Focus on the relationship with your first chair. Nothing will shorten a second chair’s shelf life quicker than tension with the boss. Sometimes the tension is simply due to relational drift as each of you gets busy with the work that needs to be done. Sometimes it is causes by a misunderstanding or offense that is left unaddressed and begins to fester. Start by examining (and improving) this critical relationship.
Choose to do things that give you life. Second chair roles are constantly changing with the needs of the church or ministry or organization. A common occurrence is for a second chair to suddenly wake up and realize that the job has evolved into something that he or she doesn’t enjoy. For example, an executive pastor may spend all day working on personnel issues and administrative tasks, and no time “doing ministry.” I often coach second chair leaders to carve out time for some things that are life-giving – teaching a Bible study, sharing some of the pastoral care duties – even if those tasks aren’t part of their formal job descriptions.
In my next blog, we’ll look at three more ways to extend your shelf life.
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