If your communications team is in a time of transition, here are some tips for navigating and staying the course.

Strategic and creative communications at your church require a communications leader and team with resources. But what happens when you’re in transition? You might be down a team member and trying to hire or awaiting the opportunity to add to your communications team. This addition to your team might be a new person/role within your department, expanded resources, new software, new processes or something else that has you in a time of transition. 

What are some tips for navigating – and energizing – this season of change?

  1. It’s time to assess this time of transition and consider these questions:
    1. What are the current or coming goals, needs and priorities at your church and for/with your communications team as a result?
    2. What are the essential priorities and projects for your team? And what items are nonessential?
    3. What items – maybe from both the essential and nonessential lists – can be simplified, delayed or even eliminated? Now is the time to consider every project with a fresh perspective. There’s no room for sacred cows.
    4. During this time of transition, what roles will your current communications team play? How can folks be flexible and help cover any gaps for the short-term?
    5. Who else can support you during this time? Or who can you delegate some work to? Think broadly and creatively. Other staff members or internal teams? Lay leaders/volunteers from the church? Contractors? Freelancers? A communications agency? Interns or college students?
    6. How and when will you continue to evaluate your work and how your team is doing during this time of transition? Evaluation and check-ins with your leadership and communications team every week or every other week can be key during this season.

  2. Do less with excellence. 
    During a time of transition, you won’t be able to keep everything going – and it won’t be the time to do more. So by working through the questions above, decide what your key priorities are (what is critical and will have the most impact to support your church’s overall vision and strategic goals) and carry out those strategies/projects with excellence. Don’t be afraid to streamline or simplify as much as possible, delay some work or eliminate projects that aren’t mission-critical.

  3. Track your planning and progress. 
    Find some easy ways to track your communications team’s to-do lists, schedules and hours. A project management tool (like Basecamp or Teamwork), master calendar or tracking time in electronic timesheets could help you manage what your team has going on and determine what more or less you can handle. As appropriate, track these details and share openly with your team and other leaders at your church to continually evaluate how your team is functioning and managing during this time.

  4. Look for ways to celebrate during this time of transition.
    It will be tempting to be all business or heads down to maximize your work time and productivity during this season of change. But be sure to look for ways to encourage and celebrate with your team. Your team will need laughter, fun food, shared stories about wins and time for connecting more than ever. There are many simple things you can do to energize your work times together! Think donuts on a Monday morning, thank you notes left on desks, a quick field trip to get ice cream or a simple win shared by each person at team meetings.

What have you learned during times of transition? What would you add to this list?