Have you considered working with a coach? It’s the time of year to give this some serious thought.
Are you planning to include a “training and development” expense in your 2020 budget?
Read on …
Beginning a coaching relationship includes creating a set of Coaching Objectives that outline what the relationship will accomplish over the term of the contract. To get anything meaningful accomplished together, most contract terms are one year in duration. Often times, at the request of the church leader, I will schedule a site visit at or near the beginning of the contract period. This allows me to experience a weekend service, meet other staff members, and gain a better understanding of the overall ministry, including its successes and challenges.
- Meeting Frequency – Coaching happens via two times per month 1-hour conference calls or Zoom video sessions. By the end of the year, the new executive pastor is ready to go, no longer in need of my services.
- Objective – My objective is to help the new executive pastor to begin their new ministry successfully, having accomplished a number of first-year objectives.
- Access to Materials – Coaching relationships include access to materials and methods that can be easily edited and adjusted for the new executive pastor’s specific situation, preventing the need to start from scratch.
- Strategic Planning – Very often the first few months of the coaching relationship includes a strategic planning session facilitation and overall guidance in the completion of a documented one to three year strategic plan.
- Customization – The nature and duration of a coaching relationship can be customized and tailored to specific needs. Almost anything (duration, meeting frequency, areas of focus, etc.) related to my typical coaching services can be discussed to ensure the relationship benefits the client.
- Fee – Not that I need another job, but I do charge a monthly fee for my time. The fee does two things. It formalizes the relationship and ensures that both the individual being coached and I take the relationship seriously. It holds us both accountable to do what is necessary between calls to accomplish the objectives identified. The fee is negotiable based on the size of the church’s budget and a few other factors. Contact me to discuss the fee.