HR Best Practice #2 - Tell someone exactly what you expect from them. Everyone wants to know what they're aiming for, and what you need them to be getting after. The clearer the expectations are around someone's role - whether paid or volunteer - the better you can expect them to "perform." Also...for most (not all) people, watch how their happiness factor will increase when you give them that clarity in the form of a well-thought out JD. And conversely, watch how nervous most (not all) people get when you give them an ambiguous and immeasure description of what you want them to do. Worse yet, give them no JD at all and tell them to get after it, whatever 'it' is. This will lose you staff and, for most churches in the US, precious volunteers.

Also, it's that sense of "I know the target" that blesses people with the ability to measure whether or not they're making a difference. Which then leads us to...

HR Best Practice #3 - Applaud your people when they're making a measureable difference.

Silver Lake - Big Cottonwood Canyon - the Wasatch Mountains - Heaven.

Thought #4

HR/Leadership Clarity and Shepherding your staff go hand in hand

Often times, a church employee doesn't measure up to the expectations of their job description. Or, they don't contribute to the chemistry of the team. For whatever reason, some sort of a disconnect is happening between what we want them to be/do and what they are being/doing. (distinction on be-do to follow).

So, the question comes up, what is the most caring thing to do in this situation? How can this employee be best "shepherded" through a potentially very painful circumstance? Is there a conflict between HR best practices and what a Christ-centered, shepherding leader would have us do? I don't think so...

HR best practices and Christian Leadership (CL) best practices are in unison in this point.

HR best practice point #1 - an employee should never be surprised by a painful review. Instead, if there are issues and concerns that pop up throughout the year that concern a supervisor, then that supervisor needs to share those concerns with the employee as they occur and work to

CL best practice #1 - speak the truth in love to employees / volunteers when the opportunity arises. Don't believe the lie that NOT sharing difficult truth with someone is somehow 'shepherding' them or that it protects them. Conversely, don't believe the lie that sharing difficult truth with someone will hurt them to the point where they reject faith or quit their job. Don't shy away from the opportunity to walk someone through a potentially life-shaping growth opportunity that comes out of a weak-spot in their role. When someone has loved me enough and cared enough about the mission of the church (must have both) to initiate those difficult conversations, the inevitable result is clarity and blessing for me when I receive it with a coachable spirit.

Thought #3

The Church is not to be run like a representative Democracy

More thoughts to come on this...

Thought #2

The Church is not about survival

Survival has to do with shoring up, sandbagging and taking otherwise defensive measures against whoever. That results in many things that are patently unhealthy, like labeling enemies and hording provisions and living in fear. Instead, the church is about taking ground and moving forward and thinking strategically and praying boldly. Note: this is not done with an attack mentality - but instead with a "let's redefine what life is all about" mentality where we invite people into experiencing the Way, the Truth and the Life of the person of Jesus.

Thought #1

D.A. Carson is Right.

Good doctrine, strong doctrine, guiding doctrine is central to the EFCA. (sidebar - He may or may not have said it like that, but I know he'd agree. In many ways, Dr. Carson is the EFCA theologian-in-residence (in the spirit of Dr. Kantzer and Carl F.H. Henry.)) Our ability to influence and shape our culture with consistency and authenticity is married to how orthodox and systematic (and practical !) our theology is.