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Being Prepared, But Saying The Least — Meetings

Recently I attended a meeting with our church’s leadership, and as I drove home from it, two thoughts kept bothering me: I wasn’t prepared enough for the meeting, and I said too much in it.

The following week, I set up an appointment with an advisor for input on my meeting contribution. (The role of the advisor is captured well by Michael Hyatt in his post “Who Are Your ‘Trusted Advisors’?”.)

This advisor had heard me present in several meeting environments (including the most recent one), and had watched me interact with church staff and members. He recommended several points of improvement for me, but the one that was most impactful was this:

Be the most prepared guy (gal) at the meeting, with a plan to say the least.

We’ve all been in meetings with people who weren’t prepared to speak authoritatively on a subject, but did it anyway. They spouted content without substance. And even if spouting is done well, waxing eloquently doesn’t equate meaningful content.

We’ve also been in meetings with well-prepared people, who because they were so prepared, subsequently chose to take over a meeting with incessant talk. Again, filibustering doesn’t equate to quality content provider.

What’s the best mix of preparation and spoken contribution in a meeting?

Specifically, what’s the best plan of action when you’re a participant in the meeting, but not facilitating it?

On Being Prepared… a few reminders, for prior to the meeting

Have I gathered all my facts?
What questions can I anticipate on this agenda topic?
Have I searched my paper files and e-mail for all correspondence which may be relative to the meeting topic?
Have I studied enough that I have key information and metrics in my head?

On Saying Little… a few reminders, for during the meeting

Only speak to a topic after you’ve answered this question to yourself:

Am I speaking to bring value to the conversation, or for some other less worthy reason?

Resist the urge to control the output or concerns of others.
Listen reflectively.
Don’t formulate rebuttal comments while others are speaking.

I’ve by no means got all this down. After most meetings I lead or participate in, I feel there’s ways I can improve.

Wouldn’t it be nice if people said about this about us after they left a meeting…

“They don’t talk a lot, but when they do, they bring a lot of value”?

The P Conundrum: Practice, Procedure or Policy?

What is best for your church…a practice? Procedure? Or policy?

When a practice suffices, great. When a documented procedure is needed, do that. And save the policies for when those two aren’t enough.

Too often churches become policy-heavy and the result is slowed ministry and confused workers. Over-the-top policies become “red tape” that stifles ministry progress.

Yet, there are certain policies required by law (and we should obey). And even below the legal threshold, there are best practices for putting some polices in place even when not required by law.

But many times churches implement policies when a simple stated practice would suffice.

Determining whether an issue should have an established (stated) practice, procedure or policy will depend on the frequency of its occurrence or the margin for error or inconsistency for a particular issue.

We often look to large churches to model what should be done in our (smaller) churches. Large churches may use policies to deal effectively and efficiently with the scope of their work. But where a large church might deal with a certain issue 100 times a year, the same issue may only occur three times in another church. So, it doesn’t need the same treatment.

When you place policies or procedures where a practice suffices, it leads to slow work, it frustrates the people enforcing the policy, and the people abiding by the over-the-top policy.

The differences and self-assessing which one is needed

Practices are most often “what we’ve done in the past.” They’re precedents and come within the authority of current leadership. Practices give a sense of direction about an issue, but also communicates there can be flexibility and exceptions.

Procedures occur when less ambiguity is desired. The issue’s decision points might have multiple steps and a documented procedure is best. A documented procedure gives clarity about how a decision is made and provides steps on how to get it done without a lot of interpretation by those involved.

Policies assume legal or fiduciary accuracy. Or it addresses an issue demanding straightforward behavior or outcomes. Or it could be the issue happens with regularity, and it no longer makes sense to slow a decision down by having to consider the uniqueness of a practice or procedure.

Policies protect the people (decision-makers). It removes the leader from having to use personal discretion or persuasion in deciding an issue. An effective policy will be the right way 98% of the time. There could be exceptions, but they should be exceptional reasons (such as, a pandemic…consider how many policies got [rightfully] upended in this time).

Scaling of the Ps

Most times it’s best to begin with a practice. And use that as long as it’s effective. But as the decision points grow in number or complexity, you’ll move to the procedure or policy stage. And when you do, you’ll have the experience of what content needs to be included in those procedures and policies.

Policies are great, if written well and wielded prudently. I’m pro-policy, but only after I determine a practice or procedure is insufficient.

Want examples, continue on—

Examples for what P stage makes most since in typical church setting:

Licensing ministers: If this is happening 1-2 times a year, it could just be a practice. But if that number grows or to ensure fairness and standards each time, a procedure may be best.

Room reservations at the church: If you have a church building, depending on frequency of requests, at least a procedure is needed, and perhaps, a policy. And it could be, it’s a procedure for internal requests, but you have a policy for “outside request of usage.”

Whistle Blower complaints: Policy.

Credit card purchase review: Procedure and should move to policy as quickly as possible or as advised.

Guest baptizers or speakers: A practice might suffice. But if you’re getting requests more than once a year and the vetting of each situation or person needs to delegated or shared my multiple people, then a procedure that outlines your biblical understanding, along with other standards and expectations of the guest, than a procedure makes sense.

Sunday Hustle or Sabbath?

Sunday hustle or sabbath? Are these mutually exclusive? It feels like it. Church leaders every Sunday (weekend) hustle hard to make your ministry excellent (or sometimes, just “covered”) and when the day is done, they can see the fruit of their work, but they never sniffed at having a sabbath.

I’ve been a proponent that if your Sunday is a work day that doesn’t allow you to prioritize the worship of God, and rest in Him, then you need to find another day or opportunity to do this. This may mean attending another church’s Saturday night worship or another gathering that takes place during the week.

Yet, I’m not convinced our “Sunday work” can’t have some sabbath.

What would it look like for you to be faithful to your Sunday ministry work, but work in such a way that both internally and externally you are more at rest?

What would it look like to walk slowly through the commons area of your church space? To linger in a conversation even though the critical part of the conversation is done? To slip into the worship room for a moment, engage in worship, before returning to your important work down the hall?

I believe we can appropriately hustle for ministry’s sake a Sunday, and still work in a way that reflects some sabbath practices. This effort can be good for our own soul, and also model “sabbath-ways” to those we lead. It can’t replace a more robust sabbath day for you, but they’re still worthy.

Ways to achieve (partial) sabbath amidst the typical Sunday ministry work:

Get your work done during the work week. Many times, our Sunday hustle is not evidence of our hard work, it’s evidence of our lack of hard work during the week.

We’re having to squeeze in a whole bunch of conversations and copy machine work that could’ve been done during the week. We must work hard in our work week hours, so we can be present for the ministry work on Sunday.

Prioritize your time with God on Sundays (1:1 before you “work”). There may be a temptation to forego your 1:1 time with God knowing you’re heading out the door to “do church.” But at least two things counter that: 1) you probably won’t have a lot of time to be still with God once you’re there, and 2) you have the opportunity to minister to people on Sunday like no other time during the week. And that opportunity requires us to rely on God…for our ministry to others to be an overflow of our own personal pursuits toward God.

Know what your “must do” Sunday tasks are and know everything else can be set aside to engage sabbath or ministry moments. I’ve written before about the importance of prioritizing what are “must do” (required) tasks. You need to know what must be done and know that many other things can be dropped or at least delayed should a ministry moment present itself.

Yes, we might have to stack all the chairs or lock up the building. But if we delay that five minutes so we can spend five minutes in meaningful conversation with someone, well that’s sabbath behavior. Life doesn’t stop on Sundays. And it didn’t for Jesus, but He chose very carefully what took his attention on his sabbath.

Put to rest the desire for everything to go your way. Church leaders are committed. We plan pathways and outcomes we feel God will use. But sometimes our pathways go awry. Or God may choose another divinely-created pathway. We must put to rest our controlling ways. Controlling everything is counter to a sabbath mentality.

Sundays are a work day for me. Yet, I believe I dishonor God and poorly model for those in my church when my work looks frenetic and absent a belief I trust a big God to do His work, His way. So, here’s to hustling sabbath-style.

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