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Ministry Command and Control

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Ministry Command and Control

There’s inherent tension between leaders and followers in any congregational church. Because effective leaders usually have a strong sense of vision and values for accomplishing the church’s missional objectives, and some members and leaders desire a voice in those same objectives, there’s bound to be healthy push and pull.

Victor Lipman says it this way:

The qualities commonly associated with management and leadership—being authoritative, decisive, forceful, perhaps somewhat controlling—if not moderated by a high degree of awareness as to how one comes across and is perceived by others, are also qualities that have the potential to easily alienate those on the receiving end. Most people chafe under too much authority, too much forcefulness, too much control.

Lipman was describing what teams and employees feel in a business setting, but he just as easily could have been describing what happens in your local church.

Most churches (and church members) value decisive and forceful pastoral leadership. The expectation for bold proclamation, scriptural truth and spiritual leadership are held high in our tradition, while other values may seem less important. But that doesn’t mean pastoral leadership is, or should ever be, one-sided.

The forces of collaboration—working with others, listening, making adjustments, compromises, introspection and self-understanding—multiply your capacity to lead and make you a more effective manager, communicator and pastor.

There are three categories of commanding (and collaborating) leader:

  • The Over Commander – The leader who tends to overdirect and neglect the value of team cooperation and discussion (The “CEO” Pastor).
  • The Over Collaborator – The leader who tends to prioritize collaboration over almost all forms of direct leadership (The Indecisive Pastor).
  • The Self-Aware Commander and Collaborator – The leader who recognizes the need for both command and collaboration moments depending on context and need (Our Aspirational Goal as Pastors).

People desire strong, spiritual leadership in most churches. But any leader worthy of his high calling as Pastor recognizes the need for collaborative thinking and consensus building. So how do you strike a balance between commanding and collaborating?

For churches, consider a few best practices:

  • Build trust with strong, biblical, spiritual leadership.
  • Model a culture of mutual respect between pastoral staff and volunteer leaders.
  • Create defined roles for leadership teams and committees.
  • Communicate regularly with church leaders.
  • Build a structured process for collaboration and decision making (usually regular meetings).
  • Commit your planning, organization and vision documents to a written plan.

For pastors and leaders, learn to moderate your command-and-control instincts:

  • Listen to your team and your church.
  • Ask questions.
  • Seek common ground and build consensus.
  • Demonstrate a willingness to make adjustments.
  • Collaborate with intentionality.
  • Command with humility.
  • Measure your words and commands.

So what’s the Big Idea?

Navigate the tension between command and control vs. leadership collaboration and participation. Hold high the aspirational goal of a leader who recognizes the need for both command and collaboration moments depending on context and need.

Resources


Source

“Why Are So Many Employees Disengaged” by Victor Lipman, Forbes (January 18, 2013), http://www.forbes.com/sites/victorlipman/2013/01/18/why-are-so-many-employees-disengaged/.

Change the Environment to Change the Meeting

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Change the Environment to Change the Meeting

Early in my ministry life, I remember a weekly staff meeting around a large conference table in a cramped room (with fluorescent lights and leather-bound club chairs). At the time, I didn’t think much about the setting or the meeting outcomes, but in retrospect, I see how the two things are inextricably linked.

It’s clear that different rooms can often produce very different meeting outcomes. Perhaps you need to create a new leadership dynamic, cultivate a different kind of interaction, or facilitate a specific team collaboration goal. And it might be useful to tweak your team culture in some specific way. Whatever the objective, environmental factors play an important role.

Consider these scenarios and the problems they create:

  • The Capacity Problem — A large group of 40 people gathers in a room with a large conference table that only seats 20 people. The result? The other 20 people become second-tier participants in the meeting because they’re not at the first-tier table. The solution? Reduce the size of the meeting or find a bigger setting.
  • The Engagement Problem — A group meets together in a room with seating in rows and a lectern up front. The result? The leader talks a lot and group engagement suffers. The solution? Circle up and plan activities to “break the ice.”
  • The Formality Problem — A group gathers in a sterile room with tile floors, harsh lights, metal folding chairs and rectangular tables positioned in a square with a head and foot. The result? The formality of the setting impedes open conversation. The solution? Find a new room with couches and lounge chairs to encourage less formality and honest, open dialogue.
  • The Collaboration Problem — A large group of 45 meets in a room filled with round tables while the leader asks for group dialogue and feedback. The result? The leader does most of the talking and group collaboration falls flat. The solution? Form smaller groups with round tables and have table leaders give feedback to the larger group throughout the meeting.

These examples show just how much the environment shapes the meeting. It also tells us that meeting purpose is the most important factor in where you meet, who you invite and what you talk about—the meeting agenda.

Recognize that different meetings have different purposes: information, collaboration, planning, execution or vision. Depending on your objective, you’ll do best when you match the environment with the meeting’s purpose.

Consider these environmental factors that impact meeting goals and purpose:

  • Space — Is there enough space for everyone?
  • Furniture — Is the look and feel conducive for the meeting’s purpose?
  • Seating — Are the chairs comfortable and configured correctly?
  • Setup — Does the room setup contribute to the meeting’s goal?
  • Technology — Does the room have adequate sound and presentation tools?
  • Lighting — Is the room well lit?
  • Composition — Are the right people in the room?
  • Food — Is the meeting long (or early/late) enough to require coffee, water, or snacks?

So what’s the Big Idea?

Change the environment to change the meeting.

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