Welcome to this short class on how to better manage your church staff. Although there are many differences between churches and businesses, there are also many similarities. For any organization to run properly, you have to have solid management. The leadership of the church is vitally important for getting the best performance out of your staff. For better operation, church staff must be well-managed.
Welcome back to basics. Here are the 4 Functions of Great Management:
1. Planning
One could say that this is the basis of all management. To lead your people effectively, you have to have a plan. Of course, even before a plan, you have to determine the goals that you want to reach as a staff. Once you have established said goals, that’s when you create the plan for action. Planning also involves choosing certain strategies to take to accomplish your goals. For example, let’s say you want to increase traffic to your church’s website. How are you going to do that? Answering that question involves planning.
2. Organizing
After the planning stage, we begin to organize. This stage is when we bring together our physical, financial, and human resources to complete the goal we have set as a church. Organizing is also when you assign duties to your staff. In Management class, they teach that Job Descriptions are vitally important for employees. An employee without a job description is like a cow with no grass to eat. They would simply not know what to do. That’s why, in this organization stage, you need to clearly define the roles of your staff so that they can be even more productive.
3. Leading
Now it’s time to lead your people. Keeping your staff engaged can be difficult; especially if they have a job that requires a lot of repetitive work. This is where you have to shine as a leader. As a leader, you have several jobs. You have to inspire people to want to work with you and for you. You have to inspire people to complete their jobs on time. You have to supervise your staff to make sure that they are staying on task and staying motivated. And lastly, you have to clearly communicate your expectations with them—being sure to guide them as needed.
4. Controlling
No, controlling does not mean micromanaging. Think of it as evaluating. This is where you, as a manager, establish your standards. “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24). Not only do you establish standards, but you also measure the staff’s actual performance according to those standards and take corrective actions where needed.
Conclusion
No one said managing people would be easy, but I believe in you. Overall, be sure to make personal connections with your staff. It is never an ideal situation for a leader/manager to be distant from his/her staff. Be there for them. Practice these 4 Functions to help you become better and to ultimately help your staff become better. You’ve got this.
Have any other tips for managing well? Let us know in the comments.
