6 Steps To An Effective Church Staff Review

Several weeks ago, we posted an article about peer reviews. A few of you requested some more information on how churches are effectively using peer reviews, so we reached out to our friends Jerry and Lanita from the Directional Leadership Team at LifeChurch.tv. We posted an overview of LifeChurch.tv's 360 Degree Assessments in our post Church Staff Review Tips from LifeChurch.tv. Today, we'll dive a bit deeper and look at the six steps to an effective church staff review process.

1. Compose Questions -  LifeChurch.tv's 360 Degree Assessments focus on nine leadership dimensions. Each category consists of 4-9 questions to measure a team member's performance. Below are the leadership dimensions and the overarching question each dimension seeks to answer.

• Mission Focus - How well does this person understand our team culture and make decisions based on the church's goals and strategies?
• Team Development - To what extent does this individual coach direct reports and provide both positive and negative feedback in a constructive way?
• Interpersonal Relationships - How well does he or she show respect for others regardless of position and consider alternative ideas when making decisions?
• Trustworthiness - Does this individual admit mistakes and follow through on commitments?
• Drive for Results - How well does this person proactively address issues before they become problems and routinely inspire others to action?
• Collaboration and Teamwork - Does this person manage others' expectations and collaborate effectively?
• Team Leadership - To what extent does this individual ensure his or her team is well equipped and foster a fun working environment?
• Communication Skills - Does he or she listen attentively and ask clarifying questions effectively?
• Personal Development - Does this individual willingly receive feedback and demonstrate a teachable spirit?

2. Choose Survey Software - LifeChurch.tv uses Survey Monkey, but there are many options to choose from based on what is best for your team. Check out the other three survey options recommended in our article Church Staff Review Tips from LifeChurch.tv.

3. Send Out the Survey Request - Once your survey is ready to launch, send a survey request form out to your staff. Below is the form LifeChurch.tv uses when asking their staff to sign up for the 360 Degree Assessment. This request form reminds your team members to take this peer survey and their role as both a reviewer and reviewee seriously. It sets a tone to your team that leadership development is important to the health of the church body.

 4. Let the Surveys Begin! - Once a staff member has submitted a review request, send the survey to the boss, peers, and direct reports that the team member included on his or her request form. The team member should also complete the survey based on his opinion of his own performance. Be sure to remind staff members to set aside enough time to complete the survey, be specific and constructive, and provide feedback only on behaviors they have personally observed.

5. Provide Feedback Report - After the surveys are completed, provide the team members with an analysis of their 360 results where they can see a comparison of the feedback from their boss, peers, and direct reports.

6. Self Analysis - After each staff member receives the feedback report, allow your team time to process the responses. LifeChurch.tv provides each team member with a 360 Self Analysis Report that includes the following categories:

• Overall Impressions - How did you do compared to how you expected you would do?
• Your Respondents - How many respondents did you invite to respond to your review, and how many actually responded? Why do you think that is?
• Your Comparison to Fellow Church Leaders - Provide a graph with the overall scores of the leadership areas assessed among your team.
• Individual Behavior Ratings - What is the strongest message, theme, or learning from your score in each category? How does this play out in your daily work life.
• Highest Scored and Lowest Scored Items - What story do these categories tell you about how your respondents perceive you?
• Development Plan - Compose two strategies for development in both your highest and lowest key component areas that you will practice in the next three months.

As the leader of your team, be sure to set aside time with each team member to discuss their results. Assessments make us vulnerable and are often uncomfortable to face, especially for the first time. Listen well as your team members discuss what they learned about themselves and their team dynamics throughout the assessment process. Leadership development is one of the signs of a healthy church. Comprehensive church staff reviews will allow you and your staff to learn more about yourself as individuals, as a team, and as a church.

Has your church staff ever done staff reviews? Was the response of your staff positive or negative?