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They are sometimes called one-on-ones, tune-ups, statuses, etc. Whatever they are called, they are vital to keeping lines of communication open between you and your staff member. It is the opportunity for expectations to be clarified, encouragement and constructive feedback to be given, and the relationship to continue to be built. There are many tools to help you facilitate coaching conversations. The sample tools below are “Plus/Delta” and a “Start, Stop, Continue” areContinue." 

Plus/Delta: A Plus/Delta is a method to do a “quick check” after a project, meeting, event, etc. One side of the “page” (or whiteboard for those of you that like those) are the “pluses” – what went well or things you would want to repeat. The right side is the “delta” – those things you’d like to change or do differently. This tool is helpful for brainstorming.

Start, Stop, Continue: This can help with communication, supervision, or even meetings. What would you like me to start doing? What am I currently doing that you would like me to stop? What things work well, and that you’d like me to continue?

Stay Interviews

A stay interview is when a leader meets with a staff member to gather information about the things the staff member values about their job and to discover what they believe can be improved. In essence, a stay interview is similar to an exit interview, but it’s done with active employees rather than those heading out the door.

Many things can be discovered during stay interviews. For example, stay interviews allow leaders to:

• Build trust between leaders and their team members.
• Engage with staff members to show their opinions are valued.
• Learn why staff members want to continue working for the ministry, and why they might want to leave.
• Find out if there are any issues that should be resolved between the staff member and any of their leaders or team members.
• Understand the staff member’s stance on their current position and what they’d like to have changed.
• Determine what challenges staff members appreciate and what motivates them to work toward the ministry’s mission.
• Gain a better understanding of the staff member’s unique fears, dreads, hopes, and strengths.
• Gather actionable information about the current workplace climate.

For more details and sample tools, visit the Stay Interviews page.

SMART Goals

Writing good goals can help staff have clearly outlined expectations and give you a good measuring stick for how they have done with those goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable (or Achievable), Results-Oriented, and have a Timeframe. The measurable part of the goal can be either quantitative or qualitative. An example follows for both a quantitative and qualitative goal:

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Whether the goal is met or not, feedback is important. Some individuals feel it is difficult or unfair to make ministry about reaching goals or performance. It is important to understand that the goal is faithfulness. Someone once said that success is cooperating with what God is doing in your life at the moment. If a goal is not met, the next question becomes why. (For more on this, see Feedback, Recognition, and Career developmentDevelopment section.)

Knowing Styles: Yours and the person you are coaching

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