The youth leader, as a manager, is responsible to manage the youth group through the commitment level model of ministry that is developed. In a business context the tasks of management are grouped into four categories: planning; organising; leading and controlling. For a Christian context, they can be stated as follows: planning; organising; directing and supervising. The four tasks relate to the model as follows:
1. Planning
2. Organising
3. Directing
4. Supervising
1. Planning
Planning is the work the leader does to predetermine a course of action, that involves: (a) Establishing Purpose - the work leaders do to discover a vision of the future; (b) Setting Goals - the work leaders do to determining the end results to be accomplished; and (c) Creating Plans - the work of sequencing tasks to accomplish goals.
A. Establishing Purpose
The model moves a youth group away from a programme-based strategy to a ministry-driven strategy. The starting point is identifying why the youth group exists. Once it’s purpose for existence has been clearly identified ministries and events can be chosen to that will ensure that the purpose if realised. When a group knows why it exists it is then able to answer the right questions and address the right issues. The group must ensure that it’s purpose is in line with God’s purpose and the direction of the wider local church.
George Barna, in The Power of Vision, defines vision as ‘a clear mental picture of a preferable future imparted by God to His chosen servants that is based upon an accurate understanding of God, self and circumstances.’ Every group needs a purpose statement (vision, mission and purpose are treated as synonyms here) because it clarifies the reason for existence; it places boundaries around activities; it provides a focus on goals; and it communicates what the group is about to insiders and outsiders.
There are two stages in establishing purpose: (1) Capturing Purpose - leaders should gather a leadership planning team together and follow this process: (a) Prayer - because strategic planning is a spiritual activity, the planning team must discern the mind and will of God for the group through individual and corporate prayer. (b) Evaluation - to determine where the group is, the leader should lead the team through two tasks: (i) Research context - a brainstorm of the history of the group; socio-political environment; economic situation; age breakdowns; leadership structure; etc. (ii) SWOT analysis - a look at what the group does well (strengths), what the group does poorly (weaknesses); areas of ministry that are open to the group (opportunities) and any internal or external threats which would hinder progress (threats). (c) Dreaming - the leader now leads the group through a dreaming phase where they think about what they would like the group to look like in three or five years time. This get the team members thinking about the future and what the group can and should become. (d) Writing - each person should write down 5 things that they think the group should be emphasising. A master list is made and through a process of synthesis, under the leaders guidance, the group’s purpose for existence is discovered. This statement could include: an identification of the type of people the group is called to minister to; a clarification of intentions to reach them; and an indication of the qualities that make the group distinct from other groups. The process is complete when the group can complete the sentence: “Our purpose as a youth group is to...”. (2) Communicating Purpose - growth is more likely to occur in youth groups where clear communication takes place consistently, than in groups where communication is a hit-and-miss affair. Having a purpose is of little use unless it is communicated clearly and consistently. In order to communicate the purpose effectively, the leader must: (a) Understand it - to communicate the purpose the leader must understand it fully; (b) Own it - the leader’s own purpose must include the group’s purpose and they must live it; (c) Put it on paper - write out the purpose as comprehensively as possible and return to it often; (d) Help people understand it - ensure that everyone in the group understands it; (e) Keep it short - a sentence or two is sufficient - it must be simple enough to be remembered and specific enough to give direction to the group.
The following chart from the Windsor Fellowship youth groups shows how the mission statement has been drawn up to include reference to the various ministries that are run. This provides an “at a glance” view of the whole process of ministry among youth in the group. It helps leaders to keep their eyes on the big picture and remember that the movement of youth through a process is at the heart of the model.
B. Setting Goals
Leaders should create goals that are (a) Measurable (deal with specifics not generalities), (b) Achievable (they must be realistic, or people will become discouraged); (c) Stretching (if they are too easily achievable they will not provide a challenge); (d) Communicable (easily understood by all involved in the ministry); (e) Results, not activities (what is accomplished and not what is done); and (f) Prioritised (especially if there are many of them).
To determine goals leaders must start with the group’s purpose. When they know what the group wants to accomplish, they can take steps to achieve the purpose. These steps should be written as action statements - tasks to be done in order to arrive at a specific destination.
There are four guidelines for setting goals: (a) consider past performance (discover the past - records, trends and honest input from group members will provide this background); (b) set realistic levels; (c) use measurable terms (while this is easy in terms of income, attendance, etc. it is harder in areas like learning and morale); (d) involve people (to ensure followers cooperate, leaders must ensure they participate in the process).
The model of ministry requires pro-activity from leaders. Creating goals helps to create the future; to limit conflict and to increase enthusiasm and commitment from leaders and young people.
C. Creating Plans
Each Goal must be broken down into an Action Plan which has four parts to it: (1) The WHAT - This involves tasks - although goals clarify what is to be done in ministry, each goal must be broken down into specific tasks that will help to accomplish the goal. It is helpful for the group to identify its key result areas: these are activities which are essential to achieving the group’s purposes and goals (developing relationships; Bible study cell groups; holiday mission, etc). (2) The WHO - this involves delegating - the work a leader does to identify the capabilities of each member of the team and delegate tasks to them. It is helpful for each person to identify their own key result areas: these are areas of the ministry in which each individual makes a unique contribution - the areas in which they are expected to produce results. (3) The WHEN - this involves scheduling - the work of putting a time factor on our programme and inserting the calendar into the programme with dates and time durations. Leaders should ensure that followers know when they need to have a task completed - and if necessary check with the person just before the due date to find out whether they are on track or need assistance. (4) The WITH WHAT - this involves budgeting - the application of resources (personnel, time and equipment) to help achieve the goal. The budget planning process begins with a good calendar planning process. Calendar plans that grow out of priorities and goals will reflect a ministry-based approach to youth ministry which a church is more likely to support. With this kind of an approach the church will see that when the youth budget is cut, the result is a cut in the ministry of the church. The activities on the youth calendar should be listed and grouped according to areas within the youth ministry, ie. youth leader development, parent ministry, camping, outreach and discipleship, literature, socials and fellowship, etc. The youth leadership team should draw up a proposed budged, during the forward planning process, to be presented to the church. This will involve some homework by the members, but will give better results. Prioritise the budget to allow for the possibility of less money being available than desired. The budget should be presented with enough information so that people know what is being paid for, but not so much that they get side-tracked by details they don’t agree with. The group should consider ways to supplement the funds that come through the church budget, as it is seldom enough. Some ideas for supplementing the allocated finance include: youth pay for events and activities; subsidies from other sources; planning low-cost or no-cost activities; and fund-raisers based on services that youth can offer to the church community are organised.
Link to the Action Plan Chart.
Organising is the grouping of followers and work for the best performance, that involves: (a) Developing Structure - relating work and followers to one another in their performance; (b) Delegating Work - the assigning of responsibility, authority and accountability to followers; and (c) Developing Relationships - the work of establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships.
A. Developing Structure
The model requires a clearly identified organisational structure to ensure that the various ministries are put in place, developed and continually evaluated. An example structure for the model is follows:
The youth ministry is related through the youth pastor and the senior pastor, to the church, which is guided by Jesus Christ. In the youth department (broken into five major groups: pre-school, children, teenagers, young adults and young mothers) each group functions with a variety of ministry leaders, who, where necessary, form their own action teams to fulfil their tasks. Other functional portfolios are held which relate directly to the youth leader, such as secretary, treasurer, etc. Each ministry, according to its unique mission statement will have a different set of areas of ministry - but it is essential that the ministry leaders know what their purpose is, where they fit into the organisation, and who they are accountable to.
B. Delegating Work
Delegation is learning how to identify the work leaders are doing and devising methods of passing these pieces of work on to other people, while maintaining a management check on the work. The role of the leader is to manage people to produce results through them - this cannot be done without delegation! The biblical principle is found in: Ephesians 4:11-13 and Acts 6:1-4. The benefits of delegation in terms of the model include: the work that must be done is shared; the various levels function more effectively; the leaders realise that they are trusted; the group is run by a leadership team and not an individual; relationships are developed; people take ownership of the group through the responsibility that they carry. When a group implements the model they soon realise that there is too much work for a leader to do by him or herself. They simply need to develop the art of effective delegation. The following principles of delegation will help: (1) know the difference between managing and doing; (2) decide what to do and what to delegate; (3) when supervising people, do not do the job for them - train them to ensure that they do the job; (4) although a piece of work is delegated, the leader retains responsibility for its performance; and (5) establish lines of accountability to ensure feedback and evaluation of the task.
The following are steps to effective delegation: (1) Evaluate What is Being Done in the Organisation - by asking: What can we do differently? What can we do additionally? and What can we stop doing? (2) Determine What Needs to be Delegated - By asking: What am I doing that does not need to be done at all? Which of my activities could be handled by someone else? What do I do that wastes the time of other people? (3) Take Positive Steps to Delegate Tasks - leaders should make a list of all the things only they can do and delegate all the rest (or take steps to equip other people to do some of those tasks). If necessary they should write down what must be done. The following process is suggested: (a) Choose the best person to do the task. This is probably the key to successful delegation as the wrong person will probably not accomplish the objective successfully. Make the selection based on the gifting of the individual, but keep a balance between using the most capable person and people who can be developed. (b) Show the follower what a certain task implies and how to deal with it. The leader should do the task while the follower watches. In the process the leader must tell why it has to be done, so the follower can use their discretion to take corrective action when things go wrong. Leaders should tell the follower why they were selected so they can see the importance of the task both personally and to the organisation. (c) Present the follower with the problem and ask how they will handle it. The leader asks questions and comments about their approach. This gives the person some theoretical input and enables the leader to check for understanding. (d) Give the follower the actual task or situation to deal with. The leader keeps a close watch on the follower and gives appropriate feedback. The leader must satisfy himself that the follower is equipped to take on responsibility. (e) Establish the level of authority. There are a number of levels of authority: do it now and don’t report back; do it and report back immediately; investigate and make recommendations to me, and we will decide together; and gather data for me, and I will decide. (f) Assign the responsibility to the follower as part of their job. The follower accepts full responsibility and the leader just has to agree on the goals and monitor results. (g) Give recognition and positive reinforcement when the task is completed. People must be affirmed for the tasks they complete. Even if the leader feels that it was merely a part of their job, there must be a recognition of the work that was done. Where appropriate a reward can be considered - this may take the form of a gift, or some other privilege within the group. Leaders should let people know that as they take on more responsibility and complete more tasks they are growing in discipleship and leadership.
C. Developing Relationships
Every person has a need for personal development, achievement and growth - the leader can assist in facilitating discipleship and promoting the increase in the self-esteem of the people with whom they are working, through: (1) Servanthood - the leader must be willing to serve people in the group (“Let this attitude be in you...” Philippians 2:5) and they must submit to others (the leader’s ideas are not always right or the only correct ones). (2) Sensitivity - this involves spending time with people in order to understand their needs (Philippians 2:3,4). It also involves providing opportunities for growth (the leader must be careful not to stifle the gifts in another if they are better than their gifts). (3) Constancy - being an example and modelling Christianity is a great form of unconscious teaching - the leader must imitate Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:17) and encourage people to follow the example. While paternalism or ‘masks’ will quickly be noticed - love will create lasting relationships. (4) Listening - people need to be heard. In a working relationship these are the kinds of things people are saying: Give me the opportunity to prove myself; let me know how I am doing; give me help when I need it, or when I am performing poorly; and give me recognition for my contribution by rewarding me accordingly. (5) Recognising Achievement - people must be recognised for what they do and encouraged for the role they play (Hebrews 10:24,25). There are different forms of recognition that can be given: a sincere compliment; a letter of appreciation; a special award; etc. (6) Working Through People - leaders need to work through people, and not around them. When youth leaders give people the impression that they are an important part of the team they will be eager to participate in the work. People need to be treated fairly, provided with reasonable working conditions and develop a pleasant relationship with the leader. (7) Clarifying Expectations - every person involved in the ministry needs to be clear about what is expected of them. A clear job description clears up uncertainties. Each person needs a vision for the ministry they are involved in and helped to identify their key result areas for their ministry. (8) Meeting Regularly - people who work together on common tasks need to communicate regularly. The leader must make time to meet with people involved in the ministry, to pray together, to discuss difficulties, to dream together and to encourage each other.
3. Directing
Directing is the work done to inspire and motivate followers to take specific action, that involves: (a) Selecting - the work leaders do to discover suitable ministry opportunities available for people; (b) Leading - the way in which leaders relate to their followers, including the style of leadership; (c) Motivating - the work leaders do to cause followers to want to do what needs to be done; (d) Communicating - the work leaders do to bring understanding of mutual needs and goals; (e) Developing - the work leaders do to upgrade their followers capacities for work; (f) Decision Making - the work leaders do to arrive at judgments and decisions; and (g) Problem Solving - the work leaders do to identify and solve problems.
A. Selecting People
This is the work leaders engage in to discover a person’s God-given capacities and to find the position they are most suitable to serve in. The main purpose is to ensure a match between (a) their capabilities and the job responsibilities, and (b) the youth group and person’s values, goals and expectations. Leaders must ensure that they have the right person for the right job either by: (a) designing the job around the person and their gifts, or by (b) finding the right kind of person to fit a specific job.
While people are usually placed immediately into leadership positions in the youth group based on their popularity or a general idea of their giftedness and spirituality, it is often necessary to get a reference about the person. The leader should ask someone who has worked with the individual the following questions: What were their primary responsibilities? How well did they person perform in their task? How did their performance compare with others? How much supervision did they require? Would you consider working with them again? Did they ever have a serious clash with another person?
B. Leading People
Ron Boehme draws a distinction between the leadership of domination which is based on deception and lies, and operates by fear, force and control, and the leadership of servanthood which is based on absolute truth and honesty, and operates by love, example and loving persuasion (Leadership for the 21st Century, Page 56-62). It is important to know that a youth leader is not: a dictator who gives orders that others have to carry out; a one man show who does absolutely everything alone; making all the decisions and carrying out all the tasks; a yes man who simply listens to the ideas and opinions of others and acts upon their initiative; or a name-sake who remains distant from the group.
The youth pastor must fulfil their role as leader: teaching (Matthew 28:19,20; Romans 12:7); preaching (1 Corinthians 9:16); counselling (Romans 12:8); relating (1 Corinthians 9:19-22); supporting and encouraging (Romans 12:8,13; Galatians 6:2); programming and planning (1 Corinthians 16:5-9); directing and administering (1 Corinthians 12:28); evaluating (2 Timothy 2:25); listening (James 1:19); following up (2 Timothy 3:14-17); facilitating (Colossians 1:9-12); and discipling (2 Timothy 2:2).
There are various styles of leadership. Initially it was thought that there are three styles of leadership: democratic; authoritarian and free-rein - and that leaders should have a style that they use in all contexts and situations. More recent research into leadership styles has suggested that there are a number of variables involved in leadership which determine how the leader acts. The following models of leadership are presented:
The first model looks at the leaders as directive or supportive and suggest that there are four related styles: (a) Directing - problem solving and decision making are initiated by the leader. Solutions and decisions are announced to the followers. Communication is one-way and implementation is closely supervised by the leader. (b) Coaching - the leader still provides direction and leading but listens to the follower’s feelings, ideas and suggestions. While two-way communication is increased, control over decision making remains with the leader. (c) Supporting - here control of problem solving and decision making shifts from leader to follower. The leader provides recognition, listens and facilitates problem solving and decision making by the followers. (d) Delegating - the leader discusses problems with followers until agreement is reached on problem definition and then delegates the decision making process to the followers who decide how tasks will be accomplished.
The second model presents a continuum of leadership behaviour in which each decision a leader makes depend on the degree of authority they use and the amount of freedom their followers have in reaching decisions.
The third model looks at the personality of the follower. It is thought that the follower’s personality has a corresponding leadership style that they respond to most favourably: (a) Authoritarian - This person conforms and dislikes weakness, so leaders must be strong. Whether they are hostile or dependant they should be led with an autocratic leadership style. (b) Equalitarian - This person is liberal minded and prefers discussion and majority rule. Whether they are co-operative or group-minded they should be led with a democratic leadership style. (c) Libertarian - This person is introvert, self-confident and view control by leaders as interference. Whether they are individualist or isolationist they should be led with a free-rein leadership style.
The fourth model suggests that the personality type of the leader affects leadership style: The extrovert enjoys being with others; needs social settings and draws energy from a crowd. They express themselves openly and feel comfortable in an up-front role. The introvert is quiet and reserved, they need time alone each day to function effectively as they find that social settings drain their energy. The feeling person understands their emotions, are open about their feelings, are sensitive people who can be easily hurt; and they resist conflict in the pursuit of harmonious relationships. The thinking person bases everything on data, logic and rational thought. They are more concerned about what people think that what they feel. They act on available information and don’t allow feelings to cloud an issue. This emphasis on the personality type of the leader determining leadership style produces the following types of leaders (application is given as to how they would function in a youth group setting): (a) Supporter - They do not appear to be involved, but are silently encouraging, helping and caring for youth. They will be mixing with youth, especially the shy and friendless in the group. (b) Manager - They stay in the background but make sure every detail has been taken care of, by ensuring good systems are in place. They will plan the event, do the cooking and clean up. (c) Boss - They have an agenda for every event and like to follow rules and enforce behaviour standards. They keeps things moving and in good order. They will lead the Bible study and give the talk. (d) Party Master - They make sure everyone is enjoying themselves and will feel good when youth are forming new friendships. They will lead the ice-breakers and games and act as master of ceremonies.
The fifth model says that if an individual or group is immature then a directive approach should be used building up to a consultive approach and finally a free-rein approach as the group or individual matures.
The sixth model is based on three aspects: (a) leader authority and group influence (the leader depending on their use of authority or the influence of the group will use one of the following styles: tell, sell, consult or join); (b) type of situation (whether unstructured or highly structured); and (c) the leaders attitudes to followers (whether they view people are lazy or desiring to work and contribute). These three dimensions interact as follows: a leader who believes that most people are lazy will instinctively favour the telling style; a leader who believes that some people can be trusted will instinctively favour the selling style; a leader who believes that all people can be motivated will instinctively favour the consulting style and a leader who believes that all people want to contribute will instinctively favour the joining style. The model also says that if a leader uses the ‘tell’ style in an unstructured situation they will not be successful.
Which leadership style is the right or best style to use? There is no best leadership style. Successful leaders are able to adapt their style to fit the requirements of the situation. There are a number of variables in the situation, some of which have been mentioned already, such as: time constraints; job and task demands; organisational climate; maturity of the group or individual, skills and expectation of those involved; personality of leaders and followers; leader attitude to follower; etc. Effective leadership is the ability to use different styles as needed to accomplish the goals of the group. Successful leaders are aware of the forces that affect their behaviour. They understand themselves, their followers, the group and their society. They are also able to behave appropriately in the light of these perceptions: if direction is in order, they direct; if participative freedom is in order, they provide freedom.
C. Motivating People
Motivation is the work leaders do to cause followers to want to do what needs to be done. There is a difference between manipulation (which implies a tight handling and control for the leaders own ends) and motivation (which involves creating a desire and a climate for work) - leaders need to motivate and not manipulate people. There are two kinds of motivation: (a) Extrinsic motivation is external, imposed from the outside, a leader makes people do a task because they have to. (b) Intrinsic motivation is internal, causing a person to do a task because they want to do it. It is better to get people to do things because they want to, than because they have to.
Motivation has been the subject of extensive research by psychologists. One well-accepted theory was proposed in 1959 by Fred Herzberg who found that two distinct groups of factors relate to worker satisfaction: (1) Maintenance Factors - they don’t contribute directly to motivation and job satisfaction but merely prevent demotivation and dissatisfaction, ie. salary, working conditions, the kind of supervision, and interpersonal relationships. These are extrinsic factors. (2) Motivating Factors - these factors influence motivation and job satisfaction directly, ie. recognition, responsibility, achievement, advancement and the work itself.
In order to motivate people, leaders should: (1) Feed and Develop Responsibility - people thrive on responsibility, so the more leaders invest in people the greater the results. Leaders can make emotional cripples out of people if they do things for people that they are able to do for themselves. Just as an elastic band is useless unless it is stretched, so people need to be stretched. (2) Use the Power of Positive Reinforcement - leaders must tell people what is right about what they do - they need to be rewarded for a job well done. It should be immediate (encourage people as soon as possible), focussed on the small things people do (look for small details to magnify), unexpected and unpredictable (avoid getting into a routine that people know when reinforcement is expected). (3) Show People How to Do a Task - leaders often assume that people can do a job, but find out later that they were unable to do it. There are 5 steps in training: (a) I show you and you observe, (b) we do it together, (c) you do it and I observe, (d) you practise and I coach you, and (e) you get on with the job and I go and train someone else. Unless this process is used people will struggle to accomplish their goals. (4) Be Personally Enthusiastic - leaders must be sold out on what they are saying and have a passion to communicate. Accurate communication is essential when giving followers direction and instructions. (5) Intensify Personal Relationships - the closer leaders are to people, the greater the potential for motivation. Often leaders are too far from people to motivate them.
D. Communicating with People
Communication is the work leaders engage in to arrive at an understanding between themselves and followers concerning mutual needs and goals. The power to lead lies in the power to communicate. Steven Covey’s fifth habit of highly effective people is: “First seek to understand and then to be understood.” He suggests that leader should first diagnose before they begin to prescribe.
The communication process involves the following factors: a Sender transmits a Message to a Receiver through a Channel, which may be subject to Noise, and should preferably receive Feedback. It follows that the Sender is ultimately responsible for the success of the communication, including getting attention in the beginning. The Receiver has power to modify the message and their reaction is an indication of the success or failure of the communication. They should employ the attitude of concentrated listening and the technique of checking understanding. Noise in the channel must be identified and removed!
There are four stages in the communication process: (1) Asking - the sender must know the receiver before effective communication can begin. There are three basic types of questions: (a) Informational questions have to do with statistics and facts: How many? Who? Where? (b) Ideational questions ask people what they think, what they would like to suggest or what they are feeling; and (c) Evaluational questions ask people to evaluate their work, ideas or concepts. (2) Telling - this involves putting into words the message to be communicated. There are four steps to good telling: (a) Get an audience (attract attention before starting to communicate); (b) Build a bridge (connect with the receiver’s interests); (c) Illustrate (use things which people handle and are familiar with); and (d) Ask for action (the whole point of communication is to mobilise people to action). (3) Listening - leaders fail to communicate when they do not listen to how people respond to what they say. Steven Covey says that there are five levels of listening: (a) ignoring (not listening at all); (b) pretending (giving the appearance of listening); (c) selective listening (hearing only certain parts of the conversation); (d) attentive listening (paying attention to the speaker’s content); and (e) empathetic listening (paying attention to the speaker’s feelings). (4) Understanding - this is the climax of communication - when two people accurately understand each other! Stephen Covey’s fifth habit of highly effective people is “seek first understand, then to be understood.” Communication is hindered if people maintain an emphasis on getting their point across, prescribing to the other instead of seeking to understand the other and then seeking to be understood.
E. Developing People
Developing people is the work leaders do to upgrade the capacity for work and service of individuals in the ministry team. To do this leaders must identify the needs of individuals and seek to meet those needs. Every person needs to be built up and developed. To facilitate development leaders should constantly be asking questions such as: Does this person have the maximum responsibility and authority I can give to them? Are their achievements acknowledged by me and by the group? Is their creativity fostered and encouraged? Do they know what I think of them? Do I really know them as a person? Do I understand their aspirations and limitations? How much time do I actually spend talking and listening to them? As individuals are cared for and made to feel secure and important, they will give of their best. Leaders must spend time with individuals on their territory to gain a better understanding of their life.
F. Decision Making
Decision making is the work a leader does to arrive at judgments and decisions. Leaders will sometimes make wrong decisions - infallibility in decision making cannot be expected from leaders nor from their followers. However, leaders who are hesitant to make decisions will breed demoralisation and frustration in their followers. The longer a person waits to get a decision from their leader the more they feel their time and activities are of minimal importance. Leaders must learn how to make decisions, actually make decisions and deal with the consequences of their decisions.
Good decisions making requires skills in Biblical, logical, creative and critical thinking. (1) Thinking Biblically - in order to think God’s thoughts in a problem solving situation, leaders must know the Word of God. An ability to take Biblical principles and apply them to situations is developed as leaders become students of God’s word. People who daily immerses themselves in the word of God will find that the word is there to guide them when they need to make decisions. Wisdom in the Old Testament can be translated as ‘skill in living.’ Paul says, “from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). (2) Thinking Logically - this process consists of a series of questions that can be applied to major decisions: (a) What is the apparent problem? Describe the problem as it is presented, it may not be the real one! (b) What are the facts? The situation, people, place & time, and causes. (c) What is the real problem? Get beyond the symptoms to the real issue. (d) What are the possible solutions? Look for at least three different solutions. (e) Which course of action shall we follow? What could go wrong if we take this action? (3) Thinking Creatively - an article in Group Magazine, June-August 1992, entitled: Unlocking Creativity suggested the following guidelines for helping youth to think creatively: (a) Avoid the ‘right answer’ syndrome - encourage non-critical brainstorming. (b) Promote thinking that isn’t always logical - explore soft-thinking which is metaphorical and playful. (c) Challenge people to break the rules - this is the path to innovation. (d) Encourage ‘impractical’ ideas - make use of ‘What if?’ thinking. (e) Allow ambiguity - the opposite of clarity. (f) Celebrate flops - discuss all the great things learnt through the ‘disaster’. (g) Don’t be so serious - great ideas often emerge from play. (h) Expose people to new environments - such as people, organisations and activities. (i) Be a fool sometimes - do not always conform to group consensus which stifles creativity. (j) Treat creativity as a skill not a gift - teach people how to flex their creative muscles. (4) Thinking Critically - A well-presented and well-written article is able to fool people into accepting the writers viewpoint. Often it is only later when someone challenges the article that the person stops to think about what they had accepted and realise that they were misled. To overcome this, leaders must learn to think critically about what they hear, without developing a critical spirit!
G. Problem Solving
Olan Hendrix, in Management for Christian Leaders, mentions a number of principles that will guide effective problem solving: (1) Problem Definition - good decisions can only be reached when the problem is clearly defined. There is a vast difference between problem identification and problem solving. Problem identification is extremely difficult while problem solving, in comparison, is relatively easy. The danger is to deal with the symptoms and not the real problem. Leaders must persevere until they have defined the real problem. (2) Adequate Evidence - this principles teaches that a logical decision must be valid in terms of the evidence on which it is based. Subjectivity can build a wall of protection around leaders and keep them immune from the criticism of their colleagues. Leaders often reach a conclusion about how a problem should be handled and feel strongly about their choice. However, even if they have thought carefully through the matter and prayed about it, they should still be open to objective evaluation from others. (3) Identity of Scope - this principles teaches that facts may appear to differ, depending on the point of view and the point in time from which they are observed. In other words, the decisions leaders make are valid or invalid depending on how people look at them and the period of time that has lapsed since the decision was made.
Duffy Robbins in Youth Ministry Nuts and Bolts, mentions four different strategies for arriving at a group decision: (1) Voting - this is useful to limit time of discussion, but leaders must remember that the majority is not always right. (2) Mediation - a qualified person is brought in to help the group reach a decision. (3) Delphi - people are asked to vote on the best idea by ranking their preferences for each idea beginning with one for highest preference and seven for lowest preference. (4) Consensus - the matter is discussed until all the members of the group are in agreement.
It is important to realise that different situations call for different decision-making methods. Whichever method is used there are five criteria which will evaluate a method’s suitability: (a) Quality: Did the group make the best possible decision? (b) Time: Did the process allow the group to make a decision in a reasonable amount of time? (c) Commitment: Will the process encourage the group to own the decision? Will they support it? (d) Attractiveness: Did the process build the morale of the group? (e) Learning: Has the decision-making process been a learning experience for the group?
4. Supervising
Supervising is the work done to ensure that specific activities conform to plan, that involves. There are four aspects to management supervision that leaders are concerned with as they seek to check and improve the performance of their followers: determining whether an individual’s work meets the required standards (performance standards); keeping a record of performance (performance reporting); appraising performance (performance evaluation) and correcting performance (performance correcting).
A. Performance Standards
Performance standards is the agreement that is reached with members of the ministry team as to the quality of work to be accomplished. These standards must be set before the person starts to work! It deals with what people must accomplish in their area of ministry, so key result areas, job descriptions, goals and job expectations are all focussed on. The value of setting performance standards is the establishment of criteria by which methods and results will be evaluated. In order for these standards to be effective they cannot be determined by the leader and handed down to the follower. An agreement needs to be reached with the follower that these are the standards towards which they are willing to aim. This can be done by asking the follower, “Our goal is this. Here are your gifts. This is your calling according to your testimony. What standards of performance do you feel we should aim at together to accomplish this?” This way people will rise to a challenge which they have set for themselves, rather than living trying to live up to the youth leader’s standards for their ministry. The standard of performance should be put in writing and given to the follower concerned.
B. Performance Reporting
Performance reporting is the work a leader does to record and report information about the work of an individual. In order to report on performance the leader must gain an objective evaluation of the performance. This is difficult because of the factors involved in the process: the value system of the observer; the sensitivity of the situation; and the keenness of their powers of observation. When information that is gathered is sent through a group there is an even greater potential for distortion. Despite the difficulties, an effective reporting system is vital. Unfortunately, the use of forms and reports are not always successful. Often it is found that forms are not even read, let alone utilised. Many forms are unnecessarily complicated. Reports must be written in understandable language; relate to job requirements and be kept up to date. They must be done in terms of planned accomplishments. Progress towards group objectives must be plotted in a visible manner and leaders must be informed of progress of a lack of progress. The leader is responsible for the stewardship of resources under their control. Practically a progress review should take place every two to three months where the leader asks the follower, “How are you doing, compared to your goals?” Their role is that of a coach - encouraging, directing and motivating. It does not matter much whether there is a formal or informal process - as long as there is a process and the team members have a clear idea of what is expected of them, they receive regular feedback, have poor performance corrected and are rewarded for good performance.
C. Performance Evaluating
Performance evaluating involves appraising the work of an individual that is in progress or that is completed. Here leaders focus on what is being done and whether their goals are being reached. There are two approaches to performance evaluating: through the inspection of activities, or through the measurement of end results which involves the regular gathering of quantitative work results that have been identified as the objective for that particular position. In a team context it is necessary to gather all the members of the team and discuss their individual roles and how their area of ministry fits into the big picture. They should share their key result areas and be aware of each of the other individual’s unique contributions as well as areas of overlap. From that time on, regular meetings may be necessary for performance evaluation to be handled most effectively. A leadership meeting is similar to a team meeting that a coach schedules prior to a big game. The coach knows the players are about to confront their opposition, so she prepares her agenda carefully, determines what the team needs most in order to play together as a team, and she lists her primary goals for the meeting. Leaders should view their meetings as opportunities to motivate or equip their team for the battle. The purpose of meetings is not to get through an agenda, but to help the team function together effectively by spelling out goals; evaluating past and present performance; dealing with leadership or interpersonal difficulties; and establishing new goals for the future. Leaders should ensure that there have business meetings to cover the agenda; training meetings that equip members for ministry; and relational meetings that build up group unity.
D. Performance Correcting
Performance correcting involves correcting mistakes that have been made and also coaching people with the ‘how.’ At times it involves stepping into a situation that has gone wrong - but it should generally be more proactive than reactive. The focus of the correcting must be on the goals of the organisation and not simply the desires or wishes of the leader. Two situations of performance correcting are common: dealing with a good performer and dealing with a non-performer. (1) Dealing with a Good Performer - they should be praised consistently and encouraged to continue with their ministries. The leader should continually look for new areas to channel the person into through providing opportunities for involvement in decision making and new ministry responsibilities. (2) Dealing with a Non-Performer - for many leaders this is an unpleasant task, and one which they would rather avoid. But it must be done or the team will not operate effectively. The objective in dealing with a non-performer is not to point out the mistakes that they have made in the past, but to bring about change in their future behaviour. The following steps will help in dealing with the non-performer: Step 1: Present the problem factually and offer help in finding a solution - This communicates that the leader is on the person’s side. It is a “we vs the problem” approach rather than a “you vs me” approach. Step 2: Accept their excuses without argument and bring them back to the solution - the key is to attack the problem and not the follower. Even if the follower is at fault, it serves no purpose to attack them, as this only leads to defensiveness. Step 3: Involve them in finding a solution and agree on a plan of action - the follower must come up with the solution themselves in order to be committed to it. The leader may need to ask leading questions but the solution should come from the follower. A plan of action should be drawn up which clearly reveals what the follower will do, and if necessary, what the leader will do. The leader’s task is to help the follower bring the desired change into reality. Step 4: Agree on a short-term goal and set a review date - it should be a measurable goal that is within reach of the follower, and should be put in writing as then it will carry more weight. Finally, the leader must assess the performance on the review date or the follower will get the impression that the leader was not serious about the matter.
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