad to make sure mom has a good day. So as I was thinking of how to make the day more special for their mom, and my wife, I decided to share them with you.

First I got a hold of a great book from best selling author, Dr. Meg Meeker “10 Habits of a Happy Mother.” Dr. Meeker is a Pediatrician, mother and best-selling author of six books. She is the country’s leading authority on parenting, teens and children’s health. I even thought about buying one for my mother as well until I realized that she doesn’t read English and the book is not available in Portuguese. (You can win a free copy today by stopping by Dr. Meeker’s blog www.megmeekermd.com ). But beyond the book gift, I also thought of some more personal ways to make Gwen feel special on mother’s day:

Cooking her favorite meal. She loves my lemon linguine with cheddar chicken.

Not asking her to pull my finger for an entire day. Who said I can’t sacrifice for those whom I love?

Cleaning the house in my underwear. (Ok, the underwear part is for me and not her.)

Getting the boys not to argue for an entire day. Who am I kidding? If I could do that I would have my own TV show.

Buying fresh flowers instead of taking some of the neighbors’ roses. (Don’t judge me, I was desperate last year).

Forgoing my daily reminder of how blessed she is to have me as a husband.

How are you making your mother/wife feel special this weekend?

May 6, 2011
Before You Quit Your Job

We all have thought about quitting our jobs because we just can’t take the pressure, the abuse or both, and life is miserable. Some of us have actually done it. Several times. I remember lying in bed years ago and thinking of the different scenarios on how to quit my job. I was planning the perfect way to finally let my boss know what I really thought of him. But for the majority of us who walk away from a job because of frustration, we seldom quit because of ideological, organizational or even monetary issues. The truth is that we don’t quit our job; we quit our boss. Before you walk in and give notice along with a piece of your mind, consider this:

Incompetent people don’t last. In most organizations incompetence only lasts for a while. Granted, some places have a higher tolerance for poor performance than others, but the weak link eventually gets replaced. If your frustration stems from working for an incompetent person, you just have to outlive their tenure. Do your job well and stick around. Your promotion might be coming sooner than you realize.

There is no such a thing as the perfect environment for you, or anyone else for that matter. For your work nirvana to exist, only perfect people would be allowed to work there. And the day you and I show up at the place, perfection would cease. Sometimes we are as quick to idealize another environment as we are to vilify our current one.

Bad days happen. That’s just life. Even the brightest of environments is not immune to dark days, sometime a string of bad days or projects, and clients from hell. Don’t ever make a life-altering decision at the end of a taxing and discouraging day. An emotional decision is one you’ll always regret.

Leave well. If you must leave, then do it well. As much as you want to let you boss know what you think of her, this is not the time to do that. No one ever regretted being gracious and walking away with dignity and poise even if you know you’ve been wronged. The truth will eventually come out. It always does.

Sometimes you need to walk away from a bad situation, or should I say, from a bad boss. I did once, and it was the right thing to do. However, before you do, make sure it’s the right move at the right time done in the right way.

Have you ever quit a job? How did it go?

May 5, 2011