Most pastors enter ministry expecting to do the frontline work of preaching, teaching, and providing pastoral care, with a side of meetings. But once they are in their contexts, they realize that they have significant responsibilities for other full-time or part-time staff. Not all seminaries prepare ministers-in-training to perform those responsibilities well. I can help pastors address the questions that will allow them to develop a supervision strategy that fits their leadership style and their context. This package includes a free introductory call, 6 one-hour coaching sessions, and the Core Values Index (a short assessment to help coachees gain awareness of decision-making and conflict styles among other leadership tendencies).
Here are coaching questions we can tailor to help you formulate your approach to supervision:
How do I want to show up as a supervisor? What makes that possible?
What is my pastoral leadership style?
How do I want and need to show up as a supervisor?
What is my conflict style, and how does it affect my approach to supervision?
How do I build a staff team, especially if my staff is part time?
What must we covenant around?
What is our shared vision?
How do we communicate most effectively?
Who does what?
How can we collaborate well?
How do we show care for one another?
How do we make decisions as a staff?
How do we address conflict effectively?
What help or resourcing do my staff members need, and how do I make sure they have it?
How clear are staff members clarity about their roles and their contributions to the larger vision?
What level of supervision does each staff member need?
What information does each staff member need to do their job well?
What person power (e.g., volunteer help) does each staff member need to do their job well, and how do they get it?
What tangible resources does each staff member need to do their job well, and how do they get it?
What training does each staff member need to do their job well, and how do they get it?
What boundaries need to be established if staff members are also church members? For example, which hat is the staff member wearing when relating to other church members? When am I wearing my pastor hat and when am I wearing my supervisor hat with my staff member? What are the limits of information sharing beyond the staff for all staff members?
How do I help my staff members do their best work?
How often does each staff member need a check-in from me?
How and when do mutual ministry reviews happen?
How do I help establish clear expectations and outcomes for staff members? What can staff members expect from me as a supervisor?
How do I help establish positive working conditions (including adequate pay) for all staff members?
How and when do I advocate on staff members’ behalf? What additional avenues of advocacy for staff members are appropriate and useful?
How do I provide gentle challenge and room for staff members to grow?
What accommodations do staff members need to feel fully part of the staff and to do their jobs well?
To what personal/interpersonal/structural dynamics do I need to be sensitive in order to be a good colleague and supervisor to my staff members?
How do I hire new (non-ministerial) staff?
How and where does the church advertise?
Does the church hire members? Why or why not?
What does the church need this staff person to do toward the shared vision, and which candidates are capable and compatible based on these needs? How do we determine that?
Who else should be involved in hiring? What do our personnel policies say?
What do I do when staff members aren't pulling their weight?
How do I approach staff members compassionately to get a sense of the situation?
How do I determine what help staff members need in order to improve their work, then look for ways to provide it (within reason)?
How do I determine if expectations placed upon staff members are unrealistic (and if so, why)?
How do I/does the church create a performance improvement plan with clear dates and benchmarks?
How do I/does the church terminate as needed, with compassion and fairness to all involved and in accordance with polity, personnel policies, and/or the church’s organization chart?
The base rate for this package is $975, with a discount for members/alumnae of Young Clergy Women International. Contact me for more details, or schedule a free exploratory call to talk through the possibilities.
