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Four Guiding Principles for Managing a Polarized Congregation

By Susan Beaumont & Associates / October 29, 2019 / 0 Comments

The polarization of a congregation is frightening to watch. When the ideological middle gets thin and the extremes of the organization thicken, leaders often struggle to exert control and restore order. In times of polarization, the organization may be best served by behaviors counter to our natural leadership impulses. A healthy organization The boundaries of […]

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Fixing a Toxic Team

By Susan Beaumont & Associates / November 1, 2018 / 0 Comments

When the culture of a team goes toxic, the team leader may ask, “Do I have to fire someone to fix this?” Sometimes the answer is yes: one well-negotiated dismissal of a volunteer or staff member sometimes turns a team around. More often, though, the problem is rooted in group behavior, so the dismissal of […]

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Supervising Across Cultural Differences

By Susan Beaumont & Associates / July 10, 2018 / 0 Comments

Performance management conversations are inherently difficult. It is just hard to talk with another about failed expectations. When the supervisor and employee don’t share similar cultural backgrounds, these conversations can be treacherous. Race is not easy to talk about. Neither are differences in expectations that arise from gender, age or ethnicity. Cultural differences may include […]

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Disappointed in Your Followers? Try Cultivating Awe!

By Susan Beaumont & Associates / July 18, 2017 / 2 Comments

Every leader has experienced this frustration. You put your best leadership vision and energy foreword but you are met with an uninspired response. You hope for a reaction that is lively, expansive, generous and creative. Instead, your followers are unimaginative, scarcity-minded and inwardly-focused. What’s a leader to do? Turning the tide might be easier than […]

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How Many People Can One Pastor Supervise?

By Susan Beaumont & Associates / July 14, 2017 / 0 Comments

Only the largest congregations have the resources to hire full-time supervisors. The average congregation employs a “head of staff” who also preaches, teaches, provides pastoral care, leads mission and ministry, and guides the work of the board. Given this breadth of responsibility, how many employees can a pastor effectively supervise? What happens when a supervisor […]

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Five Things to Consider Before Inviting Visitors into the Boardroom

By Susan Beaumont & Associates / May 17, 2017 / 4 Comments

Inclusion, transparency and trust are important values for many congregations. To promote these values, congregations often adopt open board meetings. Members who do not serve on the governing board are welcome to attend the board’s meetings. They may or may not be allowed to weigh in with their opinions. Are open board meetings a good […]

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Don’t Just Talk About Mission-Act With Passion!

By Susan Beaumont & Associates / April 19, 2017 / 2 Comments

Congregations waste precious time forming mission statements that fail to inspire action. Writing a mission statement produces clarity, but rarely generates energy. It’s time to move beyond mission and start focusing on the passion that compels us to make a specific difference. We often think of an individual as having a vocation and an organization […]

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Stop Worrying About Worship Attendance-Thrive Instead!

By Susan Beaumont & Associates / March 22, 2017 / 0 Comments

For a long time, clergy have taken credit when attendance rose and felt guilty when it fell. Most people assume that the best measure of a congregation’s spiritual vitality is the headcount at weekly worship. But some congregations have begun to think beyond that metric and focus more broadly about how their ministry transforms lives. […]

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Making Space for Middle Ground

By Susan Beaumont & Associates / March 16, 2017 / 4 Comments

We are a nation divided and those divisions are creeping into congregational life. It grows increasingly difficult to hold an ideological middle ground in politics, theology, or leadership. Pastors climb into pulpits fearful that a simple sermon topic will be interpreted as a political statement. Decision-making is heavy-laden with ideological spin, making it difficult to […]

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Raising the Lowest Common Denominator

By Susan Beaumont & Associates / January 19, 2017 / 0 Comments

We’ve all been there. Stuck on a committee, task force or board that began with great promise but fizzled into dysfunction. Brought down by one member of the team who is unwilling or unable to participate productively in the work of the group. Sometimes, the incapable member sits quietly and isn’t disruptive. Even this is […]

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