HAVING A VISION FOR OUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCES- PEOPLE
Outside of Christ’s presence in our lives and our calling to ministry, our people (staff and volunteers) may be the most important resource we have in Young Life. Leaders who learn to develop their people accomplish exponentially more and have a richer staff experience along the way. How can you develop the people entrusted to you? Here are eight ways…
Value “Who” before “What.” In her book Radical Candor, Kim Scott says the best leaders BOTH: Care Deeply and Challenge Directly. The staff who feel cared for by their supervisor are often the most motivated to follow a boss’s direction. Do your staff sense you care? How are you investing in them spiritually, emotionally, and personally?
Envision Who They are “Becoming.” “For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you…plans to give you a hope and a future.” Why does Jeremiah 29:11 inspire so many? One reason may be because it describes the sort of Shepherd we long for…one who has great plans for us, one who can prosper us and one who can lead us to a future we cannot even begin to envision ourselves. Throughout my career, God has blessed me with leaders who pointed me to who they could see me becoming. How would you fill in the blank for members of your staff…? “I could see you becoming ______________ one day?” Try things like: “a camp speaker, an area director, a great father.”
Teach to Swim…IN the Deep End.
Give Younger Staff a Voice from the Start. Have you ever noticed we have no Junior Varsity staff? Everyone starts on the Varsity team and is a paid professional. While we have different roles, inviting each team member to weigh-in on objectives communicates value and helps achieve the best outcomes. Plus, if they weigh-in, they’ll be more likely to buy-in.
Empower Staff with Great Responsibility BEFORE they think they are Ready.” This does three things: shows tremendous faith in the person, calls something great out of him/her, and demonstrates the supervisor is not jealous for power or credit. It may scare them (and you) at first, but if you show that you’re in it with them, it won’t be long before the training wheels come off and they’re soaring.
Train “Up” Leaders by Pushing “Down” Decision-making. While a supervisor is responsible for many decisions, it doesn’t mean she has to make them all. Pushing decision-making down the org chart, raises “up” other leaders by empowering them to help make big decisions.
Give Honest and Clear Feedback in An Environment of Affirmation. If a team member knows how deeply you care, evaluations happen in a positive environment. Also, try to use the evaluation as a time to agree together on “next steps” in their development and identify new opportunities for them to grow.
Teach Your Staff to Depend on God – In EVERYTHING. Model dependence on God in how you pray, make decisions, structure meetings, and celebrate when He proves faithful. Teaching them it all depends on Him rescues from putting their identity in performance, comparison, talent or experience and challenges them to grow not just vocationally, but spiritually as well.
Remind Them What Matters Most – In a ministry filled with many responsibilities, teaching staff that Christ, kids and people matter most develops the best kind of people for our mission.
Written by: Scott Caldwell