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How to deal with ineffective workers?
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How Do I Deal with Ineffective
Workers?
By Barry Campbell
A preschool worker loves children and is faithful in
attendance. But every Sunday he is late. Parents and other workers are
frustrated and inconvenienced. A teacher of teenage girls is always
unprepared to teach. She is well-liked by the teens, but most Sunday
School time is spent discussing schoolwork or TV. Rarely do they get
around to Bible study.
One of the most difficult problems faced by church
staff members today is how to deal with ineffective workers like these.
Here are some tips about handling these delicate situations:
1. Understand why workers are ineffective.
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Workers may be serving with the wrong age group. |
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Workers may be serving in wrong kinds of
positions. |
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Workers may not understand what they are supposed
to do. |
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Workers may be experiencing health or personal
problems. |
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Workers may not have been enlisted properly. |
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Workers may have too many jobs in the church. |
2. Deal with ineffective workers positively.
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Talk with the person face-to-face. |
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Pray with the person. |
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Provide some options. In what other positions
might this person serve? |
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Enlist people properly. |
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Encourage attendance at team meetings. |
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Compliment them on something they are doing well. |
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Provide all workers a list of training
opportunities and encourage participation. |
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Show continuing concern for all workers. |
3. Handle each situation constructively. Here are
some guidelines you can follow:
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Don't prolong the situation. You may choose to
delay action because the ineffective worker is in training or because
prayerful deliberation suggests that the time for action has not yet
come, but do not put off the action you know you should take now. |
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When in doubt, consider the group involved. An
ineffective worker in the preschool department may demand more
immediate attention than an ineffective worker in an adult men's
class. Both are important, but adults may be better able to care for
themselves. Both situations need your attention and action, but
consider the group. |
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Consider giving the ineffective worker a leave of
absence. Most ineffective workers realize they are ineffective and
that something must be done. A leave of absence may be welcomed (and
it may not). |
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Provide resources workers need to be the best
they can be. Make sure they have the best teaching materials or other
resources. Also provide training resources. |
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Continue to help ineffective workers and be
patient as long as they recognize a need to change and are willing to
improve. You are a member of the church staff. |
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These ineffective workers are members of your
team. Don't be hasty in removing them from the positions in which they
were enlisted to serve. |
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Only when all else has failed and the worker
feels no need for improvement should he or she be relieved of his or
her responsibility. Take this action with love and yet firmness.
Striving for excellence in the ministries of your church is important,
but remember that you are dealing with a person. |
Remember, the worker probably knows he or she is
ineffective but feels he or she made a commitment and must abide by that.
Work with the person to come up with a win-win solution.
Adapted from Great Commission
Breakthrough: "How to" Ideas for Great Commission
Churches,
LifeWay
Church
Resources. Barry Campbell is a consultant with LifeWay Christian
Resources, Nashville, Tennessee.
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Have you discovered ways to work with
and help ineffective workers? If so, please share those ideas for
posting on these web pages to assist others. In your email, please
indicate you are giving permission for us to post on the Sunday
School Now web site. Thank you! To email a suggestion,
click here.
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