Do you ever want to know, "What do the elders think of my work?" "I wonder if I am in danger of being fired." "Is our preacher happy?" "What do the other elders think of me?" "Am I overbearing?" "Do I communicate that I care about my fellow elders and the church?"
How would it be to have a relationship where all parties are comfortable in the knowledge that others will share what information is helpful, giving compliments when things are going well and sharing concerns when there are irritations or questions? One way to develop this is to have ongoing, effective evaluation.
This does not start with an evaluation. It starts with:
- Helpful rules for discussion. Discussion Guidelines with Commentary .
- Practice. Have you scheduled classes and/or workshops to grow in honest communication? Does your leadership group plan for times to improve communication and exercises to strengthen your ability and habits of "speaking the truth in love"?
Trying to evaluate and communicate on powerful and delicate topics without laying a good foundation is like a high school football team trying to play in the Super Bowl before they have done calisthenics, practiced blocking and tackling, run plays, scheduled scrimmages with themselves and competitors, and seasons of successful football.
...to be continued...
