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Staff Evaluation and Coaching
As a pastor, I regularly observe the performance of my staff members and leaders. I don't want to be a perfectionist or a micro-manager, but I want to see everyone given to excellence, thoroughness, and attention to detail. How do I instill these values in my leaders? How can I give them feedback (which sometimes involves correction) without making them feel that I'm always "riding them?" They do alright much of the time, but I get frustrated when they just don't seem to "get it" and miss obvious things that should be done. How do I coach, give feedback, and help our church staff embrace a sense of excellence in all that we do?
Responses:
Pastor Jeff Jones – Kalamazoo, MI
Here’s a tool we use to help give some clear and measurable expectations for our staff members in terms of their responsibilities. We do these annually.
Download the Performance Review Template (PDF)
Pastor Jerry Piker – Laurie, MO
I have found a great source to handle such things. Although it is a secular book, it has helped me to get our leadership team on track, talking to each other, and holding each other accountable.
The book is by Patrick Lencioni and is called, "Five Dysfunctions of a Team." We took a year to implement these things and it has paid off for us. One quote from the book is this, "I can say confidently that teamwork is almost always lacking within organizations that fail, and often present within those that succeed." This covers five dysfunctions normally found in teams and how to overcome them. The dysfunctions are: (1) Absence of Trust, (2) Fear of Conflict, (3) Lack of Commitment, (4) Avoidance of Accountability, and (5) Inattention to Results.
Overcoming these things has helped our leaders to deal with things before I ever have to. Many of the bookstores, Barnes and Noble, etc., carry these books.
Pastor Phil Edwards – Ennice, NC
I find the reason my staff is not performing in excellence is lack of direction from me. I think we need to meet more often to coach, teach, train and mentor our staff. The few times I've had to give extra direction, it is received with respect because I have met and built a relationship with my staff. I have an all-volunteer staff and they perform at a high level of excellence because they have taken ownership of their position because of adequate direction.
Pastor Jerry Weinzierl – Sterling Heights, MI
Having clear job descriptions can be the most important element in avoiding conflicting expectations. You can't hold someone accountable for something you assume an employee understands. Job descriptions and a Policy/Procedure Manual will go a long way to avoid misunderstanding. I have a VERY hands-off management style when it comes to my employees. This is made more manageable when you 'hire' right in the first place.
Regarding 'correction', one of the best books I've read is 'The One Minute Manager' by Ken Blanchard. A very important part of any necessary correction is to have provided ongoing encouragement for any job well done. When my son was very young and showed me his report card with a grade that had dropped, I immediately pointed out my disappointment with that grade. With tears in his eyes he replied, “Dad, you didn't even notice my good grades!” He was right! Many times, because we expect good performance as a condition of employment, we don't readily hand out compliments or kudos. Big mistake! Summed up: Communicate Expectations, Recognize Accomplishments/Good Performance, Discuss Mistakes Quickly AND Briefly, then I'll add....make sure any meeting ends with the employee/volunteer knowing that you believe in them – something positive! “You never encourage a positive future by picturing a negative past.” Who said that? No idea...but it sounded good! :o)
Pastor John Lowe – Warsaw, IN
There is no substitute for the staff seeing the pastor giving 100% to the ministry, having a great attitude, working hard, etc… To expect top performance – and then the minister is late, makes no effort in preparation of the message or care of the people and facility – will only result in the duplication of the low performance in the staff.
The pastor has to have a system in which he benefits, such as a day timer, Franklin Covey, or an iPad (or some means to keep track of his priorities including time with his family).
One has no authority to correct someone unless their life is in order as well.
Teaching on follow-through, getting it done now, and a system of prioritizing are required, but the minister sets the pace in excellence. Action is louder than words and life-style promotes authority or loses it.
If you are doing it, have a system in place and then be a leader and dismiss the person. People are the answer or the problem.
Pastor Stan Saunders – Chillicothe, MO
Almost every problem in the church is a staff problem, from the senior pastor down to once-a-month volunteers. Almost every problem can be fixed by self-motivated and well trained people. My job as pastor/leader is to provide training and correction to my staff. It is my responsibility to cast a clear and compelling vision for the church. I must be a living example of what is expected by all staff and volunteers. The lead pastor must be leading the way. The lead pastor must possess a high level of competency for the job, a workmanlike diligence to the task and a compelling modesty.
Through the process of trial and error, I have found that when in doubt, don't hire. It is better to have a need than to have the wrong person. It is better to change staff than to beat a dead horse. If I have to continually ride staff to perform clearly expected duties, then they are not the correct person for the position. Always hire the best people you can find. Excellent people will perform with excellence. Great staff is a reflection of a great leader. Having the right people on the team cannot be overstated.
Success is mostly dependent upon building a culture of self-disciplined people who have disciplined thoughts and who take disciplined actions. A culture of disciple does not require a strong-handed disciplinarian. A disciplined environment creates freedom to perform. People will excel where there are clearly defined expectations. Make sure there is a vision worthy of excellent performance. Cast the vision often. People very quickly will settle into the mundane if not reminded often of the greater cause. Love for the cause, commitment to the cause and passion for the cause will raise the level of performance by the staff.
One great fault of mine is failure to reward great efforts and results. Too often, I only criticize mistakes. This has been a great error. Publicly praise your staff. Be their greatest cheerleader. Genuinely seek and listen to their opinions on important issues. Make sure to implement their great ideas and to give them credit publicly. Make your church into the best place in the community to work by creating a positive and fun environment. Our staff is an extension of our family.
Pastor Al Jennings – Fort Wayne, IN
Here are some thoughts that come to mind in regard to instilling the values you want to see in your leaders:
1. Lead by example. Let them see (in you) the values you want to see in them. Spend time with your key leaders and let them observe your lifestyle. Have a conversation with them; let them ask questions. Share insights with them.
2. Give them assignments. For example, give them a book to read. John Maxwell has excellent leadership books (and there are others). Assign them responsibilities and follow-up to see how they did. Give them feedback. Inspect what you expect.
Here is a mentorship plan:
- I do-you watch. We talk.
- I do-you assist. We talk.
- You do-I assist. We talk.
- You do-I watch. We talk.
Pastor Terry Scheel – Fenton, MO
I would suggest that when you put someone in charge of an area, have written guidelines for that area. Let them know up front that you will be supervising them and informing them when they are operating within the guidelines and when they are not. Perhaps you could have regular individual evaluation meetings with all your staff to address positives and negatives, that way a negative can be addressed without the staff member thinking you are riding them or picking on them. You may even want to use written evaluations, as it is sometimes easier to address negatives in writing as opposed to verbally. I will say, it is important to lovingly correct a problem as soon as possible. Never assume a problem will correct itself; it won't. The longer you let a problem go unchecked, the worse things will become.
As far as shaping good behavior and attention to detail, I would suggest positive reinforcement. Compliment your staff regularly when they are doing what you want them to do. This technique is worth its weight in gold.
Finally, remember Jesus had a staff that was not excellent at the beginning. However, Jesus worked with them in love and at times corrected them. In the end, He was able to use some of them to write books of the New Testament. I would suggest making a study of how Jesus dealt with His staff.
