Every manager wants to get the best out of people. But managing staff can be hard work, even for a Christian boss.
How should Christian business owners manage their staff? Talents vary widely, personalities and temperaments differ. It can prove to be a complex challenge to get everyone engaged. Let alone performing at their best. There are some wonderful insights provided in the Scriptures around how to develop your people and see them thrive in their gifts and potential. We will explore three keys to attracting and building an effective team.
Finding the right candidate to fill a role in your team can become an all consuming task. This requires prayer and discernment, because identifying the right candidate can be harder than you think. Even if you can identify candidates that have the skill set you’re looking for, attracting someone who has the right personality to complement the dynamics in your organisation can be a whole other ball game. It’s all about finding a match where both value is created in the business through accepting the applicant. And the position is an avenue for the individual to grow their skill set and experience.
Building an Effective Team
First off, you need to hire intentionally. Rather than having a vague idea of the role you are recruiting for, it helps to spend some time and develop a clear job description that includes all of the core duties of the role. This can stop you from hiring from convenience such as a friend’s son or cousin’s daughter. If you know that you can’t be impartial or you have a bad track record of hiring, it may be better to get someone else within your organisation to manage the recruitment process.
The interview stage is critical in developing clarity over whether you have found the right fit. Whoever conducts the interview, it’s important to first go through the duty list. Explain what each requirement means and ask questions about each task to gauge their understanding of the position. Let them know that if they are successful in getting the role that they will be held accountable to these core duties, and why each is important.
Look to hire based on character first, skills and experience second. Skills can be developed over time, however it’s almost impossible to train for attitude. This is where a second interview can sort the wheat from the chaff. And help identify any red flags with an applicant’s character. Don’t make the assumption that you can change people. If you pick up during the interview process that a person lacks interpersonal skills or doesn’t possess a positive attitude, that should be enough to signal that you need to continue with your hunt for the right candidate.
Leadership Capacity is Challenged
What does it look like to create a culture that fosters intrinsic motivation in people? A culture of engagement rather than compliance? To build an effective team? As a manager, it is not enough to be good at getting your own work done. You have to take other people on the journey as well. And guess what? They’re all perfectly unique too. And that means they may need very different things from you to become fully engaged with your organisation’s vision and goals. However, that does not mean you have to be the first point of call for every decision and task.
Moses was a great leader. But even his leadership capacity was challenged where too many demands were placed on him by the Israelites. It took his father-in-law, Jethro to identify that the work had become too much for him to remain an effective leader. The solution offered by Jethro, which is now known as the “Jethro principle” is to identify capable people who can lead in different areas that can be delegated. Surrounding himself with people who could be entrusted to take care of simpler areas, freed up Moses to do the most important thing. Which for him was spending time in God’s presence.
Feeling Overwhelmed
Many small businesses stay small because the owners either choose not to delegate or do not delegate well. This leaves business owners feeling overwhelmed with the minutiae of day to day activities. With no space to step back and spend time with God and develop a bigger vision for their business. If you want to manage effectively you need to build team capacity. And this requires learning the process of delegation.
Jesus’ three year ministry demonstrated the art of delegation: training up the 12 disciples to watch, assist, train and then act.
It’s a win-win situation. By delegating appropriately, you will find that your staff will feel empowered, trusted and recognised. And you will be able to grow your business. You may also be surprised how once staff understand the key outcomes they will develop systems and processes to a level that you never imagined.
Studies have shown that most staff don’t leave an employer due to pay. Oftentimes, they leave because they don’t feel valued. If you’re not providing regular feedback, then subconsciously staff are thinking you don’t care.
A Significant Investment of Time
When I owned my financial planning practice of 25 staff, I made it a priority to conduct a formal review every four months. While that sounds like a significant investment of time (and it was), it proved invaluable to building and sustaining a robust business. From regular performance reviews, innovations were birthed and the business ended up winning several national innovation awards.
A constructive performance review should include questions for employee reflection. Like setting goals for the next quarter and an opportunity for the employee to provide feedback on the business.
It is important to set a process in place to make sure reviews happen in a timely manner. Get it into the diary up front! At any one time a staff member should know if they are doing a good job. There should be no surprises if their performance is not on par, or if they are doing an outstanding job. Don’t wait for a review to let them know.
Actions Guided by Jesus
It’s awful to fire someone. It is one of the most difficult things a manager has to do. As a Christian employer, we should be guided in our actions by Jesus’ teaching “Do unto others as you will have them do unto you.”
If you’ve followed the ideas presented above regarding managing a staff member then they’ll know where they stand and won’t feel blindsided. It can be particularly challenging if the person is of good character. But they are just not meeting expectations. Through face-to-face discussions this should be made clear to them. However, firstly it is important to establish whether the employee understands their role. And whether they have the tools they need to perform the position to the best of their capability. So that they don’t feel unheard or devalued, ask them what they would do if they were in your position as the employer.
“If it is agreed that a person is just not suitable for the role, there are alternative avenues to explore.”
Take Some Time For Reflection
You may have other roles in the organisation that the individual’s skills and experience are better suited to. This takes some time on your part. To figure out the type of position the person is better suited for, even if it is outside of your organisation.
For a smooth exit, make contact with other employers who might be able to utilise the person’s skills, and if appropriate make an introduction. Keeping the process as open and transparent as possible, agree together with the staff member to start looking for another suitable role and give them a timeframe that you’ll continue to provide employment until they can secure a new position.
Often on reflection, once a staff member is let go, both the employee and the employer realise that both their interests were met by ending the employment relationship. If it is handled well, relationships can be maintained and even enhanced.
Article supplied with thanks to Vision Christian Media
Feature image: Canva
