Friday we posted a sampling of the questions that have been flowing-in by text message and email to the Leadership Summit staff following Gary Haugen’s message.  As promised, we’ll be rolling out answers to these questions over the next few days.  To begin:

Q: Does Gary Haugen’s organization, IJM, have short term “field” opportunities – or is the level of specialization too high?

A: Yes, we have 6-12 month internships as well as post-graduate fellowships in each of our 14 field offices.  The internships do not necessarily require specialized skill and can focus on a variety of areas.  The post-graduate fellowships are for those who have acquired specialized skills and training, particularly in law or social work.  To learn more, you can find extensive information on our Interns&Fellows page on the IJM website.

As for even shorter term opportunities, such as 1-2 weeks for small teams, please directly as these opportunities are explored on a case-by-case basis.

Q: When does a “pursuit of excellence” become workaholism and self-abuse? How do we know when we have allowed ourselves to sacrifice the wrong things (e.g. family) for what we believe is the work of God?

A: This is an important distinction.  Although excellence does involve a commitment of time, excellence is often more about quality of investment than quantity of investment.  Excellence involves choosing to reflect, to invite others to give honest feedback, to discuss the specific outcomes you desire ahead of time so you can track performance, and to debrief experiences to make sure all learning lessons are captured.  At IJM, we believe in excellence in our personal lives as well as our work lives.  This means that we give the best we have in the time available.  For example, we have a limit on the nights that we travel away from home per month, knowing there will always be more opportunities than is healthy for one person to engage.  If we are missing the joy in our personal lives it will eventually impact the ministry, and conversely, we make a commitment to our staff that the organization will not succeed at the expense of one’s family or personal life.