I did a series of posts last week on what the Senior Pastor wished the staff knew…now time to look at the other side of the coin.
#1 - Tell Me What You Expect Of Me
One of the things that a senior pastor must understand is that MOST staff members actually want to do an awesome job.
However, most of their frustration comes as a result of the pastor having unspoken expectations (or unrealistic ones.)
One of the best things a pastor can do is actually define success for the staff he serves with. Pastors, we’ve got to understand that our staff does not think like us, nor do they process information like we do…and if we want them to thrive (which will allow our church to thrive) then we’ve got to speak straight with them.
I cannot hold a staff member accountable for things he did or did not do that I provided no clear instruction for. And if we are not clear in our instruction…the best they can do is guess…which is incredibly frustrating for them.
#2 - Give Me Time
One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made as a pastor is getting fired up about something, getting key staff members together & sharing the vision with them…developing a strategy, assigning tasks and thinking big.
Some of you are wondering what the problem is with that. Well, nothing…here’s where the problem begins…
The staff leave the room pretty fired up and begin to work on their aspects of making the vison become a reality. Meanwhile…I get another idea…and I am FIRED UP about it. So, a few days later I call another meeting where I share the vision, develop a strategy and assign some tasks…
BUT…this time I notice there isn’t as much excitement in the room. In fact, there is sort of a sense of dread…and I get angry because ‘these people” aren’t fired up like I am…
I did this several times as a leader and then I finally understood…I’ve GOT to give the staff time to actually do the work. I can’t just get them in a room, snap my fingers and then BAM…it happens. If we want to do ministry with excellence…then it takes time.
This is one of the reasons I work so far ahead in message preparation. I want the video department, graphics area and our team of musical artists to have TIME to pray and prepare in regards to what is coming next. The more time I give them…the better they do…the more excited they become…and the whole team wins.
Pastors…the more we can prepare in advance the more we set our teams up for success…and the more the whole church will benefit from it as well.
YES, it does take a lot of work…but it’s worth it if the staff can continue to perform with excellence and stay fired up!