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They're Still "Acting." The Work Isn't. · The Healthy Church Staff Podcast

• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: Their email signature still says active children's director.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: But it's been for too long.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: They lead the volunteer meetings, they manage the budget, they took advice to the assistant, and they handle the some more problems that come up every week.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: And everybody knows that they're responsible for the ministry.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: But when the conversation turns to their title or their compensation or their future, the answer is still.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: We're trying to figure that out.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine trying to lead confidently under those conditions.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Today, to start off your week here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast, we're going to talk about temporary appointments and continue that continued long after the church should have had honest conversation about what comes next.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: Acting and interim roles can be helpful.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: A staff member leaves, somebody steps in, and the church gets time to make a thoughtful decision.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: And some intern interim assignments are intentionally lengthy.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the person understands the purpose and agrees to the terms and knows how that progress will work.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: Trouble starts, though, when leadership and the person doing the job have different understandings of the arrangement.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: You think you're keeping your options open, they think they're demonstrating that they deserve the permanent position.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: Hi there, I'm Todd Rhodes, one of the co-founders over at chemistrystaffing.com.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: You're listening to the Healthy Church Staff podcast.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: Like I said, maybe from your viewpoint, you're keeping your options open, but from their viewpoint, they're trying to show you that they deserve the permanent position, and neither of you says that clearly.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: So you're just on different wavelengths here, different pages.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: So the months keep passing and the expectations keep growing.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: And here's the thing for you to address.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: You need to tell the person what their appointment actually means.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: Are they a candidate for the permanent role?
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes they are, sometimes they're not.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Are they providing leadership while you search for somebody else?
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: Or are you still just deciding what kind of position the church needs?
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: Now, all three of those things are valid, okay?
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: But they're very three different, all three of those are very different situations.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: Someone can willingly serve in any of those, but they need accurate information to make that choice.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: If they believe they're being considered for the permanent position and you've already decided otherwise, they really deserve to hear that.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're evaluating them, explain what you're looking for.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Let's see how it goes.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: Gives a person very little direction.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Matter of fact, no direction at all.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: So tell them what successful leadership looks like or would look like, where they're doing well and what concerns remain.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: Otherwise, you're just asking them to pass a test without really showing them the questions.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, secondly, address the responsibilities that they're carrying right now, today.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: A decision about their permanent future may still be ahead, and their current workflow is already here, right now.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: So if they're leading or supervising staff or managing a budget or leading a ministry, have you given them the actual authority to do those things?
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: Or do they have to keep returning to somebody else for approval because they're only the acting director?
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: That can put a person in a really difficult position.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: They're accountable for results, but they can't make the decisions needed to produce them?
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: That's a difficult place to be.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: The conversation around compensation matters as well.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, ask what you would budget if you brought in somebody else to do the same work.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: And then look honestly at that current arrangement.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: There may be differences in experience or scope or hours that affect compensation, absolutely.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: But explain those differences rather than allowing the temporary title to end the discussion.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: And ask what they need.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: A raise may be appropriate.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: Training might be appropriate as well, or coaching, or administrative help, even in the short term.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe just a clearer set of priorities.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: The goal here is to make the assignment reasonable while the person is doing it, whether that's for one month or six months.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, number three, put a decision process on the calendar.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to promise a permanent appointment.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Okay?
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: You do need to explain who will decide, what steps remain, and when the person can expect an answer.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: Don't leave them in limbo.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: If you've already missed a date that you mentioned back when you gave this person the temporary role, acknowledge that you missed it.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, we said that we would revisit this in June and we didn't.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so sorry.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: That left you waiting, and we need to address it.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: So can we address it?
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: And my apologies.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: Then give them a timeline that you really do intend to honor, and then put it on your calendar so that you do honor it.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: Because sometimes circumstances require a little bit more time.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: That's fine.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: And when that happens, have the conversation before the deadline passes rather than after.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: Explain the reason, review the arrangement together, and sex set the next date.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: Repeated extensions should prompt a little harder question.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: What is preventing us from making this decision?
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: And there could be a slew of reasons.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: Might be a budget issue, could be uncertainty about what you need, or uncertainty about this person's performance, whether you want to bring them on full-time or permanently, or maybe just disagreement about among leaders.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: But each one of those needs requires some attention.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: Keeping acting in an email signature or in a job title will not resolve it.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: So here's your practical step this week.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: If you've got anybody that's in that limbo state, that's in the acting or the interim appointment on your team, write down when it began, what the person understands about the arrangement, and what decision still needs to be made.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: And then with the next in the next 30 days or so.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Let's just say 30 days.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: In the next 30 days, meet with that person and establish a clear path forward.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: That might mean making a permanent appointment.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: It might mean continuing with a defined interim assignment.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: It might mean beginning a search if you're not in the middle of a search already, or it might just mean changing the role.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever the outcome, give them the honest conversation and clear terms.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: Somebody stepped into an uncertain situation to help you out.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: They're doing you a solid here.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure your leadership gives them enough clarity to make thoughtful decisions about their own future.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's my thoughts.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: Those are my thoughts on kind of interim roles of the church.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: They're fine.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes they're very needed, but you need to have some parameters around there.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: Because if you don't communicate, they have no idea what's going on.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: If you need any kind of help, any way that I can help, or anybody on my team here at Chemistry Staffing can help you with any kind of healthy church initiatives, hiring, firing, compensation issues, transitional coaching.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: If you need to let somebody go, reach out to me or just have a question for me.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love maybe a topic that you'd like me to talk about on the podcast.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: Reach out to me anytime.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: Podcast at chemistry staffing.com.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: All right, that's it for today.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: Hope you have a great week.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: We'll be right back here again tomorrow.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: Hope you'll join me.