Mike 
“Our staff members have never been taught how to supervise others.” It’s a common cry that I hear from senior pastors and executive pastors of large churches. Sometimes they also acknowledge that their own training in this critical skill is lacking.
Why do I label this skill as “critical”? Because the work of the church is done by the people that are being “supervised.” And why is “supervised” in quotes? Because I believe the word is part of our problem.
Supervision has connotations of control and power. It suggests that those who are being supervised don’t have enough knowledge to do the job on their own. That’s why I prefer “coach” and “coaching.”
While a coach may also have some degree of power or superior knowledge, the mindset is different than that of a supervisor. Consider these three attributes of a good coach in sports:
- Coaches care about their players. They genuinely want each individual on the team to thrive. Players are not interchangeable parts. A good coach sees them as people who are made in God’s image and treats them accordingly.
- Coaches expect improvement. You can care about players and, at the same time, push them to be their very best. In fact, to not expect their best is uncaring. So good coaches work individually with players to help them take one step at a time to reach their full potential.
- Coaches want the team to win. Coaches care about individuals, but their ultimate responsibility is the success of the team. This statement may sound similar to a supervisor’s mindset, but there’s a difference. Coaches and supervisors both make hard calls about people. But the foundation of care and attention from a coach means that tough decisions are easier to understand and swallow.
