CRM - Empowering Leaders

People need to know specifically what they are responsible for. Behavioral expectations, desired outcomes—much of what we typically think of as the important parts of a job description—are included in this first requirement. Yet, beyond what is written on a page, every one of us wants to know that we have a strategic assignment so important that if we miss it, then the whole team - the whole mission - will suffer. To use a sports analogy, people need to know what their "blocking assignment" is and that if they miss their block, the quarterback is going down.

Some corollary components of this requirement: Helping people discover God's unique calling and shaping on their lives; mobilizing people according to their calling and passion versus recruiting them to an 'open slot'; developing and communicating effective job descriptions.

Without a clear sense of responsibility:

• People struggle with role confusion: who is responsible for what, what do people expect me to be doing... it can lead to creative paralysis, or differing assumptions which form the basis for miscommunication.
  
• There is a nagging fear of "doing it" wrong, or not giving my energy to what really matters. We want to give ourselves to a task that is demanding and significant.
  
• People cannot minister out of freedom - there are no boundaries on the playground.
  
• Senior leaders end up micro-managing people because those who are serving don't know enough about what they need to be doing to think ahead or to solve their own problems.