The Value of Evaluation
If you ever want to grow and develop, then you will have to face the one thing that makes all fragile little creative snowflakes tremble... EVALUATION
Do you ever wonder why teams get stuck in ruts? Ever wonder why they continue to make the same mistakes over and over again? Do you ever wonder if your team has a clue as to what you're doing, and more importantly... WHY?
A few weeks ago my pastor, Jarrett Stevens posted a great atricle on his blog about the "Value of Evaluation."
Some of my best growth has come from the culture of feedback that exists among the staff here at Soul City. While evaluating your work can be scary or even intitally feel threatening, when done well, it has the potential to maximize your effectivness as a leader and the effectiveness of the people you lead.
The three questions we use for evaluation as a Staff at Soul City are:
Check out this excerpt from his article:
I had a friend I used to work with at another church, years ago, who was one of the most brilliant, prolific and creative people I have ever known. Together we created some of the most moving and memorable moments I’ve ever experienced in church. It was groundbreaking , deep, moving, hilarious stuff. Truly creative work. But every couple of weeks, he would wrestle with the fact that he not only had to come up with something new every weekend, but that his work would be evaluated every Monday. His “art” had to “work.”
Creativity by its nature tends to resist utility. Ever felt that way?
While we may initially resist or avoid it, healthy critique and honest evaluation are some of the best tools you can keep in your leadership tool belt. They are a gift to the people you serve and to your own development.
[Critique and evaluation are essential to the creative process.]
They let us know if we are accomplishing the mission of our organization. They force us to face the fact that there is still room to grow and improve. And they put us in a posture of submission and serving. They remind us that we actually don’t create for ourselves; we create for God and for others.
All of us want to grow and get better. None of us wants to offer God and those we work with anything less than our best. So why wouldn’t we submit ourselves to a healthy process of celebration, evaluation, and critique?
[You can read the rest of the article at jarrettstevens.com.]
What is something you can do this week to begin or improve on the process of evaluation in your area of leadership?
Who do you need to ask for honest feedback from?
Who are you leading that needs the gift of evaluation?
Can you create safe space for evaluation in your next Team Meeting, Huddle, Re-Group or One-on-One Meeting?