People Spots
Online
Produced by James W.
Moss, Sr., and Church Consultants
Provided as a service by New Life Ministries
Assessing Skills
by James W. Moss, Sr.Abraham Lincoln said, “If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could better judge what to do and how to do it.”
Napoleon had an uncanny skill on a battlefield. He could accurately assess the course of a battle and determine the critical point. Then he had the capacity to make the appropriate assignment of troops to take that significant point and turn the tide of battle. That is a unique gift.
Richard Shover is now retired. He became pastor of the Camp Hill Church of God as a tentmaker while still working full-time as an executive at an insurance company. We might assume Dick worked more than 40 hours a week at his secular employment. While working as a tentmaker, the Camp Hill Church of God grew from an average of 108 to 270 over a period of years. He then retired as an executive and became a full-time pastor. I’ve wrestled with how he did that. I have come to the conclusion that he had an unusual skill at assessing things that needed to be done. Then he had the drive to make sure they happened.
In both of these illustrations, there are two skills that have been identified. One is the capacity to make good assessments. The second is to take the knowledge those assessments provide and do something that will make a difference. That is a unique combination of skills necessary for a leader.
Making good assessments
I am talking about anticipatory leadership skills. Simply put, “If I take this action, what will be the probable response of those impacted?”
There also has to be a recognition that the leader has to accept the brunt of the reaction for change. Please remember that every change has a price. Every change is a trauma for someone. It is imperative that leaders anticipate potential roadblocks.
Good assessing skills provide the ability to distinguish the difference between real and imagined roadblocks. The little boy in the fairy tale cried “Wolf!” three times. Everybody dropped everything and ran. When the wolf really arrived, no one paid attention. The problems have to be real.
Accurate assessment skills will give one the capacity to read attitudes. A new general manager came to a hockey team. His first project was to interview the star player. The player said all the right words but his eyes and body language sent a different message. The next day he was traded. Does the person believe that appropriate tasks can be accomplished?
This evaluation ability must also include the capacity to determine the aptitude of the person to do the task. I was coaching a pastor. It was obvious that I was asking him to do what he had no ability to do. All I was doing was increasing his frustration.
This assessment skill also includes the capacity to see buried causes. It is one thing to read surface issues and another to see what lurks deeper. What has triggered that response? How can we defuse the opposition?
The ability to see blessings already accomplished and those that may potentially arrive if certain actions are followed is a critical part of this issue. Leaders have to be able to see the bright side of the issue.
This also includes the capacity to uncover alternative strategies. What are other options that may be available?
Then what?
Good assessments are one side of the issue. Doing something with those assessments is the other side. Once assessments are made, do we have the initiative, drive, and capacity to follow them up with appropriate and timely action? I was visiting a church. Members proudly showed me a neatly and perfectly kept record of individual attendance at worship for 20 years. The problem was they did nothing with it.
It is clear: a contact needs to be made. Does the leader have the initiative to make an appointment and follow through? Does the leader then have the wisdom and tact to make the appropriate comments to achieve the desired ends?
It is obvious: a specific new program is needed. Does the leader have the capacity to communicate the need? Then does the leader have the drive and capacity to recruit others to implement the ministry?
Assessing and implementation go hand in hand.
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September 9, 2003. Volume 6, Issue 10. People Spots Online is prepared by James W. Moss, Sr., and Church Consultants. It is provided as a service by New Life Ministries, www.NewLifeMinistries-NLM.org. Articles may be duplicated and reproduced in any way with proper credit. A new article is produced about every two weeks. To be added to a list to receive these messages directly by e-mail, send a request to churchconsultants@yahoo.com.