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; we can help.

Administrative Assistants: 25 Things your boss wants you to know, part one

By 3 Comments

Gayle Hilligoss Picture
Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Ed. note: Though the job description under discussion here is for an Administrative Assistant, the characteristics would serve all of us well. No matter what your position in the church office, these characteristics reflect those of a servant of Jesus—enjoy the article and be inspired.

Wanted: administrative assistant. Excellent interpersonal and technical skills required; friendly outgoing personality and ability to organize, essential; mind-reading skills, helpful.

Few formal guidelines identify the job of the church office assistant. Many churches operate with no written job descriptions. The truth is, your minister (I use the word “boss” as a term of endearment here) has some expectations not even the best written job descriptions could identify. In order for you to perform at your best, you must know the boss’ standard of excellence. When expectations are identified they can be met. Sometimes while the minister expects certain staff behavior, those expectations are not clearly defined or shared with the staff. The most effective executives realize the importance of letting the assistant know how the support position is viewed from the boss’ side of the desk.

In the best of worlds, you will always work with a super administrator who sees you as a vital member of the team and shares expectations. Realistically, this may not always be the case. Still, you can gain insight on your own boss’ perspective by considering what other bosses have said—things your boss wants you to know, but may never tell you.

1. Be dependable. Dependability is viewed by many as the greatest ability. Without it, few other abilities matter. The effectiveness of the church office depends on you being at your post at the assigned times. Even staying overtime won’t make up for coming in late. Ministers must often be away from the office. They count on the assistant to answer the phone, to respond to the needs of visitors, and to carry on the business of the church office. Habits dictate nearly 80 percent of what we do. Cultivate the habit of dependability. Be there, be on time, do a good day’s work, and then leave on time.

2. Keep confidences. You have access to much sensitive information: who gives what, who is having problems, and often, what those problems are. Moreover, not only members, but pastor and staff may use you as a sounding board. The assistant is expected to make a commitment to confidentiality. By being trustworthy you show your loyalty. Be patient and, over a period of time, your executive’s faith in you will grow and you will be entrusted with more and more of the information you need to perform your work effectively.

3. Communicate frankly. The best office teams operate in an environment where the assistant can share her work concerns honestly with her executive. The wise boss appreciates honest input from the staff. Team members should feel free to discuss questions knowing it is acceptable to express another opinion.

When concerns cannot be voiced, negative feelings can grow into major problems. Sometimes assistants feel pastors tell them too much, more than the assistant wants to know or is comfortable with. If that is your situation, your boss wants to know you feel your role as a listener is being abused. Avoid communication game playing. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

4. Maintain your sense of humor. Researchers say a healthy sense of humor is a sign of mental well being. Surely “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” A good laugh can often save the day. Exercise your ability to see the humor in office situations. You know you are really growing up emotionally when you can laugh at your own mistakes.

5. Forget about excuses. The reason why an assignment wasn’t done is usually of little interest to the boss. Rather than offer excuses, determine what the problem was and take steps to prevent its reoccurrence. Assigning blame is a waste of time. Assess the situation, determine a constructive course of action, and move on. In every instance, focus on where you want to go rather than on where you’ve been.

6. Follow through. Once you start a project, see it through to completion. Tie up all the loose ends on every assignment. When your boss has confidence in you, tasks are assigned with the complete assurance they will be taken care of properly. No one will be looking over your shoulder.

The key to having more freedom in your job is gaining the confidence of your boss. Picture a weight scale with your job freedom on one side and your executive’s anxiety on the other. When the boss’ anxiety is up, your freedom is down. But, when you lower that boss’ anxiety level, your freedom goes up. Establish a reputation for follow through by delivering quality results on time consistently. You boss will respond by giving you greater freedom in how you schedule your work and prioritize your tasks.

7. Think positively. Look for the good in people, situations, and in yourself. Take credit when it is deserved—and never when it isn’t. Be reluctant to turn every issue into a crusade. Certainly, some circumstances should be addressed. But avoid fault finding and petty problems. Pick your battles, address the important issues constructively, and realize that no one wins ‘em all.

8. Keep personal problems out of the office. The rule of separating one’s personal from one’s professional life has long been observed by successful business assistants. Wise ministers and their assistants alike recognize this is a good rule for them too.

No one is suggesting you hide your problems. The Christian professional should be transparent—honest and open. But, you must not allow your problems to interfere with your work. Once personal problems invade office hours they seem to take on a life of their own. Time spent on personal matters infringes on time that both parties have committed to the business of the church. Before bringing your personal problems to the office consider other options. Assistants who work for their own pastors may choose to schedule an appointment and to confine problem sharing to that time. Share problems only with those people directly involved in their solution.

9. Forget about perfection. Concentrate instead on excellence. Eric Severeid said it well, “Human beings are not perfectible. They are improvable.” You and I and our work can constantly improve; neither we nor our work will ever by perfect.

The goal is not mediocrity. Far from it. Carelessness causes more problems than anyone cares to admit. Strive for excellence but recognize the value of “good enough.” William James, the father of American psychology, wrote, “The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook.” Remind yourself that Jesus was perfect but not a perfectionist. He entrusted his work to us; no perfectionist would delegate like that.

10. Be willing to go the extra mile. Ministry is seldom convenient. Sometimes, but not always, service above and beyond the call of duty is required. When that extra effort is called for be willing to function in or out of the spotlight depending on what is needed. If you are asked to minister beyond what is outlined in your job description, do it and do it with grace. Just be on guard not be make fire fighting your standard operating procedure. It will burn you out fast!

11. Stay flexible. Times change. People change. Today’s assistant must be able to turn loose of the way things were. Work to adjust to how things are now—how this boss works, how this program will be implemented, how this change will take place. You may find the new way is even better than the old, comfortable one. Gain assurance from knowing that you tackle every job by mastering the same basics: do adequate research, be as accurate as possible, meet the deadline.

12. Keep growing in your job. We live in an information society. Our information supply is multiplying beyond calculation. The challenge is to transform information into usable knowledge. Take advantage of seminars and resource materials directed toward your work. Granted, you pay a price for training. But think of the price you pay for not training. Invest in yourself; challenge yourself. Look up every word you come across that you cannot define. Do things that increase your skills and force you to stretch your brain. Spend time every day in God’s Word. It will keep you on track.

To read PART TWO of this article, CLICK HERE.

Handy Hints From Office Pros by Gayle Hilligoss

By Leave a Comment

Gayle Hilligoss Picture
Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Ed. note: It seems at times that people assume if their life is chaotic and stressed that it shows they are doing something important. Reality is far from that—it usually means the person who is chaotic and stressed is simply undisciplined and disorganized. When I am honest with myself I know that is often my situation. Or maybe they haven't had anyone to teach them a better way. As always, Gayle's wise advice provides some wise steps to a more organized office and life—read and relax.

Through the years office professionals have shared multitudes of handy ideas. Often a tip is prefaced with, “I wish someone had told me a long time ago that ...” Here are a few concepts other office pros say work for them. Some, maybe all, will work for you too.

• Keep your desktop tidy.

“I used to keep so much stuff on my desk. Then I tried uncluttering and discovered a neat workspace actually helps me work in an organized way. Today, take everything off your desk. Put back only what you use every day. Stash everything else where it will be handy when needed: in drawers, file cabinets, closets. Organizing my desk made a big difference for me.”

• Take one day at a time.

“There is always so much to do in the office. You will never be able to say, ‘All done. There is nothing else to do.’ An assistant I admired advised me never to let myself feel overwhelmed. I took her advice. I do the best I can each day and don’t get hung up or discouraged by thinking about what lies ahead.”

• Have a life beyond the office.

“I work in a church office. At one time virtually everything I did was with church people. Then a guest speaker pointed out that we can’t spread the gospel unless we get out among those not connected to the church. And that we are more interesting, better informed people when we interact with others. I have found that to be quite true.”

• Establish a food-free office.

“Our office had become a smorgasbord. Steady streams of baked goods tempted and distracted the staff while groups of ‘visitors’ congregated and interrupted work in progress. Beyond the waste of time, our waists were taking a hit too. No wonder we felt sluggish and lazy! The suggestion to become a food-free office was not popular, but after only a short time we knew this was a great decision.”

• Neaten files as you use them.

“Every time I use a file folder, I quickly scan the papers inside to see how many I can get rid of now. I do the same thing with computer files by dumping files into a Trash In 30 Days folder. It is amazing how this simple practice keeps our files slim and orderly.”

• Be ready for sales calls.

“Though I always knew better, I still found myself spending too much time with phone sales people. Now I have a typed card with a quick and standard response. I use a pleasant but professional voice, close with asking our number be removed from their list, and wish them a good day. I’ve also learned to trash random emails and stick to our approved suppliers. ”

• Set up a reminder file.

“I had heard about tickler files half a dozen times before I finally set one up. Now I wonder how I ever got along without it. My work is more organized, it’s easier to handle, and I never miss target dates.”

• Weed out your closet.

“I used to look at my crammed closet and still feel I had ‘nothing to wear.’ I decided to get ruthless; my goal was to have my closet only half full. I was selective about what I kept; the rest went to a thrift shop. I love being able to find things easily; it seems to get my day off to a good start. I feel good about turning things loose and sharing them with others.”

• Hang your catalogs.

“I found an easy way to keep often-used catalogs and small directories handy. Open the bound material to the center and hang it over the edge of a hanging file folder. My supervisor likes his magazines ‘filed’ this way too. You can think of many applications. Handy!”

• Be willing to try something new.

“Your job can still feel new after 17 years. Mine does. I explore, experiment, and never allow myself or my work to get in a rut.”

How to get better technical support

By Leave a Comment

Gayle Hilligoss Picture
Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Ed. note: As always, lots of great tips here and one of my favorite is at the very end—how easy it is with technology to forget that real people are at the end of our tech traumas. Gayle helps us remember and respond with grace.

Sooner or later, it will happen!

Your computer is humming along when suddenly a strange message appears. You copy it down and note exactly what you were doing when the crash occurred. You thumb through the manual, find and try some options, noting each as you work.

Nothing helps. It’s time to call in the big guys. Being a professional, you calmly turn to your updated list of support line numbers, websites, and email addresses and select the most likely source of help.

Before you pick up the phone, type the email, or visit the website, give yourself the best chance of getting fast, accurate answers by getting all your ducks in a row.

• Have at hand the notes of the exact wording of any error message on the screen, the actions you were taking when the problem occurred and the actions you tried. Have the software in question running.

• Be prepared to describe specifically what happened. Be direct and to the point in stating your difficulty. Use proper terminology, never whadayacallit, etc.

• Have pertinent information at hand: the make and model of your computer and of any relevant peripherals, the program name and version, serial numbers.

• To give yourself uninterrupted time, arrange to have someone else take care of office business while you are with the support technician.

• On your preliminary notes, make a place for the name of the support person you contact. Ask for a phone number and extension or the best procedure for contacting that person if you need more help on this problem later.

One last suggestion from a technical support person: “Please have patience. Support lines are always busy. One of the most helpful things callers can do once they connect is to get right to the problem—even though they are upset, have backed up work to do, are having a bad day, whatever. We know people are not calling us under happy conditions, but the sooner we can solve a problem, the sooner we can help someone else—maybe you.”

 

Don’t just be efficient, be effective, part three of The Number One Time Management Technique

By Leave a Comment

Gayle Hilligoss Picture
Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Ed note: I have been greatly challenged from this series of articles and on my list for today is "Publish Part Three of Time Management Article." I almost hate to end this series of tips, but I must finish my checklist!  Links to the first two parts of this series are at the end of the article:

To recap some of the invaluable Time Management Techniques in the two earlier parts of this series, Gayle Hilligoss has advised us to:

• In the afternoon, make your list for the next day.

• Include both long and short-term goals.

• Include thinking and planning time.

• Break large jobs into small ones.

• Allow for lunch and break times.

• Keep your list visible.

• Give each item on the list a priority.


Now for Part 3:

• Group similar tasks.

Studies show that doing like tasks together may cut the time required by as much as 30 percent. As you schedule your day try to arrange some blocks of time. Your goal is to move from scattered to scheduled, from random to routine.

When tasks or appointments can be scheduled at your discretion, choose timing most convenient to you. If your office generally has a least busy time of day, schedule work that demands high concentration then.

As you plan when to do things, consider what they will demand of you. Use your high energy times to do your most difficult work. Be flexible in your habits. Perhaps you’ve always done a certain routine job in the morning, your high energy time. Would it be more effective to reschedule that “not so challenging” job at a low energy time?

• Understand the Pareto Principle.

Vilfredo Pareto was a nineteenth century Italian economist. Studying the distribution of his country’s resources, he determined that 80 percent of the wealth was held by 20 percent of the people.

Researchers have discovered Pareto’s 80/20 rule applies in countless circumstances. For instance, 80 percent of your church’s offerings are likely given by 20 percent of the membership, 80 percent of the leadership provided by 20 percent of the people. And, probably 80 percent of your problems are generated by 20 percent of the congregation.

On your to-do list, 80 percent of your productivity is in the 20 percent of your list designated as As. If you do only the As, the most important 20 percent of your list, you will have accomplished 80 percent of your productivity. But, if you work from the bottom of the list and do eight things, all the Bs and Cs, you do 80 percent of your list but accomplish only 20 percent of your productivity. The 80/20 rule graphically illustrates why it is so important to stick to your priorities.

Efficiency is doing the job right. Effectiveness is doing the right job right. Your goal is to be effective, not just efficient. Keep those As crossing your desk until all are completed. The temptation to do Bs and Cs first is understandable. Usually these tasks are easier or take less time, and everybody likes to check things off. If you need help sticking to priorities, write your As on one list and your Bs and Cs on a second sheet underneath. Raising the sheet is a reminder that you’re straying from your priorities.

Work on one project at a time, seeing it through before moving on to the next. Obviously, this is not always possible. But often we interrupt ourselves. Make sure your only interruptions are the ones over which you have no control.

• Finally, keep your lists as a reference.

File your weekly to-do lists with the most current week to the front. This creates an accurate record of work done, calls made, materials ordered—any information you want may need to refer to later.

Using these steps allows you to tap into the number one time management technique effectively. The guarantee is not that you get every task on you list done, but that the most important tasks are accomplished.

Rather than fret about the unchecked tasks, as you leave the office thank God for all you did get done. Congratulate yourself for your accomplishments and keep your undone tasks on tomorrow’s to-do list where you’ve parked them. Leaving the office feeling good about the day prepares your spirit to face tomorrow with enthusiasm.

__________________________________

Link to Part One of this Article

Link to Part Two of this Article

The number one time management technique and how to use it, part two

By Leave a Comment

Gayle Hilligoss Picture
Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Ed. note: In Part One we learned the valuable skill of making lists, in this part you'll learn how to use your list effectively.

• Break large jobs into small ones.

No matter how overwhelming the job, it will be done more effectively when it is reduced to a series of small tasks. Whether the job is producing a directory or writing a policies and procedures manual, spend time with pencil and paper identifying each step of the process. Then, working backward from the time the project must be completed, put the tasks on your list giving each a deadline. Seeing that the whole job doesn’t need to be done in a day, or even a week, keeps things in their proper perspective.

• Allow for lunch and break times.

When you are really busy it is easy to believe working through lunch and not taking breaks will catch you up. Actually, it may get you further behind. Researchers have determined that workers taking a 15 minute break in the morning and a 15 minute break in the afternoon are consistently more productive than those working that extra 30 minutes. Other studies confirm the benefits of a relaxing lunch hour. Fatigued, hungry people just don’t produce very good work. Mistakes are made that must be corrected later, often taking more time than doing it right in the first place.

A good practice is, “When you work, work; when you break, break.” If you compromise by working while having lunch or a snack at your desk, you produce mediocre work and lose all the recuperative benefits of a real break as well.

If you are consistently expected to do more than can reasonably be done, take the initiative in seeking a solution. The tendency is to expect the minister or a committee to recognize the problem and take action. Realistically, the person who suffers from a problem is usually the one who must solve it. As important as your job is, you are more important. Be responsible for taking care of yourself.

If you find yourself spinning your wheels, shuffling papers, or being unable to concentrate, give yourself a change of scenery. Leave the office for a short walk if you can, even it it’s just down the hall. Or slip into the sanctuary for a few quiet minutes. A short break makes a world of difference. When you plan your day, allow for your important “time outs.”

• Keep your list visible.

Your list is a map for your day. Sometimes side trips will be added to the agenda, but your list will get you back on the main road. Having your list in plain sight lets you and others see at a glance if your schedule can accommodate additional tasks. Seeing your agenda makes your supervisors more aware of demands on your time and enables them to evaluate your contributions realistically.

A short stand-up meeting each morning allows you and your minister to compare and verify priorities. Work ahead when things are going your way so those inevitable emergencies won’t find you playing catch-up. Be sure to add to your list things you do that were not on your original schedule. As long as your list is out where others will see it, omit any personal or sensitive information, unless it’s in your own private shorthand.

• Give each item on the list a priority.

Find out when each task is needed before listing it. Never assume a task is an A just because it comes from your executive. Ask. As soon as the list is made, ask yourself, “What can I delegate?” Mark those things D and note names. Delegating is an effective way to check things off your list without doing them yourself. Understand, delegating is not shirking your work. This important management skill frees time for work needing your personal attention and at the same time allows others to develop their skills.

Next, identify on your list the most important two things you must do yourself. These are your A1s. A good rule of thumb is not to have more than ten items on your list and only two A1s. Obviously, there will be days... But do try for those ratios.

Designate as As any other items that you must attend to, ideally no more than two. Use a highlighter to emphasize these high priority tasks. Next, mark as Bs the shoulds on your list. These are important tasks, but not musts. The remaining tasks are Cs, things you would like to do if all goes well, but low priorities. Just on Mondays I make a list of CZs, low priority jobs that I can do with any loose change time during the week.

Give each job a deadline, such as: do before 10 A.M. or a time frame, such as spend 40 minutes on this. This important step keeps you from scheduling too many hours of your day and from spending more time on a task than its priority dictates. Parkinson’s Law, “Work expands to fill the time available,” has never been repealed. If a time limit is not set externally, set a self-imposed deadline to keep yourself moving along. Multiply your estimated time need for the job by 1.25, giving yourself an extra 15 minutes for every hour you think you will need. I don’t know whose law it is, but things always take longer than you think they will.

______________________

Link to Part One of this article.

Link to Part Three of this article