The Team Evaluates the Leader, 2011 Edition

(Update: You can read the results of this post HERE.)

If you have read my blog for more than a year, then you know that one of the personal leadership development tools that I use is the process of allowing our team…that I lead…to anonymously evaluate my performance as a leader. You can read the post on last year’s evaluation HERE. In the related posts, you can see some of the previous year’s posts on this process. I share this process here to encourage this step of leadership development and for accountability and transparency purposes as a leader.

Well, it’s that time of year again. The team is currently evaluating me. I always get nervous about the responses, but perhaps this year more than ever. It’s been a crazy year personally and professionally, so I’m anxious about what they may say, but we have a great team and so I know they will be gentle.  (Hopefully they read this blog! HA!) My only encouragement to them is that they consider the differences of those on the team and how that alters my leadership and that they are helpful, not vindictive, in their answers. I do it anonymously through Survey Monkey to help them be more honest in their answers.

Here are this year’s questions:

• What am I currently adding to the team? What do you see as my strengths?
• What is my greatest weakness? Where do you think I still need improvement? (The goal here is to be helpful, not hurtful.)
• Knowing my skills, where should I be placing more of my attention these days?
• What do you need from me that you are not currently receiving in the way of leadership/direction?
• Do you feel I have your best interest at heart?
• Do you feel I am supportive of your area of ministry? If not, please explain.
• Would you feel comfortable bringing problems to me? If not, why?
• The larger the church and staff get, do you see my role needing to change? If yes, in what ways?
• What would you like to say to me or what questions do you have for me, but you haven’t said them or asked them, for whatever reason?

I’ve received several back and so far, they are very helpful. There does seem to be a couple patterns shaping and I am learning some areas where the team sees need for improvement in how I lead. At this point it is not so much because I’m doing a bad job, but also because our church is growing and changing. It’s good insight and I hope to learn more as others continue to answer. I’ll post the results when they are all completed.

Have you ever considered letting people you lead evaluate your leadership?