Lost in Translation: Breaking the 7 Deadly Sins of Church Staff Communication

Unlock the secrets to building a more cohesive and efficient church staff with today's episode of the Healthy Church Staff Podcast! Ever wondered why communication can be so challenging within your team? Join me, Todd Rhoades, co-founder of Chemistry Staffing, as we dissect the seven deadly sins of church staff communication that could be sabotaging your ministry. From the pitfalls of only reaching out when you need something to the dangers of overloading your team with messages, we'll cover it all and offer practical solutions to foster trust and collaboration.

Communication breakdowns can erode trust and foster resentment, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Discover how to avoid common mistakes like being passive-aggressive or failing to follow up, and learn to prioritize your messages effectively to prevent overwhelm. This episode is packed with actionable insights that will help you cultivate a healthier communication culture within your church staff. Tune in and transform the way your team interacts, ensuring a more dynamic and cooperative ministry environment.

Have questions or comments? Send to podcast@chemistrystaffing.com

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:08

Lost in Translation. Breaking the Seven Deadly Sins of Church Staff Communication. Wow, that sounds like a hefty topic for a five-minute podcast, but we're going to tackle it today here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. Thanks for joining us. I'm your host, todd Rhodes, one of the co-founders over chemistrystaffingcom. Today we're tackling a topic that can make or break your team and your ministry, and that's communication.

Speaker 1: 0:33

Now, I know most of us are great communicators. You preach inspiring sermons, you write heartfelt emails, you lead absolutely engaging meetings. But let's be honest, we all have communication blind spots and those little habits that can snowball into big problems if left unchecked. And when it comes to church staff, where relationships and collaborations are absolutely key, those communication breakdowns can be especially damaging. And that's why I want to dive into the seven worst communication habits of church staff that I've observed over the years. And don't worry, I'm not here to point fingers. I'm not here to shame anybody. My goal here is to help you identify these habits so that you can address them head on and create a healthier, more effective communication culture on your team.

Speaker 1: 1:24

Okay, todd, what are those seven deadly sins of church staff communication? All right, here's a quick rundown. Deadly sin number one only contacting others when you need something. Wow, that's a classic. We all know that person who only reaches out whenever they need a favor or a problem. It's a surefire way to erode trust and build resentment and the feeling. You look at your cell phone and you see who's calling you or who sent you a text and your first thought is I haven't heard from them in a while. What do they need? They need something from me. Don't be that person. Don't be the person that only contacts others when you need something. All right. So that's deadly sin number one. All right. Deadly sin.

Speaker 1: 2:07

Number two not following up or closing the loop. Have you ever been left hanging after a meeting or a conversation? It's frustrating, isn't it? It's frustrating. Leaving people in the dark creates confusion and it delays progress and it makes you look unreliable. Think, is there an area right now where you feel like you're out of the loop? Like somebody said they were gonna follow up and you never heard back from them and you're the person that has to follow up? If you're this kind of a person, that kind of a communication breakdown can cost you in your leadership. So that's number two. Deadly sin.

Speaker 1: 2:41

Number three being passive aggressive. Now here's a sneaky one and it's toxic, instead of addressing issues directly. Here's how a passive, aggressive communicator does it you drop hints, you make snarky comments or you even give the silent treatment. It's passive, aggressive and it's a recipe for misunderstandings and conflict, and these kinds of people just really tick me off. Just tell me what you're thinking. Don't be sneaky, and I really don't like the snarky comments, and I can be a snarky person as well but snark is great in the right context, but don't use it when you're to be passive, aggressive with someone. Just tell them what you need to communicate. So that's deadly sin number three.

Speaker 1: 3:24

Deadly sin number four of seven not listening actively. Hey, wake up, listen to me, I'm just kidding. Not listening actively. We've all been guilty of this at some point. We're so focused on our thought Maybe you're thinking about point number three and you're not listening to. Deadly sin number four, which is not listening actively. Come on now. We're so focused on our own thoughts and our agendas that we don't truly hear what the other person is saying. Active listening involves giving your full attention. That means asking some clarifying questions. It means reflecting back on what you've heard. That's what active listeners do. So that's deadly sin number four. Number five this is maybe the opposite of some of the ones we've talked about Overcommunicating.

Speaker 1: 4:09

Yes, yes, there is such a thing as too much communication. Bombarding people with emails, texts, slack messages can be overwhelming. It can be counterproductive. Learn to prioritize your communication and choose the right channels for different types of messages. I'll give you an example. My day job is I work at chemistry staffing. We work with candidates all day long, every day, and every once in a while there's a candidate that man. My email box will get flooded. My voicemail will have three messages it's somebody that wants a job and they're probably very good, but they are over-communicating. Choose your communication wisely. Don't over-communicate. That's deadly sin. Number five. Deadly sin number six making assumptions.

Speaker 1: 4:55

We all have biases, we all have preconceived notions, but when we let those assumptions guide our communication, it can lead to misunderstandings and hurt feelings. I remember I think it was from the old, the original odd couple with Felix and Oscar. Was it Felix and Oscar? Why do I have that in my head? I think it was Felix and Oscar, and one of the things that I think Felix said to Oscar maybe it was Oscar said to Felix was that you know when you assume you the line, I'm sure, but making assumptions. Instead of making assumptions, ask questions and clarify the information and be open to different perspectives. All right, that's number six.

Speaker 1: 5:36

Number seven this is a bad one. It's a deadly sin of church staff communication. It's blaming others when things go wrong. It's so easy to point fingers and to play the blame game, but this approach is rarely helpful. It does create a toxic environment. So invest Instead. Take responsibility for your own actions, don't blame others. Focus on solutions and work as collaboratively as you can to address the problem. So here's your bottom line. Effective communication is the lifeblood of any healthy team and it's especially crucial in the church, where relationships and collaboration are at the core of our mission. And by identifying these seven worst communication skills, you can build a stronger, more unified team.

Speaker 1: 6:26

So maybe you're struggling with communication issues on your church staff. Maybe you're in charge of your church staff and you're like Todd this is oh my goodness, I just got myself into a mess and we have a bad culture of communication. Maybe you just want to improve your own communication skills and work on kind of these seven deadly things. I encourage you to check out my article.

Speaker 1: 6:46

I've got an article on this over at the chemistrystaffingcom blog and, as always, if you need further guidance or support, need maybe some ongoing help or consultation or coaching to create a good communication plan for your church staff team, reach out to me. I'd love to talk with you and see what we can look out podcast at chemistry staffingcom. I'm here to help you build a team that communicates effectively and collaborates joyfully and serves faithfully. Thanks so much for joining. I hope these have been helpful to you Again, not in a finger-pointing way or a shameful way, but dealing with these seven deadly sins of communication. If you deal with them, you can go on to creating just a great atmosphere and a great place to minister in your church. Thanks for joining us here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. See you again tomorrow.