Know Your Audience Part II

Do you have a teenager?  If you do, you know that even the best teenager in the world challenges, questions, at time generates borderline disrespect, ignores good truths, makes sometimes ridiculous excuses that everyone knows aren't true, can't back off an errant statement, and argues against the seemingly obvious.  James Dobson once concurred, "It is natural for teenagers to seek other sources of information.  It is natural for them to not simply accept the credibility of their parents.  They have moved to a new point of critical thinking and must decide for themselves."   To accept this and to help guide them to valid sources and to graciously help expose the invalid sources of information is the key to success.  No one can thwart this natural process and no one should.  The wise parent understands that thwarting a natural process will result in rebellion just like denying a citizen his God given rights. 

It is difficult to become "less intelligent" at times (or for years) while you move from "worshipped status" to "ignorant serf status."  However, to be successsful, the parent (and teacher of teens) needs to not think of themselves and be smart - remembering always, the child will return to the parent one day if the parent has taught and lived truth.  The parent must remember that they will become "smart again" when this phase is over and not punsih the teen because the move to adulthood is difficult for the parent.

It is critical to learn the precarious balance of walking alongside the teenager not trying to be their friend and not abdicating the responsibility to protect while allowing them to grow up, make controlled mistakes and stretch their legs into adulthood.    The parent must walk alongside, outside the "bubble" and hold up posters of truth and be ready with care when the bubble bursts off and on throughout this process.  The parent will learn that teaching in the moments where there is no challenge is the perfect place to drop in truths that are needed, even though the teen doesn't know it.  Parents can survive and still teach.  Just because they don't see your value doesn't mean that you can't invest.  It just takes a different strategy.

Yes, knowing your audience is not just about understanding their culture so that you can use great applications and connect with them to teach most effectively.  Knowing your audience is a critical strategy:

• If you want to even have the opportunity to teach
• To survive the challenges of teaching
• To benefit the learner

I asked earlier, "Do you have a teenager?"  Well, do you?  If you are any kind of leader at all, if you are building up people and building future leaders, if you are leading, you should be answering, "Yes! Yes!"  You got it!  We all have the "teenage audience" around us.  They are the hardest, most difficult, heart-breaking followers who don't follow well in our organizations and communities.  However, if you don't get to know this audience and reach them well, you will have no future leaders.  They will have all run off to the "streets of the world" and perhaps you will be accountable for their destruction at the hands of this world.  People who are growing spiritually, in leadership or in knowledge, simply must go through this phase - it is natural. 

We need to master the very critical strategy of knowing our audience if we are going to be effective.  Next week's articles are going to focus on some of these particular audiences with ideas and tips on what to and not to do. 

This article is part of the series "Teaching - Art and Call".  You can read all of the articles in this series by navigating (look right) to the "Teaching - Art and Call" link.  If you know a teacher, get them involved - invite them to join us Monday through Friday.  Let's change the world together!