Getting Ready for Your Annual Check-Up

Written by Gary Hardin and Donna Gandy

LifeWay Recommends: This is a book on parenting written especially for working Christian mothers, who struggle with stresses of a job and come home to a to do list.

(Performance evaluations for ministry secretaries and assistants)

How do you know if you are performing well on the job? Do you depend on positive affirmation or negative criticism from the congregation for feedback on your performance? Do your peers in the office provide input for measuring job performance, or are you left to your own personal opinion about how well you are doing on the job?

Every employee is entitled to an annual performance review. Consider the review as a check-up on your job-performance health. A formal appraisal provides measurable and objective feedback for both job performance and personal development goals. It is not a one-way conversation. Both you and your supervisor will offer input. You will listen and respond to each other. However, the review  is not an opportunity to discuss a ministry assistant’s personality. Job performance, not personality, is the focus. Viewed as a tool for growth, the review can become a dialogue in which each expresses appreciation and explores concerns.

Before the Appraisal Session
Who will administer the performance evaluation? Your immediate supervisor is the appropriate person to conduct your performance appraisal. The supervisor’s report may then be submitted to the pastor or personnel committee for further review and action. The person or persons conducting the review need to be familiar with the routine duties of the position and the day-to-day work style of the employee. Personnel committee members are seldom in the daily office environment enough to give a fair and knowledgeable assessment.

How can you prepare for a performance evaluation?
Prayer should be your first step in preparation.—As your annual review time approaches, begin praying for openness to the issues that will be discussed. Pray for a calm heart and a positive attitude. Pray that the evaluation will be fair and helpful. Pray about issues and concerns you want to present.

Gather documentation.—Include samples of outstanding work you have accomplished this year, letters and notes of commendation, and records of professional growth activities such as certification and workshops. List new duties you have assumed and new skills you have acquired such as proficiency with new software or responsibility for newsletter design. Document major projects that were successful and new methods or procedures you introduced. List job-related problem areas and possible solutions. Be ready to share your goals for the next year, including professional  development activities and ideas you want to implement to improve office function. If goals were set for the previous year, evaluate your success in achieving them.

Review your job description and performance standards.— A job description shows what work is to be done, while performance standards show how the work is to be done. Here is an example: On the job description is the statement, “Design and print promotional pieces for church ministry groups.” A corresponding performance standard might be: “by agreed-on deadlines and with no errors.”

Each item on your job description needs a corresponding performance standard. This standard shows the “minimum” expected to perform the task. Yes, this approach takes time, but the investment of time pays dividends when the time arrives for the performance appraisal.

When is a performance appraisal conducted? Once a year near the church’s budget development process or near the ministry assistant’s employment anniversary are suggestions. Once every six months is best. The first meeting provides an opportunity for checking progress on goals set. The second meeting, six months later, provides the occasion for a formal appraisal of the secretary’s performance.

What should you expect from a performance evaluation? Expect an objective and honest evaluation of your work. Expect an opportunity to share your expectations and concerns. Expect to study your job description to find areas that need to be updated. Expect to hear words of praise and to identify areas needing further attention. Expect to set goals for the coming year. Do not expect a raise. Hopefully, preferably, a positive performance review will trigger a merit salary increase; but not every church is able to give raises every year. You are familiar with your church’s financial situation. Don’t set your expectations unreasonably high. On the other hand, be ready to negotiate an increase if it is warranted or overdue. Encourage the church to provide customary employee benefits such as health insurance and annuity. State your case openly and clearly.

How do you keep the performance evaluation process in perspective? “ ‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’ ” (Jer. 29:11, NIV).1 Remember who is in control of your life, your ministry, your financial situation, and your emotional health. His plan is for your prosperity, not your harm. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5–6, NIV).

Additional Resources:

1. My Heart’s at Home. This is a book on parenting written especially for working Christian mothers, who struggle with stresses of a job and come home to a to do list.
2. How To Be Happier In The Job You Sometimes Can't Stand. Starting from the foundation of God's gracious love, this much needed, much requested book explains how to be happy in what you do.

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