In Over My Head

So last semester I was extended an invitation to help gather together a team of about six staff to do a re-write of InterVarsity's Small Group Leader Handbook. This was an opportunity that I was stoked about. I've worked with training small group leaders pretty extensively over the past six years or so on staff with InterVarsity. And I occasionally like to write. What could go wrong?

I spent the last several months searching near and far for other IV staff who could join me in this work. We wanted a diverse team from various parts of the country to help make this thing worthwhile.

After much weeping and gnashing of teeth, the team was assembled and we fly to Chicago-land last week to get to know each other, eat deep-dish pizza, and hammer out what this new edition of the handbook should look like.

As the time approached for these meetings, I realized I was in over my head in two ways:

1. I've never written a (hand)book before. I've never written a book with a group of other people before. How exactly does one shape a productive, thorough conversation? I mean, if it was just me writing this thing, I think I might know what I want to talk about and just get started. But it's not just me and in the long-run that's going to make this a better thing...but how do we begin?

2. I don't often lead meetings with other IV staff. That is, I don't often lead meetings with peers or those who are older than me/a pay level or two above me. Most all of my meeting experience is with students, where there's obviously some natural "I'm older, I'm the IV staff guy" type dynamics. Even if students don't like my meetings, they are more likely to be compliant (with the exception of the students who read this blog). The folks on the team were going to be mostly my age but a couple were older and a couple of them ran staff-level meetings all the time. My fumblings were going to be annoying for everyone, but for them especially.

So these were my thoughts as Thursday morning approached--the one full day we had together where we had to do almost all the work ahead. And Thursday morning's session more or less affirmed these fears. We struggled to get traction, bumped up against impasses, and I wasn't always sure that I was helping us to move through the process as well as we could.

But the team of staff were gracious and patient. And as the day progressed, the fog lifted. We began to take some steps towards clarity and the book began to take shape. By Thursday night, we had done most of the good work we needed to do. Friday morning we rounded out the framework and structure and we had lots of laughter and some inside jokes. Hugs all around on the way out to the airport and new friends on Facebook. What more could I have asked for?

Now everyone's back home and we've got some writing to do. Our goal is to have this thing done by November, it takes a year in the production process, and it's ready for your Christmas stocking by December '09.

I learned some good things about leading a meeting over a couple days and about the writing process. And I got to know some cool folks along the way. I guess it's not always bad to be in over one's head...