QUESTION:
How do you work around the “it’s just easier if I do it myself mentality” when it comes to people volunteering to help you?
I am swamped… we’ve been growing but still are small enough that I do waaayyyyy to much in the church because other than the lead pastor, I’m the only one on staff full time.
I really struggle with delegating jobs because at this point, it often takes more time (and effort) to figure out who to utilize for what job, gathering up the supplies, explaining it, and then possibly needing to re-explain our even just redo it.
I have a couple of people say, if you need help, let me know, I’m willing and able.
But I think it also goes back to giving out jobs or expecting someone to come and help out with whatever and then they not show, or don’t complete the job etc.
This is just an area I need help with…
1. “How do you work around the ‘it’s just easier if I do it myself mentality’ when it comes to people volunteering to help you?”
My motto on this topic that I heard on a Podcast about a year ago has become, “We cannot fulfill our divine purpose if we’re too busy living everyone else’s.” Blog post on it linked here. If you read nothing else, read it! 🙂
2. “I am swamped… we’ve been growing but still are small enough that I do waaayyyyy too much in the church because other than the lead pastor, I’m the only one on staff full time.”
Make a list of the things that only a full-time staff person can do and a list of the things that could truly be delegated. Develop a plan to delegate them.
Once a week/month/quarter (what works for you) do a time study. Write down everything you’re doing for 2-3 days by time. Figure out where you’re wasting the most time from that. Often we get bogged down in stuff that doesn’t really matter, and that can be easily delegated.
3. “I really struggle with delegating jobs because at this point, it often takes more time (and effort) to figure out who to utilize for what job, gathering up the supplies, explaining it, and then possibly needing to re-explain our even just redo it. “
This one is going to hurt … it’s a pride issue. If you’re going to task it out, trust God places the right people in your path to do it. You don’t have to redo their work. If it’s 75% as good as what you would’ve done, role with it. Or have THEM redo the work and use it as training and development.
This is THEIR church as much as it is YOUR church. Let them be part of it!
Second … you have to write down your processes and develop a guide so you can clone you. It’s worth the extra time (that you don’t have) to do it. Because it makes training easier for everyone. And as you do get a budget to grow staff, it makes training them easier, too.
4. “I have a couple of people say, ‘if you need help, let me know, I’m willing and able.’”
Reworded as … “I have asked God for help, and He sends it to me. But I am too afraid to trust Him to spend time developing His people to be able to help us reach more people.”
5. “But I think it also goes back to giving out jobs or expecting someone to come and help out with whatever and then they not show, or don’t complete the job etc.”
One of the best pieces of wisdom I had shared with me was, “Volunteers behave the way you treat them.” If you’re asking people for help and then redoing what they did, and their work isn’t coming to light, they’re not going to keep volunteering. If there aren’t clear instructions, they’re not going to volunteer.
You’re stressed on time and projects. You don’t have the time to train a bunch of people every week for small tasks. So figure out ONE TEAM you could create and start there. Maybe it’s a Media Team and you find people to train on social media. Maybe it’s a once-a-week Office Team who help with specific office tasks you’ve written procedures for. Look at your time study or project list to figure it out. Then schedule a training. Work to develop that ministry. Once it’s up and going, move on to the next volunteer team. Know from Day 1, it will always be a semi-revolving door.
6. “This is just an area I need help with…”
You’re not alone. My answers were a self-reflection of where I could do better, too. I’m the office manager for a church doing all finance, HR, and communications/marketing. We are in an “interim” season, so over the last year, I have had to train people while learning my new role. And there are many times I have just kept projects because it was easier … but eventually, that leads to burnout.