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I’m running staff meetings at the church now. (One of the joys of being the last pastor standing, I guess.)
I can’t stand meetings, honestly. I love hanging, but not meeting.
“But we need meetings to take care of business and details.”
No. My mom raised3 (at times 5) of us complete with sports, church, school, and work and I don’t remember one meeting. Well, actually I do.
But those weren’t meetings for the purpose of detail and business. Normally those were the meetings where somebody was in deep weeds and punishments were being debated.
What you really need are “Git-R-Done” people who you trust/respect/like and can follow a plan. Granted, you also need some pretty clear communication but most mis-communications in an office setting is because of personalities or lack of personalities or lack of trust or lack of liking/trusting/respecting each other or just plain language barriers. Ever had to work with someone from Texas? It can get ugly. 
Which brings me to the point of this post and the purpose staff meetings. It’s about connecting, talking theology, reconnecting with folks on a relational level so that the business can get done in an excellent manner.
I talked to a buddy today who’s boss (a senior pastor) only comes in his office to talk when he wants something done OR there has been a complaint. Staff meeting is about maintaining the calendar. We’re hiding sharp objects from him.
I’m not buying the “that doesn’t work in the REAL world” argument either. It does work in the REAL world because guess who works in the REAL world? REAL people. When I worked for a courier company in Dallas, I had a great boss. I can’t remember one stitch of advise he gave me about the courier business. I know we grabbed lunched every now and then. He’d stop by and we’d talk sports, theology, whatever. I also know that leaving that job to go to seminary was harder because of that man. I loved working for him. I could care less about the courier business.
So, that’s what our staff meetings have been - hanging, talking through Donald Miller’s book Searching For God Knows What.
Maybe we should call them Staff Hangings….
Tags: Donald Miller, staff meetings
10 responses so far ↓
1 wayne // Jun 14, 2006 at 1:22 pm
As one who leads meetings, sits in meetings, and works in the real world I think I agree with you, but since I have trouble following your ADD writing, here is my view.
Meetings (that I find productive) typically have one of two thrusts and sometimes a combination:
1. Communication — or as you put it, “hanging.” Getting folks on the same page, headed in the right direction, each with clear goals. Also, “top down” communication occurs here…namely talking to folks about what is going on at the top, qwelling rumors, informing about the thinking behind corporate direction and industry trends. This helps folks with perspective on what and why.
2. Working — yes working meetings do work if you are careful how they are designed. Yes, Grant, you have to design the meeting — or in your venacular, frame it. If someone gets outside the framework, they have to be pulled back in to keep the group working toward the specific goal of the meeting. There is a time and a place to give direction and let folks do their job (see type 1) and a time and a place that a group of folks have to work on something together, face to face, computers, whiteboards, etc, accessible.
I’ve been in MANY MANY MANY meetings - for instance the one I’m in now which is not being run well and thus I’m writing this and reading your blog - many of these meetings are bad and I’m guilty of leading bad meetings (but not this one). However, when properly run they are good. Problem typically is that one bad meeting means you need at least two more to fix what was wrong with the first one.
2 PIneapple Head // Jun 14, 2006 at 1:48 pm
It took me months to get my elders to think of a meeting as more than just calendar and event stuff. We go through different books to get some discussion going, and it took a while for them to start relating with one another as men and leaders. It’s getting better, but it’s still got a ways to go!
3 Paul // Jun 14, 2006 at 2:40 pm
Staff hangings? Outsiders might get the worng impression. Like that you actually like working with these people.
4 Mike S // Jun 14, 2006 at 4:30 pm
Staff Hangings? Sounds like something church members would like to have at 6:00 on Sunday night.
I like two kinds of meetings, though I’m ADD it’s hard to do both:
1) Planning - coming WITH an agenda and working through it. May be what Wayne calls “Working” meetings. Stuff does need to get communicated and some brainstorming needs to be done at times. And, if done correctly, members feed off of each other the end product(s) are better than when the meeting started.
2) Relational - just hanging out - Starbucks, Bowling Alley, golf course - anywhere but the office where relationships and team work are developed. This is as important as Planning meetings.
You could devote some time to each in meetings if time allows. We used to do this at our last meeting. It worked really well. Got stuff accomplished and ministered to and laughed with each other.
my 2(he where’d the cents sign go?)
5 MarkE // Jun 14, 2006 at 9:34 pm
I am not sure what is worse, having too many meetings or not having any. Isn’t there a middle ground?
A new homeless center here in LR was started by a few self-proclaimed “doers” who belittled the “planners.” They boasted that they would not do meetings. No “planning” went into what they would do to support breakfast 5 days a week for 60 homeless people. Consequently, the program is chaotic, tempers are flaring, and the “doers” are complaining about all that they are having to do. But at least they don’t have meetings! Perhaps a little planning (and yes, a few meetings) would have prevented some of this.
A good leader learns when and how to do meetings. Unfortunately, they do not work at churches, they are out making 6-7 figures CEOing somewhere.
6 Mike S // Jun 15, 2006 at 9:43 am
I don’t think more or less meeting are the cure. I think meeting that are focused on specific purposes are. Check out Patrick Lencioni’s book, Death By Meeting. It’s a great book about meetings and their usefulness. Here’s a link to a useful site - http://www.tablegroup.com/our_books/death_by_meeting.php
Check it out.
7 Linda // Jun 15, 2006 at 10:55 am
The term “staff hangings” cracks me up.
I work in the dairy industry. Meetings always seem too structured for us, we all sit there and say nothing. I have three bosses…our best ideas come while just chatting, or out of pure frustration.
8 PIneapple Head // Jun 15, 2006 at 11:56 am
Sometimes treat meetings like prayer…they’re feel to busy. I remember sitting at meetings as a youth pastor and thinking. “Man, I’ve got to go buy hot dogs or meet some kid at school! I don’t have time to sit around with all these pencil pushers!” But I realized that my attitude alienated the rest of the leadership from me. So I decided to use meetings as a place to communicate my vision and what God was doing. Where I used to give a 3 minute quickie report about my ministry, I turned into a 15 - 30 report with testimonies and whatever would help the people see that youth work was viable. After a while, they got on my side!
9 PIneapple Head // Jun 15, 2006 at 11:57 am
Uh, there should be a “people” between the words “Sometimes” and “treat”!
10 Len // Jun 15, 2006 at 11:05 pm
“Last Pastor Standing” sounds like a Summer series on Fox. I’d watch it.
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