Supervisory questions

Supervisory questions

In the past on this blog, I have recommended doing supervision sessions with your staff people four times a year, with monthly coaching sessions in between those. But what does a good supervisory session look like? What topics should you cover? How should that staff...

10 steps for screening and interviewing prospective staff

Screening and interviewing prospective staff for hire in your ministry is a big responsibility. You want to make the very best choice possible. So what kind of a procedure can you use?  Below I outline the 10-step screening and interviewing process I recommend....
Resisting the silo effect: shared vision and goals

Resisting the silo effect: shared vision and goals

We’ve all seen examples of what’s commonly known as “the silo effect:” The music ministry thinking only about their productions without reference to how that connects to the overall ministry of the church. The youth pastor deciding that the main goals are more kids...

Why staff meetings are mostly a waste

Consider the average staff meeting: some catch up, coordinating of calendars, maybe a bit of support. Usually when you walk away, you haven’t accomplished much, and you’re generally you’re not in a place where the team had enough time for focused thinking about the...

Non-monetary rewards and sanctions

Today’s entry is from guest blogger Dr. Steven Goodwin. People are motivated by much more than money. This means that granting an employee a salary increase is not the only means to encourage positive work behavior. Researchers Richard King and Judith Mathers of the...

What’s the problem?

  Here’s one of my favorite diagrams to use when you’re having a problem with someone who is in a specific ministry role– whether it’s a staff role or a volunteer role. When something just doesn’t seem to be working, start by asking, “Does this person...

Question #2: What’s missing?

Note: part of a series started April 22nd. The next question my coach asked me—after I had wrestled for a while with “What’s next?”—was “What’s missing?” After reflecting on the state of the church in the U.S. I decided my answer was that true leadership...