So, here is a great conversation starter with your first chair. Buzz his assistant and find a time when you can block out 1.5 to 2 hours on their schedule. When the appointment arrives, go in with a pen, a pad of paper, thick skin, and this question on your lips: What do you really need from me?
What does your first chair really need? Do you know? Have you asked him or her? Can you list in bullet points what they really need for you to do? Does it change as the season or situation changes?
As you respond to this blog, throw in your two cents of what your list would look like if you had this conversation with your first chair. Take a stab at it and let those of us in the second chair community take a look as well. If you need to explain an answer, take your time and let us hear it. What would they say?
Then, I dare you -- have that conversation!!!!!
Roger P
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Welcome to the Second Chair Community! Won't you join us in the conversation of what "Leading from the Second Chair" looks like, from your perspective?
3 comments:
Roger, are you really going to attempt to have really-life application for us, to actually change?
Man, I thought this was going to just be a place that we could just vent. I didn't know that we'd have to SERVE or CHANGE...man...
:-)
I just found this blog through Church Exec.
This is a very intersting topic. Especially for those of us who serve in a second chair position, but the Sr. Pastor isn't in the first chair. Rather a group of boards, committees and sub committees.
One of the toughest questions I have is the "So, what are you responsible for?" question. Generally the answer is "everything". But that doesn't address needs.
Going to think about this one....
After some more thought, I think one thing I can do is take a vacation. Sounds odd, but my first chair has been after me for that for some time. Last summer after a particularly difficult budget process, he "ordered" me to take two weeks. I took three days. My M.O. is usually a couple days or a long weekend here and there.
Since I came here in 1998 I have never been gone more than seven consecutive days and five consecutive days only one-wedding-MINE. Never been out of cell phone/email contact.
Everytime I do take off, I come back with a different perspective, new ideas and more productivity. But fall right back into the same mode.
I am currently praying about a two week mission trip to Thailand. No contact for two weeks. Yikes!
Whether I go or not, I bet the "workaholic" syndrome is rampant among us. I noticed the number of posts that looked like "just another check list". Do you think there is something there?
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