Isolation
At our church, we do 360 reviews. (A 360 review is when all the key players around you have the chance to anonymously review your performance.)
I have taken pride in my ability to delegate well. Much of the success of our church has come from putting the right people in the right roles and trusting them.
This year, several people on my 360 told me that I was “out of touch” with what was going on in the church. They explained how much of what was happening was distinctly outside my values.
What I thought was a strength (and often is), had become a weakness. Without knowing it, I had unintentionally isolated myself from much of the organization.
The demands on our time become so great, we often don’t…
- Take time to spend with key leaders.
- Listen to trusted advisers.
- Develop strategic ministry relationships.
The larger a church grows, the harder its leaders have to work not to become isolated.
What do you do to avoid isolation?
Visit 
This is huge! Its all about perception! You might think you’re doing well or have a good relationship with your people, but if they don’t think it, it doesn’t do much good.
It takes a great manager, one who is secure enough in Christ, to admit when he is off and then take the necessary steps to change.
We’ve felt those changes already… By the way.
This is all really good stuff, and right in the middle of everything I’m learning…
For me, the way I don’t get isolated from my people, is consistent, growing relationships with my best performers…
Craig,
Again, a remarkably vulnerable yet life altering post. Many years ago, I worked for a corporation that did exactly the same sort of thing. They called it an SFA (survey feedback action) where you were evaluated anonymously by the people you worked with to ensure that the interpersonal relationships were not causing a lag in productivity and performance. I still, to this day employ this method. The key to its success though is asking the right questions and making sure course corrections are made.
Awesome Post! I admit, Isolation at times can be a comfortable place because you don’t have to deal with all of the noise; however it can be a very dangerous place to be. Isolation or being out of touch with my journey or the job God gave me, keeps my focus off the race! Once again…Distraction the devil’s playground!
I simply choose to get involved and invest in what God has entrusted me with…kind of the hot/cold/lukewarm thing! I don’t want to be spit out of God’s mouth.
I love the concept of 360 views. As our church grows I would like to impliment this idea. To avoid isolation I attempt to communicate with my staff often. Currently we are taking our leadership through Simple Church. We are praying that God will give us the vision to do what He is calling us to and not do what He is not calling us to. Our plan to avoid isolation is to meet monthly and review the simple process to ensure we are on track. We’ll see how it goes…
Any advice?
Thanks for your vulnerability Craig, you truly demonstrated how valuable the review process can be when it is constructive critique (e.g. the weakness you revealed was a matter of management style, not an attack on personal character!)
I wonder Craig if it’s possible in a growing church. I know we have got to work to ourselves not be isolated but it seems in a growing organization that the organization itself takes on a life of itself.
That is why putting the right people in the right roles is vital and not isolating yourself from the arteries that go out.
As I’m thinking about this while I’m writing…it seems like we are creating an organization based around us….hmmmm….this really has me thinking. I know it’s not what your question intended but the illustration begs the question are we setting up our organization around us or around Christ.
Dave, You’re welcome. The review process is one of the greatest tools for growth I know. It is amazing what you can learn when you give people a climate for pure honesty (meaning anonymity) and then you actually listen. It can be painful but powerful.
Vance, I think your plan to meet monthly is good. To take it a step further… I meet regularly with key leaders, but I wasn’t doing many other meetings. We were vulnerable to “group think.”
This year, I have a couple of people holding me accountable to meet quarterly with several other layers of people in the organization. This is helping me tremendously as a leader and (I think) is valuable to the rest of the team.
BTW… Congrats Anna for another win. You are competitive! I am surprised some of the other guys are letting you off so easily.
For me I use other peoples ideas. Sometimes I just rely on myself getting the inspiration but when I use other peoples ideas it lets me know what needs to be said to the group. Sometimes I forget that not everyone is going through what I am going through. So for me it is using the ideas of the people around me.
Craig,
Wondering if you could either post or email me the scope of your 360 evaluation. I’d love to implement something like this, but want to make sure I ask the right questions.
chris_freeland@hotmail.com
Thanks!
I suprised too! ;) Come on, guys… you’re gonna let a GIRL beat you tomorrow? Give me a challenge… ;)
Even in a small church like the one I pastor it can happen. People expect me to do everything and that isolates me from others in the church because I am just busy. I have to intentionally make time for a core of trusted leaders in my church to minister to me and then I involve myself in the lives of people in the church. It sometimes can be risky to be close to people, but I believe the pro’s out weigh the con’s. People have learned that they can say almost anything to me and that helps me to keep focused and the church on track
Two thoughts came to mind:
1) as a producer, I often only get to see the backs of people unless I watch as they come in the doors; I love the occasions when - just minutes before we go live - I can walk through the aisles and see the faces. A mass becomes individuals.
2) my ability to feel the pulse of our body is greatly aided through my role as a LifeGroup leader; not only do I get insight into their lives, they also - in many ways - serve as a microcosm for our church community.
Hope your message prep goes well, Craig!
Thanks for this post Craig. A genuine 360 is a really valuable experience. Response to the observations is healthy, not only for you but for those watching you.
Did you guys develop your own 360? Or are you using an off-the-shelf tool?
mark
Mark, We developed our own. (Ours was developed with specific questions related to our staff.)
If anyone knows any good off-the-shelf 360s, please tell us.
One way I avoid isolation is to ensure I use the old management method of “walking around.” You can learn a lot by walking around talking and observing. Seems simple, but many leaders isolate themselves.
Admittedly, I am a isolator, for various reason. But the most pertinent one is CONTROL.
I am working towards be apart of something, not in charge of everything. In my experience, the most alone people are those who seek control with the most effort. If you are willing to let someone else be in charge of something you have confidence and stability in those around you.
To leave the isolation cycle, I have many people around me that keep me in check. That don’t let me be the lead on every project and give me specific tasks that are areas in which I know a lot. They remind me to let those who know an area be in charge of that idea, I am reminded that I don’t have to be great in all areas, but I can focus on one that is my strongest.
Isolation like sin can start small and become a very big problem.
Awhile back, one our senior leaders told us how he told everyone that he has an open door policy when it comes to things his staff sees in his life where he could grow as a leader. Unfortunately, he only had a couple of trusted people that who would ever speak up and tell him when things were “off.” I think the 360 eval is a great way to make sure you are getting everyone’s perspective and not just those who close enough or bold enough to speak up. Thanks for the insight into your core.
Craig,
What is “group think?” I’m not very familiar with that term. Could you elaborate? Thanks!
Vance, Here is some info on group think.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink
Great discussion. I can relate. I thought Ben Arment’s article on a Painless Ministry ties in with this discussion pretty well.
I think I’m fairly connected - certainly try to be… but I may have some blindspots. I need to do some careful evaluation. I like your idea of the entire staff evaluating each other.
Thanks, Craig. Don’t know why I didn’t think of that or google.
This is a hard post for me to think about because of my own personal experience. When I worked for the Ritz Carlton it was still a young company. Horst Schultz had built this incredible team and it was fun and passionate. But the company expanded quickly, and as it did a few things happened. 1 Horst retreated into isolationism and viewed himself as a pure visionary. He assumed his values and DNA had stuck to the core he had started and rested in building the future instead of the present realities of the company. 2 The company had many eager outsiders who looked great on paper but were given BIG jobs far faster than they should have and many assented but did not have the DNA of the company inside them. As time went on the company looked the same to the top-brass but on the grass-roots level was rotting out. I left it to go to seminary at the point of its greatest expansion and in my opinion at a time when it had begun to ultimately fail in its mission. Looking back I have gleaned:
1. Pure visionary leadership must be balanced with management by walking around.
2. Those closest to you are where you make the most blind assumptions.
3. Outside hiring is a crap-shoot. Develop from within.
4. A survey will never take the place of a 1 hour conversation with a guy / girl on the front lines.
5. Yes-men thrive in a culture of growth and expansion, insulating you from the next paradigm shift.
6. Good kings don’t hide in summer or winter palaces.
7. Success because of annointing, prayer, and calling can be replaced by mechanical tricks, cultural wisdom, and organizational skill and you won’t even realize it till it’s too late.
8. The nay-sayers on-board may see the iceburg before everyone else, listen to them.
The reason this was hard for me is that i have deeply believed in whatever organization i have been in. And i have watched most of them lose-thier-way sooner or later. Creating Camelot is an odd endeavor. I wonder outloud these days if a great church can survive for more than a generation.
Wow! Thanks, David, for your response. This is one comment I’m saving.
Bobby-
I was pleasantly surprised to read such a personal post. One thing is to say we welcome subordinates feedback and suggestions, another is to admit to it and want to change. I know it is very challenging to stay engage as the organization grows.
The great leaders have always been able to lead just enough ahead of their followers that they do not loose sight of them.
Thanks for being volvunerable for the kighndom,
Igor
Wow I love the 360 review idea.
I am so proud of my pastor, Craig for continually growing and changing to be more like Christ. Thank you Craig for sharing with us that you are human!
great insight and reminders.
Peace
C
How do I stay in touch?????? Read your blog!!!!!!!
[...] 2. One of the churches that I love what they are doing and how they are constantly bringing new things to the table is Lifechurch.tv. Well their pastor Craig recently had a great post about Isolation. Check it out here! [...]