Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Last week was a week of surprises, and not the pleasant kind. There were network issues and train delays and last minute changes to a project I was working on, and while it all worked out just fine, the week didn’t exactly conform to my plan.

I don’t like surprises. I’m sure I’m not alone in this, but God or other people or simply chance don’t really seem to care what I think about surprises. They are a part of life and work, and as I’ve gotten more experienced I’ve gotten better in remembering this fact in my planning.

I know that when I’m working on Trinity News magazine, for example, someone will think of something that needs to be changed or added at the last minute, so I try and build a few extra days into the schedule just in case we need to make changes, and the issue is better for it.
Often, it’s in these little hiccups in my plans that I learn and grow. I become a better manager, I learn to better deal with stress, I am reminded to relax a bit and prioritize the really important things and let the smaller things slide. It requires me to relinquish some control and often to ask for help or advice. 

A key, I think, to dealing with the unexpected in a community is communication. Everyone knows that things happen over which we have no control, and if we communicate clearly, most people will understand. 

After each big project I’ve also learned to look over what went right and what went wrong. A debrief with colleagues or other community members can be very helpful. It can both help us improve the process in the future and give everyone a chance to talk about anything that frustrated them. I do this with my fiancée as well, often, after a trip that didn’t go quite as planned or when we’re making big decisions, and our relationship has grown stronger. 

Surprises are inevitable, and they can lead to growth and a deeper understanding of ourselves and the work we do, and a better relationship with others. We just have to accept them as a part of life.