We have been discussing the importance to leaders of communication in general and then recently started to focus specifically on staff. In this blog, we will focus on steps you can take to improve and maintain strong communication with your parish staff. These steps are derived from the blog on viralsolutions.net https://viralsolutions.net/church-staff-communication/ – .X_TG6ulKgd1
Often as leaders we have a tendency to assume our staff knows what we expect or even worse, we expect them to know what we are thinking. It is important to ensure (repeatedly and frequently!) that your staff understands your vision. This cannot be a document that gets dropped into a file and reviewed once a year. It needs to be simple, effective and a living part of your organization that everyone knows.
As everyone understands the vision, you then need to clarify your expectation of their role in fulfilling that vision. Beyond their specific role, it is important that they understand how their role and their ministry must interact with others to ensure they are aligned with each other in achieving that vision. This alignment allows for transparent and honest communication with you and between staff members.
Everyone needs to be informed. Although the maxim that you cannot over-communicate is true, one must know what is relevant. Sharing long-winded exchanges with excruciating details that are not necessary for the broader group can often lead to people “checking out” as they lose interest and focus. Knowing the proper content and scope of what to share is critically important.
It is also important to know when it is appropriate to share difficult information or bad news. While this is never easy the tendency not to say anything can have disastrous consequences. Without proper information, people tend to fill the void with gossip or false information. This can lead to relationship problems and issues with trust which must be avoided if the team is to function properly.
Another issue which can easily arise without open and broad-based communication is the development of silos. It is natural for those individuals and ministries who work together more closely, physically and functionally, to bond. While that is good to some extent, when taken to its extreme it leads to lack of communication and groups working cross purpose.
You, as a leader, must also avoid the trap of working and communicating with your “favorites”. Some people are just naturally easier to work with than others. It is important that you as a leader are seen to be equitable and available to all groups. Your communication must be honest and sincere. If you find yourself gravitating toward one group and actively avoiding another you must challenge yourself to understand why and address the issues. Everyone needs to feel listened to and engaged as part of the broader network.
Finally, always remember that listening is a critical and often neglected aspect of communication. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Taken together this information should strengthen your communication abilities and your role as leader.