One of the universal line items in a pastor’s job description is equipping people to do the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12). But what happens when paid staff or volunteers wane in fulfilling their assignments?

The anxiety, frustration, embarrassment or even anger generated by poor staff ministry performance can quickly steal peace and joy from leadership and, if not properly addressed, can lead to broken relationships.

While ministry performance is not the sole indicator of a leader’s success, how you approach this sensitive issue can directly impact ministry effectiveness.

In response to poor performance, perhaps you’ve tried the following strategies:

• Put up with it and keep quiet. If we know of difficulties in the individual’s life already, why talk to them about this problem? We may remember the last time we tried to “up the game” of a staff member; the motive was right, the approach seemed appropriate, but in the end, something went wrong and the relationship suffered. We decide we’re not going there again.

• Encourage and suggest. One part of the country I like to visit has a culture of being indirect, and change happens slowly. Conversations go like this: first a compliment, then casual conversation about the topic, then a soft suggestion (“You know, you might think about … ”). Like many people, I’m not good at reading between the lines, so it’s easy to miss the request, advice, counsel or lesson.

• Confront and cheer on. I once spoke to a leader whose organization promoted speaking one’s mind. However, truth-telling never gave way to kindness, gentleness or love. Few individuals could accept encouragement in that culture because the harsh delivery of truth (or perceived truth) often left them demoralized.

Each of the above approaches fails to address the underlying goal of equipping people for ministry work. I think there is a better way: assess and disciple.

Assess and Disciple: Four Guiding Questions

When I see less-than-stellar ministry work, I step out of the emotion of the moment and ask myself four questions. Rooted in marketplace research, these questions touch the core of what individuals need to flourish in their work.

Researchers — such as Gallup in its recent Q¹² report — refer to this as “employee engagement.” It includes people’s sense of well-being, as well as their desire to give what is required and more in their role, to serve with excellence and to develop personally — the things I want everyone I lead to experience.

It’s helpful to think about my role using garden and farming metaphors. I must nurture, tend and steward my staff for there to be ongoing productivity and profitability. The Bible calls this equipping. With these ideas in mind, if someone is performing poorly, I do not automatically go to “You’re fired!” as a first option. Instead, I focus on four questions:

1. Do they know what is expected of them?
2. Do they know how well they are doing?
3. Do they fit in this ministry or organization?
4. Do they have a pathway for growth?

Let’s look at each briefly.

Do they know what is expected of them? Expectations — everyone has them, but it takes a conversation to unearth and clarify them and another level of discussion to come to agreement around a set.

How you approach this sensitive issue can directly impact ministry effectiveness.

For instance, is it OK to come in whenever the individual prefers, or are there office hours? Should the volunteer bring his or her own equipment, or does the church provide it? Will the organization compensate for this work, or is it a volunteer assignment?

People need to know what to expect and what is expected of them. When a leader isn’t clear, expectations are left open to personal interpretation and misunderstanding.

Do they know how well they are doing? Stephen Drotter, in his book The Leadership Pipeline, says performance is in the eye of the beholder; therefore, write down what performance quality looks like.

This is foreign to many ministry leaders. In successful organizations, the range of performance quality is defined by and related to responsibilities. Using a baseball metaphor, do the individuals on your team know what a strikeout (poor performance), base hit (good performance), or home run (exceptional performance) looks like in behavioral terms?

Without a rating system that is simple and clear, it is impossible for individuals to assess their own performance and for you to have a basis for a helpful conversation toward improvement.

Do they fit in this ministry or organization? Even if an individual knows what to do and is fulfilling his or her responsibilities, there can still be a disconnect.

This doesn’t make the worker a bad person or you a bad leader. Your organization and the person simply may not be on the same page about acceptable fruitfulness, definitions of success, quality work, what a healthy pace looks like, or even the organization’s vision. Being a good person does not automatically guarantee being a good fit.

Do they have a pathway for growth? Whereas the first three questions are designed to help assess, this question is designed to help you disciple those you lead. God has made everyone with potential in their capability and capacity. Jesus said it glorifies the Father when you “bear much fruit” (John 15:8).

“Much” is a relative term. The Parable of the Talents teaches this. Whatever an individual’s capability and capacity, it should be developed for God’s glory. Leaders who help others along a path of growth experience a deeper level of discipleship with their staff.

Conclusion

Asking the right questions about those you lead will take you on a different trajectory in your conversations and, most importantly, in your thinking. You can begin to operate from a place of proactive assessment and discipleship, believing that people prefer to know what is expected of them, how they are doing, whether they fit in the organization, and how to become better tomorrow than they are today.

As a leader, it’s your role and privilege to help individuals along this path, in love. The four questions above zero in on things that matter to each person, allowing you to train specifically in places that will positively impact their performance and ultimately raise the effectiveness of the organization.

One thing I have discovered: When I am committed to other people’s success and development, the conversations become easier, more solution-oriented and more filled with hope. You can experience this too.