Susan Beaumont Congregational Consulting Group

Holding Steady Post-Election

rocks in a stack — Deniz Altindas on Unsplash

The election is upon us and so is anxiety. As we await results and anticipate reactions, we fear that our country, our communities, and our congregations may unravel.

People often behave badly when captured by anxiety. Leaders react to bad behavior in one of two unhelpful ways: over-control and withdrawal. We focus our energy on the people behaving badly, only to discover that we have no control over them. Or we ignore bad behavior, to our own peril and the organization’s detriment. These are the extremes—but there is a middle way.

Leaders must hold steady in the face of anxiety. We do this by pausing to observe and interpret so that we can intervene effectively.

Hang on to that “New Program Year” Energy

by Susan Beaumont

martin-sanchez-n4um95va64o-unsplash — Martin Sanchez on Unsplash

An energy buzz often appears at the start of a new program year. Staff return from vacation feeling rested and renewed. Small groups re-form with fresh curriculum. Committees connect with dreams for a new season. If we aren’t intentional about how we align this energy, it won’t last. Buzz dissipates. Unaligned, we retreat eventually to the former status quo.

Making Your Core Values Matter

by Susan Beaumont

3769522479_3eb7a4e820_c — Apple Core by dixieroadrash CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 D

Core values are especially important when identity is shifting and resources are dwindling. At such times, when decisions must be made about what to say yes to and what to stop doing, core value statements are a critical discernment tool. However, core values won’t help you if they aren’t unique, mutually embraced, and authentic to the community, or if you don’t use them regularly.

Many congregations write a core value statement as part of a planning process along with a mission and vision statement, plaster them all on a wall someplace, and promptly forget them. Is a core values statement worth doing? Yes—but only if you create it well and use it effectively.

Getting Volunteers to Say Yes

by Susan Beaumont

Most congregations have ideas about how they’d like to innovate. However, things fall flat when it comes to recruiting volunteers to carry out those ideas. Discover how you can strengthen the practice of influence, ethically persuading others to invest time and energy in a new idea. If you follow the right principles, more volunteers will say yes.

Revisiting Remote Work

by Susan Beaumont

Remote work and hybrid work arrangements can be complicated. Who gets to decide how much time employees spend in the office? Is it discriminatory to allow some to work remotely while requiring others to work on site? How do we know if remote workers are being productive? It’s time to push pause, review our practices, and establish new policies.

The Wrong Person in a Key Position

by Susan Beaumont

In “Staff Team Design for a New Era,” I wrote about the ideal staff team to meet your congregation’s future challenges. But let’s be frank: designing a new staffing structure is the easy part. The hard part comes when you realize you have the wrong player in a key position and you have to do something about that if you’re going build a better team.

Staff Team Design for a New Era

by Susan Beaumont

vishal-vasnani-QMhF0-q8oKg-unsplash — Vishal Vasnani on Unsplash

The pandemic unraveled staff team structures. Resignations and retirements were at an all-time high. Downsizing was necessary for some congregations. Others hired new staff to respond to the unique needs of a pandemic era. Now things are settling down and leaders are questioning whether they have the right configuration of staff. Fruitful staffing conversations begin with the congregation’s unique circumstances and are guided by a realistic vision of its future.

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