In any growing church or organization there are going to be moments where the team that got you where you are, will not have the ability to get you where you need to go. This usually becomes an incredibly painful and difficult moment. In fact many churches get stuck here because they refuse to address the issue in an appropriate manner. What do you do when staff members begin to hit a leadership lid? Do you have any other course of action to take besides replacing them? How do you navigate these moments? The options below should help:
1. Clarify Expectations
I’ve never met a church staff member who wants to do a bad job at work, but I’ve met plenty who don’t know what’s expected of them at work. Have you taken the time to set clear performance expectations and measure results over determined periods of time and evaluate the results together? Sometimes as the church grows and changes expectations change.
2. Recast Vision
As the church goes through different phases of growth there are natural seasons where team members may simply need to “re-up” for the next season of ministry. Have you recast vision to team members and given them the opportunity to “re-up” for this next season?
3. Provide Training
If the team member understands and reflects the culture that you’re trying to build and they relationally fit the team, then they’re probably worth investing in. Have you determined if there are new skills that the team member needs that you can provide through training?
4. Deal with the Facts
People don’t always believe the truth about themselves (newsflash). Some of your team members don’t know what they’re brilliant at and what they should be avoiding. Part of your job as the team leader is to help your team take a soberminded approach to their role in the church. Here’s a tip: when you have these conversations focus on facts, not feelings.
5. Right People in the Right Seats
As the church is growing and team members hit lids one of the first issues to consider is do you have the right people in the right seats on the bus? Instead of removing the team member could you move them to another role or hire someone over them?
6. Honest Conversations
In the process of these conversations I cannot overvalue the need to have consistent, honest, real-time conversations with your team. If you want to coach your team members through seasons of change and leadership lids it’s going to take candid conversations.
If your church is stuck and needs help moving into the future consider partnering with The Unstuck Group to help guide you through a staffing and structure review. We’d be happy to help you develop a plan that will move you forward!
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