Thoughts from Tim Spivey, the Lead Pastor of New Vintage Church in San Diego on why staff reviews are really important:
It keeps communication flowing.
Staff reviews are important if for no other reason than this: you and the staff get to practice speaking to one another constructively about awkward subjects. It’s going to be easier to talk about “job performance” or delicate ministry issues throughout the year when you do it more regularly.
It’s a chance to say “Thank you.”
All staff have done some praiseworthy things. They deserve to know what those things are. It only blesses people to hear, “Well done.” Do it as often as you can.
It’s a chance to offer correction or “tweaks” if necessary.
Even the greatest ministers I’ve ever worked with have things they can improve on. In a healthy staff culture, it will be understood everyone is trying to get better all the time. It will be considered a part of the job to self-assess and welcome others’ assessment for the common good.
It’s a built-in chance to deal with staff issues you may have been avoiding.
To be clear, staff reviews are not the grease trap for all the things you’ve been wanting to say but haven’t had the courage to. It’s a better time to check-in on things you’ve mentioned already. It’s a great danger to let it all build up, only to unleash it on an unsuspecting minister at a vulnerable time like a staff review.
It’s a chance to strengthen the relational tissue of your team.
Talking plainly to one another about important personal things builds chemistry. It deepens your relationships.
It’s a great chance to get a feel for staff’s “job satisfaction.” I
like to ask what I can do to make their ministry thrive, or alleviate suffering where it may exist. I also like to ask how I can be a better partner in ministry to them.
Lastly, it’s a chance to reward people. I like to come bearing gifts, when possible. If they are married, I like to do something that will bless the whole family. In lean years, it might only be a gift card. Other years, it might be a pay raise.
// Read more of Tim’s thoughts here…
Do YOU do staff evaluations at the end of the year?
When was the last time YOU were evaluated?
Do you find evaluations helpful for you and your staff? Why or why not?
Todd
Staff reviews COULD be a powerful tool for church staffs, but if we’re honest, they are ineffective, in most cases. They are like your doctor telling you you could stand to lose a few pounds. That’s usually a lose-lose proposition, because (a) what your doc really wants to say—but doesn’t dare—is, “Pal, you’re fat! You need to drop 50 pounds, and you need to start doing it NOW!” and (b) you know (and he knows) you’re probably not going to do squat. So it’s just a ritual that has to be done.
Staff reviews could work if they were done well. Which, for one thing, means they were not just a once-a-year thing preceding salary increases, but part of a year-round, continuous evaluation process in which the supervisor and the report are constantly improving the latter’s game, like an athlete on a sports team.
And also, evaluations hardly ever take into account the fact that a person’s performance is likely to be heavily influenced by others on his team, especially where team projects are the main thing going on. And of course, the person’s own supervisor has a huge role in his/her performance.
We have a staff review several times a month. It happens in the context of many conversations over lots of different topics. A constant dialogue between the staff can replace formal reviews because you are constantly realigning decision making and priorities in the context of your work week. Honestly, I can’t see ministry ever working Biblically without a relationship that allows for constant openness and sharing. Just build it into your work week and skip the formalities.