Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
John Hester is a leadership consultant, trainer, researcher, and writer with The Ken Blanchard Companies. He currently serves on the High Council in his Vancouver, Washington stake and has previously served as an elders quorum president, Young Men president, and early-morning seminary teacher.
Episode Highlights
(9:30) Biggest mistakes leaders make someone is called to a new position and feels lost
- Micromanaging
- Allowing the individual to go and flounder on their own, occasionally swooping in and then flying away again (seagull management)
(10:20) How can this be handled more effectively? How can a leader find balance somewhere between the two big mistakes?
- Key is to take the time to diagnose
- recognize the goals and tasks that someone might have in a particular role
- what is your “development level” in each of these tasks?
- Then providing the necessary leadership to help in areas where someone may not be as strong or experienced
(11:45) Development Levels example (15:30) Collaboration between the leader and the individual to diagnose development levels Importance of recognizing that development levels are task-based rather than calling or position-based (21:00) Reassessing the diagnosis beyond the initial calling (regular stewardship interviews) (22:15) Characteristics of effective stewardship interviews
- Consistency
- Assessing task-based progress
(25:15) Matching leadership style to the current development level (29:00) How can leaders make these regular stewardship interviews a priority so that progress can keep happening?
- Recognize that this is when the personal interaction can happen
- Making the time for them can free up time down the road
(32:00) The importance of leaders always listening
Links:
Brother Hester’s idea about having monthly PPIs with his auxiliary leaders is a great idea. I don’t know if this is “legal” or not in the church, but our Bishop has replaced our ward PEC meetings with individual PPI’s with each auxiliary presidency on a monthly basis. He meets with the EQ, HP, RS, Primary and Ward Mission presidencies each month. We have found these types of one on one meeting much more effective than a group PEC meeting.
In these meetings, they talk about their frustrations, expectations, current processes and individual ward members.
We use the ward council to sit together and counsel about ward members who need help and coordinate actions for these people.