from 30K feet

Performance Appraisals

If you lead a team of people, then you need to put some thought into how you can give them feedback on what they do. I am currently in the process of conducting performance appraisals for the staff I lead. This is somewhat of an experiment since I have never done them before.

So what tools do you use? How do you do it?

What you are trying to accomplish will influence how you do these reviews.

DON'TS

• I didn't want to "rate" their job performance. This only causes problems because it can tend to be subjective. What you see as a 10, I might only see as a 7. Plus, if you are going to rate someone you better have given them very clear expectations of what you are rating them on.
• I am not using these reviews for terminating employment or justifying raises.

DO'S

• I want to bring more clarity to every one's role. Their input is crucial.
• I want to get people working where they are gifted and energized. I can observe this but they can give better insight into what they love to do.
• Everyone likes to know where they are being successful.

Our performance appraisal has three parts.

1. Their input
2. My input
3. Collaborated summary

I borrowed the basis of this PA from some church that I am willing to give credit, but I can't remember where I got it. Old age I guess.

Download Fellowship Kids Performance Appraisal

How are you organized?

There are fundamentally two different ways to organize your team in children's ministry.

1. Organize by Area
2. Organize by Function

Both of these have advantages and disadvantages. After my first year at Southside, I reorganized primarily because of the staff that I had.

Here is how I think about it:

Organize by Area

This is a fairly traditional method of organizing. You will staff based on your different departments which are usually based on age groups. Most churches have a preschool and elementary department and maybe even the nursery is separated into its own group.

Advantage: Your team can give focused effort towards leadership development and it allows for growth.

Disadvantage: This can create a silo effect and you will likely have a duplication of effort.

Our Preschool Director was very organized and a great recruiter but these were not the gifts of the Elementary Director. Consequently, the preschool area was well staffed but the elementary area struggled. It created an "us" verse "them" mentality.

Organized by Function

This type of organizing keys on specific roles that are used throughout your ministry. You will staff based on crucial roles.

Advantage: It allows you to maximize people's giftedness and leverage it for broader influence.

Disadvantage: Becomes more difficult with growth. Great leaders who multiply is a must.

Soon after taking the job, I lost my elementary director so I had to reorganize. I choose to reorg. by function so that my best recruiter was recruiting for the whole ministry instead of just one department. As we grow, I am re-looking at how we need to be organized to carry us into the future.

Organizational Structure

Have you given much thought to your organizational structure?

Clarity of roles id crucial not only for your current situation but also as you grow. Clarified roles will allow you to put the right people in each position so they may greater use their gifts and talents.

In addition, a well organized reporting structure will allow you to maximize your work as a team. As you think about you organizational structure make sure it allows for leadership development and multiplication or you will soon find yourself in a leadership crisis.

There are very easy ways to start thinking about your organizational structure. One of my favorite ways is to draw everything out on a white board.

First, list everyone you have within the team you lead, both paid and volunteer. Also make a quick note of the role they play. (You don't have to go into tons of details now. Save that for later when you clarify each person's role.)

Second, begin thinking about who are your key people. I know everyone is replaceable but think of the people who carry the most responsibility. Who are your leader of leaders?

Third, begin drawing out the structure using traditional boxes and lines.

Some things to think about:

1. Organize based on area or function?
2. Is the structure simple or complex?
3. Is everyone included?
4. Is the reporting structure balanced?

While this is not our current structure, this is what I am thinking in the years to come.  And there are likely position that will be needed that are not included yet.

  Download Future Organizational Chart

Taking time to write

As a guy, I am not really into keeping a diary but I do like to write. So instead of writing in a journal I choose to call it a journal instead. While I am not really all that good at, the discipline of putting your thoughts on paper will help you in other areas.

• As a leader, you have to cast vision and communicate all the time. Writing down your thoughts will help you think more clearly as a communicator. Many times I have gone back and read what I have written only to find it makes no sense. Oh, somewhere deep in my mind it makes sense but it wouldn't to anyone else. Writing helps develop the skills of communicating clearly.

• As a leader, you always need to be growing. Over time, keeping a journal will give you a glimpse into where and how you have grown. When I read the things I wrote a year ago, I can see the journey God has lead me on. It gives me courage to move ahead.

• Writing helps you record historical moments that allow you to praise God for how He is working in your life and ministry. Many times I have gone back and read an amazing thing that God has done. I was praising Him then and it gives me a chance to praise Him again.

• Keeping a journal helps you gage your spiritual temperature. There are times when I am at a loss for what to write. Usually this happens when I am too busy or too tired which is a great warning light that something needs to change.

I am sure there are other benefits but these are just a few. Grab a simple spiral notebook, your favorite pen and a comfortable chair and start writing. It will help you as a leader.

I am Buzz Lightyear

You have probably seen the movie Toy Story. If you haven't then you really need to see it. It is one of my favorite animated movies of all time. The comedy is great with lots of one liners for movie quotes to be used later.

But I think the reason I am drawn to the movie is because of the story line. It is ultimately the story of all of humanity. I have come to realize I AM Buzz Lightyear.

Why you might ask?

In the movie, Buzz thinks he is a great protector of the universe outfitted with awesome weapons and gadgets. He is no ordinary man! He can do things others can't do. He knows the world is a much better place with him around.

The story begins to change when Buzz realizes he is not everything he thought he was. He must come to grips with the reality that he is a created being made for the enjoyment of someone else. I am the same way. While I often think I am great, the truth is I am a created being made for the enjoyment of someone else. Much like Buzz, the sooner I come to grips with it the better I will be.

 

 

Knowing God

Often times as we lead Children's Ministry, we try to boil down what we do to the basic element. It helps us as leaders assess if we are doing the right things. Andy Stanley would call this identifying the win.

Our focus in Fellowship Kids has been to help our children know God more. We try to focus our teachers and leaders on pointing our children towards knowing God. I am convinced more and more that we have to help our children understand better the almighty God. The truth is all of us see God too small and see ourselves too big.

I am currently teaching a very small class on Sunday mornings of 4th and 5th graders and we have begun to go through the Bible chronologically but first we talked through who God is. As we began in Genesis, they groaned at having to go through the Creation story again. They have heard it hundreds of times and know all the facts and details. But I wanted them to go through it and see God in the whole thing based on what we had just studied about Him.

We say all the time that the Bible is God's One Big Story. I realized that they knew it was one story written by God but failed to see it as one story written about God.  

Training vs Connection

We always are striving to better equip those people that give their lives away each Sunday in Fellowship Kids. So we decided to plan several quick "trainings" throughout the year on a Sunday morning.

As we planned for the "training" last Sunday we began to realize we weren't training them at all.

After dropping the kids off in the Garage, the mentors came back to a room and enjoyed some coffee and homemade treats. (They were homemade because our volunteers are worth it.) We showed them an inspiring 2 minute video about their potential impact on the kids. 

I reminded them of our focus of helping the kids know God more through their love and influence.  We shared with them three practical ways they can introduce kids to God.

• Be friendly
• Be interested in them
• Be interesting to them

Then we did something so simple, but it turned out to be the greatest thing. We gave the volunteers time to talk and share what they are learning and where they see God at work. One of our staff facilitated the start of the discussion and then we all just got out of the way.

What was suppose to be a training felt more like connection and it was powerful!

Communication and Focus

I have found that there is a connection between communication and focus. Our focus is reflected in what we communicate and what we communicate influences the focus of those we lead. 

If you find the people you lead and the volunteers you serve are focusing on the wrong things, then take a look at what you are communicating to them.  

If you want their focus to be on ministry but all you talk about is administration and strategy, then that is where their focus will be. Ultimately that is where your focus is.

How do you fix it?

Start by changing the things you focus on and then reflect it in your communication. Soon you will find those you lead changing their focus too.

Worship in Africa

Today we went to a church here in Accra, Ghana.  It was a powerful time of praise and worship. I was brought to tears at the thought of worshiping our awesome God halfway around the world with the believers in Ghana.

After lunch we went to the Children's Home associated with the church. It is all boys from age 3-14. We brought a new soccer ball and played with the boys. It was a blast!

It was great to sit and talk with them and hear their stories.

 

(that is their old soccer ball that was flat) My son, Jake, is the one...well you can figure it out. I was amazed to see how playing football with them made an instant connection.

 

God is in control

Myself and 9 others were on our way to Liberia for a mission trip however due to flight issues, we are now stuck in NYC. Right now I am in the Apple store in Manhattan typing this post.

Tomorrow we will have to go to the Ghana consulate to try to get visas for Ghana. We will either be stuck in New York for two more days or stuck in Ghana until Saturday where we can catch the next fight into Monrovia.

The bottom line is - God is still in control and we have seen it in many ways I will post about when I return on the 20th.