a Consulting Collective

John Reece

Get Stuff Done

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I had an opportunity to work with a fantastic team that accomplished some major organizational improvements over a relatively short period of time, about eighteen months. We implemented changes that addressed deep needs of the staff and promoted an environment of collaboration and ownership of their work. Our slogan (or some may say “war cry”) was #GSD… Get Stuff Done. And done we did… enhance business planning, overhaul of the CRM system and sales process, formalize the employee performance management program, expand family leave policy, restructure the bonus/variable compensation program, and implement an employee engagement program. It was a special team that achieved so much.

You also get things done. You may do them in a different way and at a different pace than others. You may get more done in one day than others get done in a month. You may complete one really complex project in the time it takes someone else to complete twenty simple projects.

There are a lot of variables influencing how stuff is done, how well it is done, and how quickly it is done. So we can get this article done in a timely manner and not treat it as an exhaustive survey of execution and productivity, we will focus this discussion on three topics. A high-level look at the process of accomplishing tasks, consideration of inhibitors to taking action, and a few thoughts on what managers can do to support and encourage productivity.

The Process

The process of getting stuff done is rather simple, at a high level.

  • Define your goal.
  • Plan your action.
  • Go and do it.

Define Your Goal

Know your purpose. Know the purpose of your work, of the project, of the class you are taking. In a company, the entire team should know why they are doing what they are being asked to do. Focus, extreme focus, and persistence are key drivers to successfully accomplishing your goals.

Plan Your Action

Think about the work that needs to be done to accomplish your goal. What steps need to be taken? What resources are needed? Who needs to be involved? When does it need to be completed? Can it be finished sooner? What could go wrong?

Go and Do It

Begin. Start. Go. The hurdle to get started is sometimes very high. There does not have to be a whistle blown, a starting pistol fired, or someone yelling out “Play Ball!” Common suggestions for overcoming procrastination include doing the mundane or less desirable things first or identify the one thing you need to get accomplished by the end of the day. For major initiatives, approvals, team formations, and project plans create complexities to deal with. Keeping an eye on working the process of getting things done helps to not be overwhelmed with complex work.

The Inhibitors

There are as many or more reasons to not do something as there are to do it sometimes. Or at least it can feel that way. You may experience these inhibitors at different times, or a couple at the same time, that prevents you from moving ahead in an activity.

  • Purposelessness – a clear, articulated, inspirational goal is not established.
  • Perfectionism – thinking that anything less than the perfect result is not even worth trying.
  • Analysis – spending so much time analyzing and debating possible solutions that nothing is started.
  • Fear – afraid of being embarrassed, of failing, of being hurt, of losing, or the unknown.
  • Distraction – attention is drawn to newer things, more interesting projects, shiny objects.
  • Overload – committed to so many projects, assignments, or work packets that you cannot see straight, want to quit, or not motivated to do anything.

The Support

One of my maxims heard many times by the people I have worked with is that one of the primary roles of a manager is to remove barriers and excuses. Spending time understanding what is preventing something being accomplished is an important step in supporting the team you are leading.

Culture

  • Collaboration – recognizing dependencies on others and not working in silos.
  • Continuous improvement – an environment and mechanisms to identify issues and offer solutions that can be implemented.
  • Deputizing – employees own their work and are empowered to make decisions, beyond just delegating tasks.

Processes

  • Monitoring and providing feedback – timely feedback that can be used to take action, using leading indicators as possible.
  • Keeping score – sharing and celebrating accomplishments with the team.
  • Accountability – expect successful completion of work and set people up for success.

How are you supporting others getting stuff done?

Keep Your Staff Growing

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The Case for Church Performance Reviews—and How to Fire Well

Although “performance review” may seem like a corporate term, it’s simply a way of tracking growth or decay — matters that concern every organization. Here are some quick tips on church performance reviews, as well as the unfortunate task of employee termination.

Why a Performance Review

Outside feedback is critical for a reality check. Even the most elite athletes have coaches, trainers, sports psychologists, and nutritionists to push themselves to maximum performance. Everyone has blind spots. Having a formal, structured means of feedback allows you the opportunity to pause and to assess your own growth and effectiveness, as well as the growth and effectiveness of those you supervise.

Besides the growth benefit of feedback, performance reviews are also a matter of good stewardship. How can you know who deserves merit raises in pay unless you are able to track an employee’s efficiency and effectiveness? That is what a consistent performance review system can do for your employees. We recommend your church use a form of sorts for a consistent process. Whatever you do, choose a system that is simple enough to work, not a complicated one that gets neglected.

Qualities of a Good Performance Review

Unlike the stereotypical image of getting chewed out by the boss, performance reviews should be seen as opportunities to celebrate what the employee has accomplished over the past year, to encourage growth in them because of the potential you see, and to make sure the employee is rewarded for a job well done.

In a performance review, you are focused on the work of the employee, not the employee him- or herself. Instead of a one-way conversation where the boss do all of the talking, performance reviews are also a chance to hear the joys and concerns your employee has. Some of the best ideas for improvement and change come from listening to your team.

Employee Termination

Even with good hiring procedures, thoughtful training, and a solid performance review system in place, you may, unfortunately, need to terminate a staff member. We hope you never have to deal with a morality issue in termination (such as assault, molestation, insubordination, drug/alcohol abuse, sexual harassment, etc.), but you need to have a clear system in place for dealing with these ethically and decisively.

Terminating an employee is one of the most difficult things you will do as a leader. This is a serious action that will affect both the employee and his or her ministry. When the situation is handled well, everyone will notice. And when it is handled poorly, everyone will know that, too. Here are some questions to work through as you consider whether your employee needs to be terminated:1

  1. Does the person need to be terminated?
    • Is their ineffectiveness, poor example, or poor leadership actually blocking ministry progress? What actual harm is being done?
    • What if the position goes vacant for a while? Would that be worse than the current situation?
    • What standards are being used to measure job performance? Are they fair?
  2. Who else believes the person needs to be replaced?
  3. What will be the basis for dismissal? Relational? Moral? Theological? Job performance or fit?
  4. Should a second (or third or more) chance be given?
  5. How does the Holy Spirit seem to be directing the church in this?


    6. This article is adapted from the upcoming book Smart Church Finances: A Pastor’s Guide to Budgets, Spreadsheets, and Other Things You Didn’t Learn in Seminary, by George H. Hillman Jr. and John Reece (Lexham Press, April 2020), and was originally published as “Keep Your Staff Growing: The Case for Church Performance Reviews – and How to Fire Well.” Ministry Team February 2020: 12-13. Print.

    The book is available for pre-order SmartChurchFinances.com.

    You can also get a free performance review form at SmartChurchFinances.com.

    1Adapted from Robert Welch, Church Administration (Nashville: B&H, 2005), 143.

Solving Symptoms

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Something is wrong! You see it… the thing you are expecting to happen is not happening. The quality of a product is not to spec. The turnaround time of a report with in-depth analysis is beyond the time you allowed. You see there is a problem and you ask your team to solve it. They work harder, and things start to get done quicker. The one quality issue that kept on popping up now goes away. You have effectively managed the situation and the problem is solved. But is it really?

The problem you saw was actually the symptom of not achieving a certain goal. Something was not happening. “We have a problem!” is heard throughout the halls. Yes, there is a problem. And in typical fashion, the desire to quickly solve the problem to make the symptoms go away can cover up real issues. Issues that can still cause goals to not be achieved.

Jumping to solutions before defining the problem results in biased assumptions of the cause which can be misleading. You do this because you assume you know the problem and the cause of the problem, and you want to fix it… quickly. When there is a disturbance, you want resolution.

Here is a reminder for all of us of a structured problem-solving approach.

  • Clarify or define the goal – What are you really wanting to accomplish?
  • Define the problem – What is the problem objectively stated, without weaving in any causes or solutions?
  • Discover the cause of the problem – What are the contributing factors to the problem? What influences on these factors? Eventually, what is the root cause of the problem?
  • Offer up possible solutions – What solutions address the problems? What are the resources needed?
  • Analyze solutions – How likely are they to succeed? Which one has the best ROI? Which one is the quickest to implement? Are there multiple parts of a solution?
  • Decide – Make the call. Clearly communicate the decision.
  • Implement – Support the decision with the resources committed to the solution.

Some problems you are able to identify and resolve without an intense process. You have already experienced something very similar or the same problem in a different context. However, guarding against solving a problem too quickly and missing a new problem you have never faced before is prudent.

There are few other issues to avoid when solving problems to insure the most effective outcome.

  • Assuming the cause of the problem is the same as one previously experienced because the symptoms are similar.
  • Immediately blaming employees or volunteers for doing something wrong, not caring, or not working hard enough.
  • Not having in place appropriate checkpoints and measuring the right interim results.
  • Shifting blame around as the root cause begins to be discovered.
  • Not allowing a solution to be fully implemented, including some perceived setbacks of the learning curve when a process has been modified or new process has been put in place.
  • Leaders assuming they are not involved with or are not the primary source of the problem.

If you do not encourage an environment of taking the time to truly solve the problem and instilling a balanced approach to continuously improving, problems can grow to a point of causing a larger impact on the organization’s performance that is eventually seen on the income statement in a negative way.

Are you focused on solving symptoms or problems? How do you encourage good problem-solving in your organization?

Employee Engagement is not a Marriage Proposal

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You meet someone you want to spend time together building a relationship. You may come to realize you want to marry this someone special in your life. You know why you want to marry this person and how this person will make your life better. Our tradition in the U.S. is the man proposes marriage to his girlfriend. He commemorates her saying “Yes” by giving her an engagement ring.

Allow me to suggest employee engagement programs have elements like a marriage proposal. Team building exercises are a fun way to nurture relationships among coworkers. Sharing your organization’s mission and vision helps employees connect with the company. Recognition and compensation programs acknowledge and commemorate your employee’s contribution to the organization’s success.

That is about as far as we can take the marriage proposal analogy. Employee engagement programs should focus on more than the softer areas of communicating the mission, team building, and recognition, and thus, it is more than a marriage proposal.

The additional items needed to build into your organization to foster employee engagement are to

  • Establish a culture that encourages interacting with employees at all levels of the organization, not just peers.
  • Create process feedback loops that enable and encourage continuous improvement.
  • Integrate mission-mindedness and problem solving into day-to-day activities.

Interaction at All Levels

  • Seek input from others, especially those that are closest to the work being done.
  • Encourage conversations with upper management without fear of retribution from a perceived misstep.
  • Look for and appreciate the contributions made by each employee.

Continuous Improvement

  • Create an environment that encourages solving problems without fear of blame for causing the problem.
  • Establish a culture that strikes a balance between perfectionism and settling for status quo.
  • Define measures of performance to judge improvement without relying on opinions./li>

Problem Solving

  • Keep in mind the purpose, mission, and goals as the problem is being identified and defined.
  • Recognize that the most likely cause of a problem is found in the process not the people.
  • Apply a structured approach to solving the problem that includes analysis of the causes and possible solutions.

What areas in nurturing employee relationships deserves more attention?
Are your employees engaged in their work? How can the work your employees do be more engaging?

Are you ready to take the next step in committing to your employees?