How to Create Your Decision-Making Credo

Over the last few weeks I've been praying and planning and now I can say I'm super excited about what is unfolding this year. Actually it's a little overwhelming and has been challenging making decisions what to say yes to and what to say no to! So here's HOW I'm using a credo or decision-making tree to help me make decisions in alignment with my values and assignment. It's easy making decisions when it's been good and not good. It's hard making decisions when it's between two (or three or four... ) GOOD things. The process I'm working through will help you also.

If you want to download the full notes and free worksheet on this, go to Heaveninbusiness.com/decision-guide 

Developing a Credo : Decision-Making tree

Here's a simple process to develop your own decision-making guide, or credo. A credo is a statement of beliefs and/or aims that guide our actions. First we clarify our values (lived-out beliefs). Then we clarify what we are aiming at for the year (or longer) - our objectives. Then we integrate it together to form a series of questions through which to process your opportunities. The process - decision-making tree, will help you make more confident decisions in alignment with who you are and where you are headed.

1. What are your values?

These are the non-negotiable ways in which you will operate. They should be in every aspect of your life. The ones to write down are those which you must focus on. For example, I don't need to make 'hard-work' a core value because it is so woven into who I am. Don't think about what you may or may not put on public display; focus on what you need on the internal operating system in order to fully realize your vision and assignment.

As an example, these are my (Heaven in Business) defining core values:

- Priority of Presence. Our first priority in all things is the Person of God. We re-present the Father in everything we do. Success is friendship with Him above all else. How well does this represent Him? Do we sense His Peace - His Presence, as we are walking in this?

- Spirit led. We continually rely on wisdom, insight and strategy from our growing personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. We don't live by principles alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God... daily. What does Holy Spirit say about this?

- Performance from rest. Our identity/value is from our connection with Heaven not our performance on earth. We GET to do this. Our value is not based on winning or losing but in giving our best. Anxiety is evidence of an inferior kingdom. Is this in my own ability or with God's? What's my level of peace vs. anxiety? Am I letting myself be troubled?

- Activation. God has done His part; now it's our turn WITH Him. Everything we do is aimed at equipping, training, connecting and activating others. We focus on giving people the thinking and tools to go further than us. How is this activating others? Does this rely on me or multiply me?

- Transformation. Discipling of cities and nations starts with me. We maintain a view and vision towards the big picture while faithfully stewarding what is in front of us. We focus on the few who influence the many. Personal, community and city transformation is the OUTCOME of our healthy walk with God. How is this contributing to city-community wellbeing? Is there a bigger picture we can be part of? What is God's dream for this city?

Your turn - take a few minutes to write down 3-5 non negotiable core values for you and your business. Write a one sentence statement of what each would look like lived out on a daily basis. Consider how they would influence the decisions you make. 

2. What are your priorities for this year?

What are your goals or objectives or what you want to have accomplished by the end of the year? Think beyond this year if possible - how will this year contribute momentum to where you want to be in five years time? What is your conviction of what the Holy Spirit is leading you into? What is your assignment?

Heaven in Business's big hairy audacious goal (BHAG) is to connect, train and activate one million business people to partner with God at work and engage in the wellbeing of the city-community they serve. 

A core component of our growth strategy is that we grow at the pace of relationship. We are multiplying healthy and relational people not transactions that build a machine.

Over the last few weeks I have gained clarity on three objectives for this year

A) Call the crowd - intentionally gather/nurture/offer people who have not engaged, some form of engagement that will help them grow in partnership with God at work. Turn the crowd into 'customers.' 

• Social media testimonies that inspire and give vision of what is possible plus invite viewers to engage to grow
• Podcast that gives authentic stories and practical process to navigate the messy intersection of applying your faith (Partnership with God) into business and life
• Books, courses and giveaways that disciple people towards a stronger partnership with God in all of life eg. HeyGodWhatNow.com and free giveaways like this!

B) Connect, train and activate customers - intentionally disciple those we are engaged with so that they gain clarity for what's next and the courage to do it. Offer events, products and services that facilitate connection, training and activation. Turn customers into clients.

• Online learning community that connects, trains and activates people in their partnership with God at work and engagement in city wellbeing
• Annual conference that gathers 200+ like-minded business people in a corporate atmosphere of revelation, momentum and activation
• Local workshops that connect, train and activate around 50 business people with a focus on interaction and application
• Strategic and Executive Retreats for 20 business leaders to get refreshed, refocused and upgraded in their partnership with God at work

C) Identify and develop leaders to disciple others - turning clients into catalysts. This is a deeper, more personalized approach to Objective B where we walk closely with a few people who are growing in their business and beginning to step into calling of discipling their city-community (e.g. discipling employees or hosting a workshop or starting their own mastermind groups etc).

• Mastermind groups of five business people meeting twice a month and focused on application and integration of partnership with God in business growth and influence
• Individual advisory focused on fullness of friendship with God, business growth and Kingdom advancement in alignment with calling

Your turn - what is your personal or business vision? Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years time... or go bigger.... if you FULLY lived out all that God has promised you, what could that look like in 10-20 years time? If it doesn't make you a little uncomfortable it's probably not big enough. Also, if you can do this in your own ability, it is definitely too small! 

Now, break that big vision down into three objectives that you need to focus on this year that will lead/direct you towards the big picture. Define these so that someone could pick up what you write or say and run with it themselves.

Once you have your vision and objectives, break the objectives down into a handful of strategies or action steps that you need to focus your week to week activity on in order to achieve the big picture objective and vision.

3. Turn this into a decision-making guide

Now that you have your values and vision and objectives we can summarize this into some key questions that will help you make great decisions.

First, here's an example of the Heaven in Business credo/decision-making guide. Imagine I have ten invitations for a workshop or individual advisory. How do I know which ones to say 'yes' to? All of them would be fun, aligned with the big picture and are with good people. I cannot do them all. So I pause, listen to the Holy Spirit and run the opportunities/invitations through the following framework:

1. How is this calling and nurturing disciples? Crowd => Customer => Client => Catalyst
2. How is this activating others? Who is the point person/host? Priority of train & activate
3. What is the measure of wisdom, joy, peace, hope and power? Priority of Presence
4. What does Jesus say about this? Are you still listening? Priority of being Spirit-led
5. What is the level of confident peace vs. restless anxiety? Priority of Identity in Christ
6. What is the end result? Is this fruitful/good soil? Value of transformation (personal)
7. How is this affecting the wellbeing of the city-community? Value of transformation (city-community)

If I run an opportunity through this and still come up with a big YES then it simply becomes a matter of timing. I have worked through with my family (stakeholders) what is a good rhythm of activity/events and we constantly refine this with one another and in prayer. For example, we experimented with an executive retreat in New Zealand last December. It was clearly a YES for all of the credo above to repeat, except in Australia due to the significantly higher demand. I could do that this year but we are already full in international trips so in discussion with the hosts (catalysts) we confirmed this for January 2024. 

Your turn - look back over your values and objectives. When you have opportunities/deals/ideas, what key questions do you need to ask of yourself to keep you in alignment with values and objectives? Write these down. Then go back over them, put them in order that is most appropriate for you. Now run an example opportunity through the credo and refine it accordingly.

Proviso: With all of this remember that one word from God trumps all else. Jesus said "I don't live by bread alone but by every word from God." In other words, I can have my credo and guide and objectives and vision... but when I hear the Lord say to do something I drop everything else and simply say "Yes Lord!"

If you want the full notes and free worksheet on this, go to Heaveninbusiness.com/decision-guide 

If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to contact us - [email protected]