Rob serving in Canada
QUESTION:Removal Process?
How would you go about removing someone from a vocal team who hasn't lived up to the commitment they made at an audition (learning songs, memorizing words, showing up to rehearsals on time, etc.)?
RICK MUCHOW:
Unfortunately, sometimes we might have to remove people from the ministry, either temporarily or permanently. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about a paid staffer or a volunteer. . . It’s a lot easier to hire than to fire! This is a very important question, but before I talk about removal, let’s talk about how to keep a person who is in this situation and maintain a healthy team.
When we find ourselves in this position, we should first ask ourselves is this a leadership problem or is it really a volunteer problem? Not everybody is easy to work with, and certainly very few people enter the ministry looking like Jesus! There are different personalities and the fact is that we as leaders will not relate equally to every individual. The very creative diversity with which God has created us as individuals insures that we as leaders will be refined through the leadership process as we learn to lead and value the contributions of people whose S.H.A.P.E. (Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences) differs from our own. Some of the most valuable people in my life are those who see and experience things very differently from me.
The most important step in living up to a commitment is knowing what’s expected. Have I as the leader communicated what is expected in a way that the person understands? Communicating expectations needs to be done clearly and regularly at the audition process and throughout the season of commitment. We must never assume that our expectation is common knowledge.
Once you’ve been consistent in communication, then if there is a problem, lovingly communicate the expectations again. Do all that you can do in your confrontation to lovingly guard the other person’s dignity. After all, the person belongs to God and not to us. Our responsibility is to nurture and care for God’s sheep.
If the problem persists, take decisive action. Meet with the person to pull them out of the group and clearly explain your decision. Offer them a way back in; a way to rebuild your trust.
Never do this in front of the group! It’s important not to be political or show favoritism in your leadership. This is an area that individuals will test and challenge you on. Be consistent. Before you pull someone from the team, talk it over with your advisory team or someone you trust who will be confidential and hold you accountable for your decision.
In 24 years, I have not asked anyone to leave a group for any other reason than a moral failure. Upon reflection when I am a situation where a team member is not keeping a commitment, I find that I may not have communicated the expectations “correctly” for that individual. When I addressed the issue directly with the person, and consistently reinforced the expectations with the whole team, I was able to avoid losing a team member.
