The Key to Improving Boss / Employee Relations

Have you ever been in a work environment where you’ve had issues with your supervisor? Ever had disagreements with your boss? If you’re like most people, you probably have. Many factors can contribute to an uneasy work environment, but the most common is the employee / boss relationship.

In his book, The Truth About Employee Engagement, author and consultant Patrick Lencioni says there are three signs of a miserable job. 1. Anonymity – People cannot be fulfilled in their work if they are not known. 2. Irrelevance – Everyone needs to know that their job matters. 3. Immeasurement – Employees need to be able to gauge their progress and their level of contribution to the organization.

These three factors all relate to the employee / boss relationship. If your boss doesn’t really know you, if he doesn’t let you know you matter, if she doesn’t give you goals and guidelines by which to measure your work, you’ll most likely end up miserable.

Striving for a good relationship with your boss is vital if you’re going to be successful at work. And maintaining that relationship is directly related to how long you will stay employed.

Having worked for lots of bosses in my ministry career, I’ve found the key to keeping a great relationship with your boss. It’s just one word. “Distance.”

Physical Distance
The key question is, how close is your office to your bosses? I have a friend whose boss works in a different state, 400 miles away. Needless to say, this causes issues. I’ve worked in a large, church facility that had four different office locations in four different parts of the building. Again, this led to issues. If you’re in a multisite environment, your boss may be in a different building in a different part of town. While some of these issues can be worked through, suffice it to say the less physical distance between your office and your bosses, the better. Continue reading

The DNA Difference: Church Plant vs Multisite

A lot has been said in recent years about two specific strategies to reach more people for Christ. Church planting and, for lack of a better word, multi-siting. Both have been used successfully to expand the kingdom of God, reach people for Christ and disciple new believers. Both are good approaches. But there is a fundamental difference between a church plant and a multisite. The difference is in the DNA.

What is DNA?
Simply put, DNA is the carrier of genetic information used in the growth and development of living organisms. In humans, DNA contains the molecular building blocks that make us who we are. In churches, also living organisms, DNA is the foundational information that makes the church what it is. It’s the beliefs, values, purpose, mission and unwritten rules that govern how a church operates. DNA is important. It makes humans who we are. It defines churches and determines who they are.

Cloning
Not long ago I watched an interesting documentary on the cloning of Argentinian polo horses. Apparently, it’s a common practice. The league’s premier jockey, Adolfo Cambiaso, became famous not just for his skills as a champion polo player, but also for his successful business of cloning horses. His best horse, Cuartetera, has been cloned many times and in December, 2016, those clones helped him and his team win the country’s most prestigious polo match at Palermo. Continue reading

4 Common Worship Leader Mistakes – And How To Avoid Them

4-worship-leader-mistakes_2One of the most engaging parts of most church services is the worship time. And undoubtedly, the Worship Leader plays an integral part of the worship experience. Yet some Worship Leaders try to do too much. In their well-meaning attempt to lead a Spirit-directed, Christ-centered, God-glorifying worship time, they add needless elements that actually distract from what they’re trying to do. Here are four types of Worship Leaders that need to do less to accomplish more.

The Extreme Focuser
This may sound counter-intuitive, and perhaps even sacrilegious, but during the worship time the Worship Leader should not focus solely on God. He or she should also focus on the audience. The clarifying question church leaders need to ask is, what’s the main role for the Worship Leader? Is his role to worship God, first and foremost? Or is it to lead others in worship? Should the Worship Leader be a “Sightseer,” focusing exclusively on the majesty of God? Or should he be a “Tour Guide,” recognizing the splendor and majesty of our Creator and pointing it out to others? Psalm 34:3 says “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.” When we magnify the
Lord, we publically proclaim his greatness and show his beauty and character to others. Continue reading