One-on-one meetings are a great way to invest in your key leaders and volunteers. The members of your team want to know that you see them as individuals and recognize their strengths. They want to know that you are committed to their growth.
We schedule one-on-one meetings with our staff teams and with our key volunteer leaders. These meetings take place quarterly and usually involve a cup of coffee or lunch!
Important Elements of One-on-One Meetings:
Invest Relationally.
Every meeting is an opportunity to build stronger relationships. Volunteers want to serve with someone who knows them, cares about them, and trusts them. And you know, nothing is better than serving with your friends!
Many of us are tempted to show up with an agenda and only feel successful when we’ve accomplished the things on our list. But the truth is that every one-on-one interaction with your volunteers and key leaders should be rich with opportunities to get to know them better and build lasting friendships.
Never forget that true leadership happens within the context of a relationship. One of the greatest reasons to connect one-on-one with your leaders is so that you can build an open and trusting relationship.
Listen Well.
If you want to know what your volunteers and key leaders need from you in order to be better at their job and to create more effective environments, you need to listen. Come prepared to ask questions and then give your full attention to listening. Do you really want to know what’s happening in your classrooms? Would you like to know why it’s difficult for your volunteer to do their job well? Would you like to take away obstacles that are frustrating your team? Then, you have to listen.
Always have your notebook out, take notes, and ask clarifying questions. Don’t just listen to hear complaints, but listen to truly understand. Listen to learn. Listen to receive good feedback and to help you evaluate what’s happening in your environment.
We’ll talk more about the make-up of a successful one-on-one meeting in Part 2.
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April 19th, 2010 at 11:48 am
Great article and great tips. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. I think meeting with people (and particularly listening) is a bit of a lost art these days. Most people schedule meetings to tell someone something or impress their point of view. I think far too few people actually view meetings they schedule as an opportunity to learn and to grow themselves.
Thanks again for this article and your blog in general. It is one of my personal favorites that is out there today!
April 19th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Thank You Wayne!
I know that I’m guilty of heading to a meeting with my agenda in hand. I have to work at listening!
But I know its so important!
Thanks for the encouragement!
K
April 19th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
We do this well at the coach level and up, but very little (if at all) beyond that. Our coaches haven’t been able to consistently meet with their leaders. One challenge is them making time for it and another is they have to schedule it outside of Sunday morning services because we don’t have a place where somebody could meet while services are going on.
Do you all have a policy regarding a male coach meeting with a female leader, and vice-versa? We do if one or both are married, and that limits the coffee/lunch options.
Thanks!
April 19th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Hi Nick,
Yeah we are careful about that as well. We tell our coaches that we (their groups director/staff leader) will go with them. Or we set up a time when they can bring their spouse. Sometimes we offer the church office as a good meeting place and order coffee. But that’s an important thing to think about.
See you in a week.
K
April 20th, 2010 at 10:02 am
I love meeting one on one with people! It not only builds our personal relationship but helps me lead better and communicate vision better. Also, I think it is our job as leaders to develop people not just for what we want them to do but to help them realize their “God Vision” and help them flesh it out.
April 20th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Kevin,
I completely agree. What a great mindset too. God is leading something so much bigger than our small focus. It’s so important to lead in way that is always open and looking for His leading rather than our own plans.
K