Roadblock or Detour?

It’s inevitable. Sometime in media ministry, someone is going to come to you with an idea that just won’t work. There can be any number of reasons why, but they will propose it, and you will be placed in a position of saying “No”.

Here’s the question, will you be a roadblock or a detour?

Will you just say no, and give all the reasons why it won’t work or shouldn’t be done? Or will you step back, look at the end goal, and suggest an alternate route?

I find that when I am tired or frustrated it is much easier to slip into the roadblock mentality. The request may just be the last in a long line of ill conceived ideas, or something that unduly impacts my work for little gain. When I am run down, my focus shifts and I tend to react as a roadblock.

When I am focused on the big picture, I tend to point the way to an alternate solution. I will suggest another way to get the same result. If pushed, I’ll go into why the other path is blocked, but always circle back to how the same goal can be reached.

The challenge is to stay in the “detour” capable frame of mind. Media Ministry exists to support the church. The tools and pathways of communication we use have nuances that not everyone knows. They may suggest something that won’t work, but our job is to help the ministry get where it is going, not just throw a roadblock.

Focus on an alternate route to get to the same place. When you have to say no, be a detour, not a roadblack.

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