The Healthy Church Staff Podcast
We're all about helping create a healthy, positive, and spiritually positive environment for church staff members and leadership teams.
The Healthy Church Staff Podcast
The Permission Paradox_ When Staff Stop Making Decisions Without You
Have questions or comments? Send to podcast@chemistrystaffing.com
Be sure to subscribe to The Healthy Church Staff Podcast wherever you regularly listen to podcasts.
- - - - -
Is Your Church Hiring?
If your church is searching for a new staff member, reach out to Todd for a conversation on how he might be able to help.
Are You Looking for a New Ministry Role?
If you are open to a new church role in the next few months, add your free resume and profile at ChemistryStaffing.com.
You're in your office and Sarah knocks on your door says, hey, Kevin, I wrote something by you really quick. It's about ordering supplies for the kids' ministry. Now, granted, it's the same supplies she's ordered for three years without asking. Sound familiar? We're gonna talk about that today. The Healthy Church Staff Podcast, some of the frustrations you may feel from time to time with staff. Thanks for joining me. My name's Todd Rhodes. I'm one of the co-founders over at chemistrystaffing.com and your host right here on the podcast every weekday. Your staff used to make decisions. They didn't used to bother you with things like can I order stuff like that? But now they seem like all of a sudden they ask for permission for everything. Even decisions that they're clearly qualified to make. And it's happens so gradually that you almost miss it. But here's what could be really happening underneath. Maybe you questioned a decision once. Or maybe you redirected something publicly, or you changed their work without explanation. So now they're playing it safe. They don't want to get caught. Bringing everything to you first, and your calendar fills up with decisions that you really shouldn't need to make, and decisions that you really don't want to make. Now listen. But you need to recalibrate. So here's what I think you should do. If you've ever, or maybe you're feeling it right now, been in a situation like this. Start the conversation that they're waiting for. Okay? But it goes something like this. Hey, I've noticed, Sarah, that you've been asking for permissions for my permission for things that you used to just handle. Help me understand what changed there. Don't assume, but ask. And then clarify the decision-making boundaries. What needs approval? What doesn't need approval? Help Sarah out here. Be specific about dollar amounts or timeline decisions or staffing choices. Put it in writing if you need to, because that's going to allow you to rebuild some trust. Sarah's not trying to take your time. She's trying to cover her butt to be really frank and honest about it. She just doesn't want to make a mistake. Okay? When they bring you something that they should decide, don't just answer. Ask, what do you think we should do? What do you think we should do? And then let them talk it through and then say, that sounds right. You don't need to ask me about this type of thing. And just name it out loud. And what this gives your staff, if they're unsure, it gives them kind of a permission reset. And if this is happening not just with one person, but with a whole team, then maybe have a team conversation about decision making. What decisions belong at what level? Where are the boundaries unclear? How can I help you get clarity on those decisions that you can make, those decisions that maybe your supervisor or I need to be a part of? What's been confused? It's not about blame. It's just about clarity. And believe me, your staff will love the clarity. When it gets right down to it, your staff want to lead well, and they're asking permission because they just might be confused about the boundaries. Maybe they got burned once before. Those clear expectations that you paint now will create confident leaders in the future. So here's the bottom line. When good staff start asking permission for everything, it's not about respect. It's usually about unclear boundaries. This week, here's your challenge. I would love for you to identify one staff member who's been asking for permission for decisions that they should really own and not bother you with. Have that clarifying conversation. Ask what changed. Reset those boundaries if you need to and give them explicit permission in that area. Your staff want to make good decisions. Sometimes they just need to know where the fence is. I hope this has been helpful. I'm here every day on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. It's part of the ministry at chemistry staffing.com. And for all of your staffing needs, I hope you'll reach out to me, podcast at chemistry staffing.com. If you have a question about hiring staff, firing staff, any kind of healthy church staff related item, I would love to hear from you and see if there's a way that I can do podcast at chemistry staffing.com. All right, that's it for today. Have a great one. We'll see you tomorrow.
