by Richard Dahl | May 30, 2022 | Employee Relations
That short sentence may one of the most important sentences in your employee relations vocabulary. I recall a situation some years back when an employee was frustrated with several leadership practices and copied most of the leadership team in an email detailing a...
by Richard Dahl | Apr 26, 2022 | News
I was recently in a meeting where an employee who had been with us for a month was asked to share some of the positive things and challenges that she found here when she started. Her first comment surprised me. She said, “One of the best things that happened to me on...
by Richard Dahl | Apr 26, 2022 | Uncategorized
It was the best of documentation. It was the worst of documentation. That’s what we experienced with two recent departures from our office. One of those leaving had received a three ring binder “bible” when she started two years previously. It clearly outlined the...
by Richard Dahl | Jan 6, 2020 | Terminations
I was talking with a pastor recently regarding the need to end the employment of his youth pastor. The senior pastor had inherited the youth guy when he started at the church and had done everything he could to coach and mentor him toward ministry success....
by Richard Dahl | Nov 4, 2019 | Performance reviews, Terminations
The guy was really nice and had been on the church staff part time for nine years. However, as the church grew, it was outgrowing his skills and he was no longer effective in his role. It was time for a change. The pastor knew it. The congregation knew it. In his...
by Richard Dahl | Sep 11, 2019 | Compliance
It probably does not happen often in a church setting, but from time to time situations may arise when some staff who are paid hourly need to work more than forty hours in a week. Maybe it is the fall ministry kick off season and support staff need to put in extra...
by Richard Dahl | Jun 30, 2019 | Compliance, Job Descriptions
Discrimination is a feared word in the employment world. It comes with the assumption of evil intent. In reality, the word itself is neutral to positive. A person with discriminating taste is thought to be refined and wise. That person is able to discern something...
by Richard Dahl | May 21, 2019 | Compliance
Part of being a healthy church is having volunteer labor. Ideally, that looks like people in the congregation using their varied gifts in works of service. Sometimes it’s just people getting stuff done because it needs to get done. The reality is that not that many...
by Richard Dahl | Apr 30, 2019 | Performance reviews
A friend of mine was recently lamenting about his employer’s requirement that he provide a self-evaluation as part of his performance review process. “I’m supposed to boast about how great I am,” was his concern. That seems to be in contrast to our call to humility....
by Richard Dahl | Apr 21, 2019 | Job Descriptions
We all have expectations. Merriam Webster says that to expect something is: To consider probable or certain To consider reasonable, due, or necessary To consider bound in duty or obligated While not intended to show a progression of thought, this definition can...