How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going
In a liminal season, it simply is not helpful to pretend we understand what needs to happen next. But leaders can still lead.
Susan Beaumont
Five Pitfalls to Avoid When Evaluating the Senior Minister
There is no one right way to evaluate the performance of a senior minister. However, there are many ways to do it that can harm the relationship between minister and the congregation and impair, rather than enhance, the minister’s performance.
Staff Liaisons: Helpful or Hurtful?
Many congregations assign to each staff member a personnel liaison: a lay leader who serves on the board or personnel committee and is charged with supporting that specific team member. Few congregations manage these liaison roles well, and as a result they often do more harm than good. Congregations appoint liaisons for a variety of …
Four Guiding Principles for Managing a Polarized Congregation
Managing polarization requires living with ambiguity and paradox.
Fixing a Toxic Team
Transforming the culture of a toxic team is hard work, and it begins with looking at the team’s behavioral norms.
Navigating the Congregation’s Reaction to a Firing
Terminating a staff member is difficult under the best of circumstances. When the congregation gets reactive in response to the termination, leadership becomes especially tricky. Five guiding principles can help you navigate the turbulence than follows a dismissal.
Eight Tips for Managing Part-Time Staff
Part-time employment relationships are on the rise. Many congregations are converting full-time positions into part-time roles due to declining budgets and the rising cost of benefits. Part-timers offer many advantages to a staff team, but they also pose unique supervisory challenges.