Leaders will often say that the people in their organization are its most important asset. Many probably believe this. As I have been thinking about the development of clergy leaders, I wonder if lay and denominational leaders believe this. Is there sufficient investment in retaining, developing, and maintain clergy leaders? In his book The Systems Leader , Robert E. Siegel suggests that investing in staff should be a priority concern. Let’s look at his observations and apply them to our church and denominational settings. First, Siegel observes that it is cheaper and easier to retrain that replace. He writes, “Studies show that it often costs less to reskill a current employee than to recruit, hire, and train a new one. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, finding and training a new employee can cost as much as six to nine months of their salary.” This means reskilling existing pe...
We often talk about the value of coaches and mentors in professional development but give little attention to the value of peers in helping us achieve what we are seeking. In The Career Game Loop , author Jessica Lindl emphasizes the importance of peers to our development. They can be older, younger, or the same age. The key is that you share a desire to learn and grow, and you are willing to make a mutual commitment to the relationship. Peers can provide both accountability and inspiration. Peers can hold each other accountable by giving attention to the following: Setting goals. We can share with our peer where we are and where we want to be, then articulating both specific goals and timelines to achieve them. Sharing progress. We need to keep in touch regularly with our peer to motivate us to make headway between conversations. Asking for feedback. Questions and feedback from a peer can he...