Barnabas File

When you hear the term “performance review,” what is your first reaction?    Too often it creates a flutter in the stomach.   When we sign on for a position, whether in a church or any organization, we become accountable to work toward the fulfillment of the mission of that entity.  In most situations, a person is expected to meet with his or her supervisor at some point on a regular basis to evaluate whether that is happening.  I have conducted numerous “performance reviews” and have been the subject of some that were downright uncomfortable!  Over the years, I have learned from experience and from some mentors that there is a better way.   In his book The Performance Paradox , Eduardo Briceno identifies three ways that successful organizations have changed their performance management (performance review) systems.  These are very humane guidelines that would be helpful in a church or any faith-based organization.   First...

In his book Good to Great , Jim Collins argues that those who build great organizations make sure they have “the right people on the bus and the right people in the key seats before they figure out where to drive bus.”  We need the right people on board to accomplish our mission.  He goes on to say, “When facing chaos and uncertainty, and you cannot possible predict what’s coming around the corner, your best ‘strategy’ is have a busload of people who can adapt and perform brilliantly no matter what comes next.”   Let’s consider a model for getting the right church staff “on the bus.”  First, we must be very clear about the need that we intend to meet and the resources available.  Generally, we define the area of responsibility and identify how an additional staff member might help the church meet that need. We also consider the resources we have available.  This may determine if we will meet this need through a volunteer/volunteers ...

Remember when telecommuting and “work from home” were novelties?     During the COVID-19 pandemic, we discovered that remote work was a necessity, not an option. There certainly were both positive and negative aspects to this situation.     Working from home was a challenge if you had children who were also doing remote learning.     A good internet connection was mandatory and there were often connection glitches.    But few people missed commuting, dressing up every day, and spending hours on the road or on a plane to attend meetings.   Remote employees functioned so well in many situations that some companies decided that they didn’t need people concentrated in buildings anymore.  A regional insurance company that has been a mainstay in our community for over 60 years sent all of their employees home and they have never come back.  The building is up for sale.  The work got done without everyone being in the s...

In retirement, I do part-time work for two organizations.     One is located near Columbia, South Carolina, and one in Shawnee Mission, Kansas.    One is about an 8-hour drive from my home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the other about 10 hours driving time. I identify with the growing number of people who work remotely from their organizations. In a recent blog , Paul White shared these statistics:  In 1995 only 9% percent of American workers telecommuted, but in 2015 off-site workers increased to 37%. In 2016, 43% of American workers reported they spend at least part of their week working remotely. It has been estimated that 50% of the U.S. workforce has job responsibilities that are compatible with working off-site at least occasionally and between 80% and 90% of the U.S. workforce reports it  would like to  work remotely at least part-time. White’s blog deals with showing appreciation for employees, both those who work at the compan...

When I worked for a state Baptist convention, one of my responsibilities was to do annual “performance reviews” with staff both in my office and in the field.   I quickly came to realize that many of our staff dreaded these annual discussions.   One told me that when these reviews first started (before my tenure) that he got physically ill prior to his annual performance review! After doing these evaluation sessions over two decades, I learned a lot about taking the fear out of performance reviews—both for myself and others.   For one thing, I tried to think of these as collaborative conversations in which I was an active participant.   As I talked with the staff member about his or her work, my role as a leader and supervisor was also under review.   I tried to keep in my mind this question:   “What does this person need from me to do a better job?” As I think back, I realize that in many ways I was moving toward a coaching approach in thes...

I understand that no one really says this, but don’t tell me you have never thought it!   Of course, the “baby” in question may not be a little human being but a project someone has undertaken at your direction and it comes back—well—not as pretty as you had hoped.   Several years ago, I worked with a wonderful woman as my administrative assistant.  She was pleasant and a good worker.  (To any former co-workers reading this, you are probably not the person involved.)  She had asked me if she could design the program cover for a collegiate student event, and I had agreed.  After a couple of days, she came into my office with a big smile on her face and showed me what she had been working on.  The cover design would have been great for a youth retreat in 1955, but this was several decades later.  It just would not work.  So, how do you tell someone her “baby” (or project) is not pretty and where do you go from there? First, affirm th...

I f you read my last post, you will remember that I talked about making yourself indispensable.  Here is the other side of the coin.  How do you go about making yourself dispensable? At one point in my denominational career, I was looking for a person who would become my associate.  The executive director of the state Baptist convention had one word of advice: “You need to find someone who could step in and take your place if you were hit by a truck tomorrow!”  Not very subtle, but his comments make sense.  There are certain things that you have learned how to do that you can pass on to others.  This not only calls out new talent but makes a smooth transition to new leadership more likely. Andy Stanley provides a similar challenge when he tells his staff members, “You should always be training someone who could step into your position.”  So how do you make yourself dispensable? How can you prepare someone to take your place? First, you nee...