Effective Church Communications

Effective Church Communications provides Timeless Strategy and Biblical Inspiration to help churches create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission

Effective Church Communications provides Timeless Strategy and a Biblical Perspective to help churches create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission. Our tools constantly change; our task doesn’t; Effective Church Communications can help.

Effective Delegation—The Ultimate Balancing Act, part one

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Gayle Hilligoss Picture
Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Ed. note: There are many misunderstandings about delegation in the church office and I love it that Gayle starts out this article with sharing what it is not. We so often make the mistakes of believing these misconceptions and it keeps us from getting all the work done that needs to be done. Read her advice and learn to delegate with joy.

In church offices there are very often more tasks to do than hands to do them. As the ministry assistant you may see every job as yours alone. But, no matter how sincere the effort, so doing is seldom the best use of your time. Whenever you perform work that someone else could do, you are keeping yourself from the very important responsibilities that only you can do. One good way to multiply your time is through delegation.

Successful delegation involves more than assigning tasks. Success actually starts with the mindset of the person doing the delegating. It is essential to understand delegation is not:

• shirking your own responsibilities
• dumping unwanted work on another
• abdicating accountability
• taking advantage of anyone

Today’s wise supervisors recognize delegation as an indispensable management skill that allows assistants to balance the many demands of ministry with a realistic assessment of what can be done personally. Alleffective

managers delegate.

• Delegate? Who to?
If you are the office manager and supervise assistants, most often you delegate to them. If you are an assistant, volunteers are a good choice. Actually, recruits is a better word—you want to choose your helpers.

• Be clear about your goals.
The process begins by writing down very specifically what the job is, deadlines involved, and any necessary instructions. I hear you thinking, “I could do the job myself in the time it takes to do that.” If that is truly the case and this is a one-time task, go ahead and do it yourself. Otherwise, follow through and invest a little time now to save big time later.

• Choose personnel carefully.
Issuing a blanket announcement for volunteers is not the best idea. It may take more time (that again!) but it is better to match the tasks you have in mind with specific people suited for those tasks. Everyone can do something, but not everyone can do everything.

Many churches distribute annual talent surveys. Members indicate interests and skills they are willing to share. Surveys are a great tool to use when considering who might do what.

• Give adequate instruction.
The amount of guidance necessary varies with the task, but short written directions are advisable for all but the most basic. Even for simple jobs, give a demonstration and leave a sample of what the finished product should look like. Folding a brochure correctly is second nature for you; it may not be for your willing helper.

• Assign authority.
While you as supervisor are ultimately accountable, as much as possible let the recruit “own” the job and have the authority to manage it. On complex jobs where multiple volunteers have areas of authority, plan to avoid gaps or overlaps. The idea is to retain your position as leader while demonstrating your respect for the efforts of others and your trust in their abilities.

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To go to Part Two, CLICK HERE

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FREE Ebook: Divide your communication team into 2 production levels

In the Church Office: What to delegate and why

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Gayle Hilligoss Picture
Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Ed. note: this article was inspired by a comment from an ECC reader: "I was wondering what you determine can be delegated?  I guess I'm afraid that if I delegate tasks....or ask volunteers to help....that I will cause people (both those who hired me and others) to think "that's why we pay her---why are others doing her job???"  So how do I get around this?" Gayle's extremely practical answer follows.

WHAT TO DELEGATE AND WHY

Freeing your time for tasks only you can do is a primary reason to delegate. But, it is not the sole valid reason to share responsibilities. Your purpose may be to involve members in the work of the church, create appreciation for the administrative functions of ministry, provide opportunities for teamwork, increase general productivity, or to develop useful skills in paid and volunteer recruits.

Toward that end, consider delegating:

• Jobs someone might do better than you.
Perhaps creating flyers is not what you do well, but you know a person who absolutely thrives on layouts, fonts, and graphics. Ask.

• Parts of bigger projects.
Producing a church directory is one example of an assignment you may not want to turn over in its entirety, but smaller slices of it might be assigned to a few well-chosen assistants.

• Tasks you just don’t like doing.
Yes, that is an acceptable reason to delegate. You do best that which you enjoy—and, someone else could gain satisfaction from doing well that which you would just as soon not do at all.

• Assignments that will challenge others.
It can be to your advantage to turn loose of even some tasks you enjoy and handle well. Giving others opportunities to increase their abilities motivates and encourages.

• Tasks that increase the team’s strengths.
The old joke about the secretary having job security because she is the only one who knows where things filed is actually no joke at all. The office team is stronger when more than one person can do each vital job. Train someone to do the things that must be done. One never knows when an emergency will arise or when you will simply find yourself with too many priorities.

• Projects that allow you to move on to another level of responsibility.
This kind of delegation gives others the opportunity to take on skills you have already mastered so you can gain experience in even more advanced pursuits

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For more advice on how to effectively use volunteers in your church communication ministry, check out:

FREE Ebook: In the church office, to save time and your sanity: Divide your communication team into 2 production levels
There is never enough time to get all the work done that needs to be done in church communications. One way to solve this problem is to have volunteers do some of the work. However, many church office administrators and church leaders aren't comfortable doing this because they are concerned about the level of quality that volunteers product. Or they worry that they won't really be able to control what volunteers do.

 

Six Strategies BookEbook: Six Strategies for Effective Church Communications
Free for ECC Ebook and Template Club members, available for purchase and immediate download, all e-reader versions and in print at this link:

In the church office: Keep It Simple, part two

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Article by Gayle Hilligoss

 Ed. note: Part one of this series got us started on ways to simplify our office and in doing that become more productive and help us accomplish all God wants us to accomplish. This second set of suggestions by Gayle Hilligoss will challenge and equip you even more.

• Don’t reinvent the wheel
Establish written policies and procedures for how to handle recurring jobs and situations. While this is helpful for all tasks, it is particularly beneficial for jobs done only every few months.

The advantage of following written steps, rather than just doing the task, is that a guide reminds you of what needs to be done and when. You have already figured out what works. Use your experience. So simple.

• Share the responsibility
Simplify your schedule by making another person responsible now and then. If a vendor hasn’t delivered by the promised date and asks you to check back in a day or two, ask him to give you a call when the job is ready. Give similar responsibility to coworkers and members when situations allow. The more you practice this kind of sharing, the easier it becomes.

• Commit plans to writing
A weekly planner, either paper or digital, is the 21st century version of the to-do list. Organizing by the week provides a broader view of your schedule, more flexibility, and the best possibility for using your time productively.

Dozens of formats are available; choose or design one that works well for you. Make it detailed enough to be effective, simple enough to ensure you use it.

• Establish priorities
All tasks are not of equal value. Life is more simple once the important is identified and addressed, and the nonessential is eliminated—either ignored or dispatched as quickly as possible. No one has the time or energy to do everything; invest your efforts in what produces the results you want. Many tasks just burn hours; they have no payoff.

We have learned not to write down most busywork jobs. The next step is to learn not to do them.

• Start your day productively
Time studies reveal that in many offices the first hour of the day is the most nonproductive. Desks are tidied, plants watered, papers shuffled, pleasantries exchanged—but nothing done toward reaching the day’s goals.

Simplify your life by noting your tasks for the next day before leaving the office each afternoon. Be the person who hits the office with a clear sense of purpose and ready to go. Making your first hour purposeful makes the following hours less stressful.

• Concentrate on one thing at a time
Interruptions are sure to occur during your day, ones you cannot sidestep, but you can avoid interrupting yourself. Once you start a task, do your best to stick with it. Moving randomly from one assignment to another is self-defeating behavior that can easily become a habit. If you are distracted by someone else, make a quick note to mark your place. Do what you must; then resume your work and see it through to completion.

• Set self-imposed deadlines
One of the undeniable facts of life is that nothing moves a task along as well as having a specific time when it must be finished. Think of occasions when you have accomplished the seemingly impossible in record time simply because it had to be done. Doesn’t that make you feel great?

Attaching a target time to every meaningful task is an effective way to simplify. Since work tends to fill the time allotted for it, deadlines keep you from spending longer on a project than it is worth. You work with purpose, maintain focus, and experience a valid sense of accomplishment. Great payoffs.

• Group similar tasks
You can greatly increase your productivity by grouping related activities. Use one or more blocks of time to schedule the day’s time intensive tasks (filing, data entry, correspondence) instead of doing bits and pieces throughout the day. What you save is the “getting back in the groove” time involved every time you stop and have to restart.

• Take the threat out of big projects
Many tasks you handle can’t be completed in a day or two. Some require many, many hours; some can be intimidating.

Simplify by breaking these huge projects into small, measurable tasks. First, determine when the entire job must be completed. Then, jot down everything that must be done to achieve the desired results. Put the tasks in order and give each a deadline. Allow ample time for each segment and for a final review.

Finally, working backward from your completion date, place those tasks on your planning calendar at the appropriate dates. This system converts your big job into a series of doable little jobs.

• Go basic
Even in today’s casual work environment, office attire matters. Create a wardrobe of comfortable separates that work together. Your closet will be trimmer, your upkeep less, and dressing appropriately will take less time and effort. Use the same system of going basic with makeup, toiletries, household linens, furnishings, landscaping, whatever makes your life more simple and satisfying.

• Create quiet times
Stores, restaurants, and offices constantly bombard us with sound. We compound the racket with phones, iPods, television, and more. It is not just kids who are accustomed to constant music or chatter. No wonder we find it hard to get in touch with our inner voice, to think, to reflect, to meditate, to pray. Try turning off what you can when you can. Life can be beautiful without being constantly connected. Really.

• Focus
There isn’t time in life to do everything, but simplifying life gives you time for all the important things. You need not try to convince any who may say your ideas are undoable; you have the power to work your plan. Success begins with small steps taken daily. Simple.

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To read part one of this article, CLICK HERE.

 

 

In your church office: Keep It Simple, part one

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Gayle Hilligoss Picture
Article by Gayle Hilligoss

A cell phone’s ring tone during a meeting of ministry assistants sparked a conversation about how complicated life is today as compared to just a few short years ago. One of the youngest of the group remarked, “Even I remember when multitasking was something computers, not assistants, did. I think I was more productive then. For sure, I was less stressed.”

Experience in the church office leads many assistants to believe the key to achieving the maximum joy from work lies in keeping things as simple as possible. The process starts with making wise choices—decisions designed to manage your job and your life effectively.

• Delegate what you can
Volunteers can take over many hours of your work week to free your time for the kinds of tasks that cannot be delegated. Granted, enlisting and training volunteers takes time and effort. And there are some obvious disadvantages to relying on unpaid help. But, done well, delegation will simplify your days.

• Identify avoidable negatives
Worrying about the future, ruminating over the past, being involved with gossip, remaining in outgrown friendships, indulging in harmful habits, setting unrealistic standards for yourself and others—imagine the tranquility you could gain by discarding these life-complicating behaviors.

• Trim your tasks
Today’s alternative to delegate is eliminate. What do you habitually say yes to that you could say no to?

Ask yourself:
• Does it really need to be done?
• Does it need to be done right now?
• Does it need to be done this way?

We tend to hold on to old habits and notions even if we are not satisfied with the results. Most likely there is a better way. Look for the most simple technique to achieve the desired outcome. Moving beyond the “we’ve always done it this way” syndrome is a huge first step toward implementing new techniques.

Get even choosier about how you spend your time. Take a serious look at your week’s agenda. Identify things which give you a low return on your time and effort investment; cut them from your routine.

• Seriously unclutter “stuff”
Church offices can be collecting places for all sorts of (is there a better word for it?) stuff. Gain control by having a proper place for each item that belongs in the office and a system for moving things that don’t belong there to more appropriate places.

Ask yourself:
• Do I need to keep this item?
• Does it need to be kept in the office?
• Where is the best place for this item?

Every office needs a workable policy for ditching things. If you have one, use it. If you don’t, see what can be done to get a policy in place.

Unclutter your personal space as well. The more things one has, the more time and energy must be devoted to caring for them. Go for quality rather than quantity. Having fewer possessions—only what you use, need, and enjoy—allows you to appreciate each more fully.