[This is the third in a series of four posts].
Seems like I say the same four things repeatedly to those considering a ministry move. In my last post I unpacked the often-used statement “You gotta finish well.”
The third thing I find myself saying a lot these days is:
3. “Stay Connected to the Connectors in Your Life.”
Who are the half-dozen most connected people that you know? Have you told them that you are considering a move? After you told them once, did you reach back out to remind them?
The “connectors” are the type of people who are many times saying, “I know a guy,” or “I know something you should try.” In the church world, these are the types of people that get asked a lot if they know of anyone looking for a ministry opportunity.
The typical problem is that they are asked this over and over, and I’ve found that it’s hard for them to keep track and remember, in addition to their own lives they are trying to live. I’ve found that staying in people’s inbox every three weeks for any reason is a good way to stay connected to the connectors.
Once you have told them that you are considering a move, you don’t have to tell them over and over, but you do have to find ways to simply stay in front of them. A conversational one-liner email about the weather, their favorite sports team, or a book recommendation is all it takes. You’ll be surprised at some point in the future, they may respond with, “I’m so glad you reached out, someone was just asking me if I knew of someone who was looking…”
I recently received an email attached to a long thread that simply said, “Sorry about your Cincinnati Bengals,” but it was from a guy that I’ve had long talks and lots of time coaching, and it reminded me that he was looking. Right above his email was an email from a pastor wondering if I knew of anybody. Go figure!
Connectors love to connect! Take them up on it.