Podcast Episode #091
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Staff meetings can often turn into death by meeting. However, when led effectively, they are actually productivity by meeting. Today, we cover eight keys to leading a staff meeting well.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
- Every church should have some kind of information card to gather guest or member info and prayer requests.
- Most meetings have a point of diminishing return at the 60-minute mark.
- Don’t meet for the sake of meeting. If you don’t have agenda items, don’t meet.
- Consider the personalities in your meetings. Know who needs to be asked to share and who shares openly.
- One of the reasons many view meetings with dread is because they don’t feel like anything is accomplished.
- Never end a meeting wondering “where do we go from here.”
The eight keys to effectively leading a staff meeting are:
- Begin with prayer.
- Have a clear and disciplined starting and finishing time.
- Take some early time to talk about personal and family issues.
- Have a prepared agenda and stick with it.
- Keep the meeting moving.
- Allow for input.
- Ask questions.
- End each meeting with clarity, assignments, and deadlines.
Episode Sponsor
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Feedback
If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Autopsy of a Deceased Church.
Those keys are good for any meeting, not just church staff meetings. Just my opinion.
“Consider the personalities in your meetings.”
Personalities of church staff and laity must certainly be considered in the work of the ministry. While we long for Christlikeness to prevail in all we do, the flesh will often raise its head to steer issues into an unhealthy debate which sometimes leads to weeping and gnashing of teeth (yep, even in church).
After a long career in corporate America, I learned an important leadership truth that can also be applied in church meetings to put everyone on the same page: shared vision harnesses diverse personalities. Leaders (whether sacred or secular) should continue to remind their folks about the vision and mission of the work at hand. If your church has a vision statement, bring it up at each meeting (if your church doesn’t have one, the Great Commission is a good place to start!). Keep the vision before them … where there is no vision, the people perish. If you have folks on your team who don’t (or won’t) share the vision, they frankly don’t need to be on the team … they are a hindrance to the work God has placed before you.
Good word, Max.
When I was Christian Ed leader in a prior church, we had one month when we were all caught up and had nothing to discuss. So I told everyone we didn’t need to meet. That was bad–I was a bad person for doing that. It was more important to the pastor that we meet–even with no agenda–than that we be Biblically excellent and efficient in our work.
Another point–if you start a meeting discussing personal/family issues, I would keep it to 5 minutes max, one sentence per person. I’ve watch SO many groups/meetings/studies turn into therapy sessions by starting with personal/family catch-up time. SO many, and it’s hard to get back on track with the necessary business you were supposed to be there for, because now you’re too often dealing with people’s emotions, or pain, fluffy grandparent stories, etc etc…..
Sure-fire method to have short, focused meetings, with rabbits scrupulously avoided?
Have all staff meetings standing up.
Yep!
Is there an article or transcript of this podcast? Thank you.
Clint
We do not transcribe the podcasts at this time. It’s something we may do in the future, but not now.
Jonathan Howe
Site Admin
Dr. Rainer,
Part of my business at ShowNotesGuy.com is writing podcast show notes (EXTENSIVE articles between 1500 and 3000 words long) for podcasts AND providing transcripts. I’d LOVE to provide that service for your awesome podcast (which I’ve been listening to for at LEAST two years straight!)
By the way, I produced another infographic for this article/podcast. You can find it http://www.deknumi.com
Wow! You are a loyal listener. I am passing your information on to Jonathan.
This episode was very timely for our ministry. Thanks for your insights!
Thank you as well.
60 minutes to pray, share about family, go through agenda, ask questions, give input, and end with assignments and dealines? Sounds kind of pie in the sky to me and a great way to run over and through people wirh no real intention of building community within a team. My experience is that building a cohesive group takes more than that. I have found that one of the best times for teams to meet is when there is no necessary agenda of work to accomplish and just invest in the relationships. Of course, having an agenda of just praying together is never a bad thing, either.
Dan: I don’t see it as pie in the sky when you meet on a regular basis. I am a part of a team that has short meetings every week. One meeting feels like a continuation of the next. We pray and have great community.
My fav tip:
Avoid letting the meeting degrade to the point of calling someone a heretic.
Best advice, ever. ; )
Note: this actually happened, lol