Have you ever had a volunteer show up late or unprepared? Maybe you’ve had that time when someone you relied heavily on dropped the ball and it made you wonder, “Does anyone care about this ministry as much as I do?”
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You want the best from your team and you might consider lowering expectations; however, that would be a mistake. When people don’t meet your expectations you need to consider:
Your leaders will never meet expectations if they don’t know what you value and what you are trying to accomplish. To help your team meet your expectations you need to:
Where do you want to take the next generation and how are you going to do it? What type of ministry are you trying to create and what type of leader are you?
[Tweet “Your vision and values are reflections of who God has created you to be and where He is calling you to go.”]If you don’t spend time communicating with God you’ll find yourself struggling to communicate expectations to your team.
Once you’ve established your vision and values it’s important to make sure people know them up front. If you don’t people are going to create their own based off of past experiences, personal values and points of views.
As people enter into your ministry make sure you talk about expectations before they commit. The earlier they are communicated the sooner your team will be set up for success.
If your team has misaligned expectations it can really throw your ministry off of the vision. To keep those expectations aligned you need to make sure you have a leadership team of like-minded people.
Make sure your leadership team is on the same page. Invite them to have discussions about the vision, values and expectations you’ve created for your ministry. The more they buy into what you value the more it will spread through the rest of your team.
You cannot over communicate your vision, values or expectations. At Church of the Nativity we have our values posted on the wall of our office area. At our meetings we reflect on our values, and discuss the vision constantly. It’s important to communicate what you are trying to accomplish and who you are constantly.
When people meet expectations celebrate it by thanking them. It might seem odd to reward someone for doing their job; however, it can be a reminder that they are on the right path.
When you thank them make sure you clearly state why. It can be as simple as a note that says, “Thank you for valuing your commitment by showing up on time to ensure the youth space is set up each week.” A small note can go a long way.
When someone doesn’t meet an expectation use it as a teaching moment. Again, make sure you clearly state what expectation hasn’t been met. Let them know the impact that value has on the ministry; however, invite them to discuss what that value might mean to them.
When you have clear expectations you have a more efficient and productive ministry. People are on the same page and they know what needs to be done in order to reach the next generation for Christ. Communicate consistently and always work towards clarity.
[reminder] How do you clarify expectations in your ministry? What are some best practices? [/reminder]