12 Ways to Handle Staff Conflict

Episode #277
November 15, 2016
Rainer on Leadership Podcast Logo

Podcast Episode #277


Healthy churches have healthy church staffs, but unresolved staff conflict can harm a church staff and keep a church from realizing her full potential. Today, we discuss how to handle 12 causes of staff conflict.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

  • I have seen too many pastors go into a church and get eaten alive because they had no relational skills.
  • Focus on how you can be the best leader with the staff you have been given.
  • A pastor should have a major role in selecting incoming church staff.
  • Chemistry is often bad when someone is in the wrong role for his/her skill set.
  • Regular staff meetings are needed to check the ministry alignment of the church.
  • Make certain your church staff is philosophically aligned and that action reflect that alignment.
  • Staff should be held accountable for their work ethic.
  • I would like to see churches be more consistent in showing appreciation to their pastor and staff.

The 12 reasons for staff conflict which we discuss are:

  1. Many church staff persons are woefully trained in leadership and relational skills.
  2. Often the church staff involved did not have a role in selecting their team.
  3. The chemistry among the staff is bad.
  4. The priorities among the staff are not aligned.
  5. There is jealousy and insecurity.
  6. There is clear insubordination.
  7. Church staff have formed unhealthy alliances.
  8. Communication is poor.
  9. There are work ethic divergences.
  10. The staff spend time pointing blame at each other.
  11. Solutions are frustrated or thwarted.
  12. There is a consistent lack of appreciation.

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Resources Mentioned in Today’s Podcast