Delegation | Knowable Word

Give Them Freedom to Fail

May 6, 2016 By Peter Krol

What causes that sinking feeling when a parent watches his freshly-licensed teenager drive off alone for the first time? Why do field trips require chaperones? What tempts a supervisor to micromanage? Why do I gasp every time my 17-month-old hurls herself down a sliding board?

I’ve already covered one possible answer. When I wrote about the “I do, You help” stage of training a Bible study apprentice, I explained why it’s hard to delegate responsibility, and I challenged leaders to find the courage to let them try. The chief obstacle I focused on was fear of failure.

But now that we’ve hit the “You do, I watch” stage of training, we ought to consider another possible answer: We believe it will go better if we’re with them. And we’re right, after a fashion. It will go better. For now.

Don’t Launch the Apprentice

Finn Frode (2014), Creative Commons

Here are 3 reasons why you should not launch an apprentice to start a new group without you.

1. Group members will receive better teaching.

We’re here for the people, right? We can give them $10 Bible studies, or we can give them 50-cent Bible studies. Let’s give them the best. Why send people to start a new group, when the teaching will be weaker, the main points will be less clear, and the application won’t be as specific or transformative?

2. The apprentice will have less pain.

There is a lot of pressure involved in leading a small group. You’re used to that pressure by now, but your apprentice is not. It might really serve this person not to have to take that burden when you carry it so competently.

3. You will have greater peace of mind.

When you keep your apprentice close, you’ll have a better perspective on how you can help. You’ll know what’s going on and how you can support the work. You can provide quality control, mature discernment, and immediate responsiveness. You won’t have to worry about mission drift or incremental cynicism.

Launch the Apprentice

However, consider your situation. If you want it to go better now, it will never change then. You can bury that shiny talent right in the ground. Don’t worry; you’ll still have it when your master returns. Then you can give it back to him and be done with it (Matt 25:24-25).

Or you can take some risks. You can trade with your talent to produce more. Send that apprentice out. Start a new Bible study, inferior to the old one. Over time, that inferior apprentice-led Bible study might actually surpass the quality of your own. It might grow faster than you could have grown it. It might reach some people you never could have reached.

And someday, without your help, your “apprentice” will launch another new apprentice. What will your Master have to say to you then? Are you ready to enter his joy (Matt 25:20-23)?

5 Signs They’re Ready to Fly

April 29, 2016 By Peter Krol

As you train a new Bible study leader, how do you know when the person is ready to lead a separate group? When should you move an apprentice from the “You do, I help” to the “You do, I watch” stage of training? If we advance people too quickly, they may burn out and give up. If we move them too slowly, the training could become stagnant and lifeless. What are the signs of a good balance?

Rick Bolin (2011), Creative Commons

1. When they don’t need your direction to prepare

Of course, no leader matures beyond the need for continuing education. But over time, apprentices should become increasingly self-sufficient. They should be able to figure out the main point of a passage. They should be able to develop good questions. They should be able to launch a study well. They should find greater comfort in studying the word and greater ease in teaching it to others. Your 1-1 meetings should focus more on shepherding the people in the group and less on the mechanics of leading the group.

2. When they don’t need your help to succeed

Of course, no leader matures beyond the need for assistance and feedback. But over time, apprentices should become increasingly effective. They should be able to observe group dynamics and shift their plan according to the needs of the moment. They should be able to hear what people say and ask good follow-up questions. They should have built strong trust with regulars, and they should know how to welcome newcomers. They should model good Bible study skills and teach them to others. Your presence at small group meetings becomes less about helping the apprentice see the obvious and master the basics; it becomes more about observing—so you can later reflect to the apprentice—the extreme or unusual situations.

3. When they don’t need your charisma to inspire

Of course, no leader matures beyond the need for refreshment and reminder. But over time, apprentices should become increasingly self-motivated. And their motivation should increasingly inspire others. They should be able to articulate a clear vision for the group. They should be able to instruct, remind, encourage, and inspire others to Christlikeness. They should rely more on the Lord than on the trainer to relieve their stress, strengthen them with grace, and to move others to action. You can continue coaching, even from afar, but the life of this leader and this group must not depend on your ability to cast a compelling vision.

4. When they don’t need your encouragement to persevere

Of course, no leader matures beyond the need for comfort and encouragement. But over time, apprentices should become tougher and more committed to the cause. They should be able to face some opposition or setbacks without crumbling. They should know to get enough rest and nourishment to enliven them through tiredness. They should know why they believe the Scriptures to be worth studying, so they can press on when it feels tedious. They should find some creativity to freshen up routine, boredom, or persistent unresponsiveness with group members.

5. When they ask for more

I gave this as a sign for when they’re ready to help, and for when they’re ready to lead. I keep it on this list, because it’s so crucial for any training. If your apprentice has no ambition to reach people, grow people, serve people, improve things, influence outcomes, honor God, or move forward—you should ask some hard questions, of both the apprentice and yourself. But when a godly drive for more compels the apprentice to launch a new group, God be praised. His kingdom is not dependent on you, and the Lord of the harvest is sending more laborers to work his fields.

I hope your training has this end in sight: Preparing apprentices to fly on their own. Too few parents have this vision for their kids. Too few supervisors encourage this ambition with their employees. And too many Christian leaders, busy keeping themselves at the center of their ministries, fail to launch more warriors into the foray.

When the time comes, may we find the courage and influence to launch the next generation of leaders.

How to Give Effective After-the-Fact Feedback to a Trainee

April 1, 2016 By Peter Krol

I’ve written about how to coach a Bible study apprentice before and during a small group Bible study meeting. Once the meeting is over and you meet to debrief, what should you cover?

The Dangers

First, don’t be afraid to speak truth. You are coaching this apprentice, after all. Of course you should share evidences of God’s grace and highlight what went well. But don’t avoid sharing what could improve for the future.

Second, avoid the urge to criticize everything that went wrong, even if you’ve got an exceptionally teachable apprentice who asks you to speak frankly. Don’t do this to your apprentice because God doesn’t do it to you. Imagine how you’d feel if God revealed every weakness, sin, and failure of yours at one time. Even if you just sang, “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee,” the Lord is merciful and compassionate. He instructs us piecemeal over the course of a lifetime. Take the same approach with your apprentice.

Third, avoid the tendency to nitpick. Keep in mind that there are some things your apprentice can never go back and fix. Once they’re done, they’re done; you can help the apprentice to move on by not highlighting all the things that should have been different. Just focus on the things that will help this person to improve.

Gabriela Grosseck (2010), Creative Commons

My Approach

Highlight many things that went well.
Mention one or two patterns for improvement.
End with more positives, focusing on the good results God brought about.

I’ve read some who ridicule this “criticism sandwich” approach (positive-negative-positive) because it can certainly be done in a trite and patronizing way. But when it comes out of love and has real substance to it, this approach helps leaders build influence. Would you prefer for your apprentice to come to your meetings dreading the laundry list of failures to be aired once again, and expecting to be labelled as weak if offense is taken? Or would you prefer for the apprentice to come with delight and eagerness, knowing that much profit and encouragement will come from the feedback offered?

Let me explain the process a bit further:

Be as specific as possible with the encouragement. Don’t settle for “it went well.” Be ready to show the apprentice what went well. For example, “The way you transitioned us from mingling to the beginning of the study was really clear. Everyone knew what to expect.” Or, “I know that Sam can be overly talkative. When he went off on his uncle’s latest surgery, you did a great job hearing him with compassion while also drawing his attention back to the topic at hand.”
Notice that point #2 is about mentioning patterns for improvement. If a single mistake was made, let it go. Perhaps the apprentice already noticed it and will self-correct. But if a pattern of the same mistake kept occurring, talk about it. And pick just one or two of these patterns to reflect and ask the apprentice to work on the next time.
Make sure you end by making much of God, not the apprentice. In part 3 of the feedback, focus on the tangible results you saw from the apprentice’s leadership of the meeting. For example, “When you asked your final application question, Robert really perked up. I think the Lord was working in him, and he used your question to get Robert’s attention!”

Not My Approach

I can’t take credit for this threefold approach to offering after-the-fact feedback. I learned it from others, and we can see it in the Scripture. For example, look at John’s approach to offering feedback in his third letter. John wrote a prior letter to a congregation of Christians (2 John), but this letter was ill received by some. John has some feedback for one of the leaders to help him address these issues for the good of the church.

3 John 1-8: John gets very specific about what has gone well. Fellow believers have testified to Gaius’s firmness in the truth (3 John 3). Gaius stands firm also in love (3 John 5), shown by his welcoming of missionaries and sending them out refreshed (3 John 6-8).
3 John 9-10: John highlights a persistent pattern that must be addressed. Diotrephes, presumably another leader in the church, promotes himself, disregards John’s apostolic authority, and speaks slanderous nonsense. He doesn’t welcome missionaries, and he coerces others to shun those who do. Something must be done. John will deal with it when he comes, but perhaps his letter seeks to embolden Gaius to steadfastly oppose this wrongdoing in the meantime.
3 John 11-15: John closes with evidences of God’s grace within the church. Another man named Demetrius has a strong reputation for goodness and truth. John affirms this reputation, possibly suggesting Demetrius as a replacement for Diotrephes on the elder board. Regardless, an in-person meeting will take place between John and Gaius, and many greetings are sent Gaius’s way. Though the problems may not be ignored, Gaius has much to be encouraged about.

Developing Laborers

In training Bible study apprentices, we strive to raise more laborers for the harvest. We aim to encourage and strengthen them in their labor. And we want to keep them aware of one or two things they can practice for improvement. Such clarity in our training will root them in the gospel, motivate them to lay down their lives, and enable them to overcome adversity. And with such personal training, the Kingdom of God advances in the earth.

How to Coach a New Bible Study Leader During the Meeting

March 18, 2016 By Peter Krol

I’ve encouraged you to be a coach, not a lifeguard, when your apprentice begins leading Bible studies. Last week, I explained how to do this when helping the apprentice prepare for the meeting. But what does it look like to do this at the meeting itself?

John C. Baker (2013), Creative Commons

A lifeguard looks for failure; a coach encourages success.

A lifeguard is vigilant, on edge; a coach inspires.

A lifeguard demands attention; a coach demands excellence.

A lifeguard rescues; a coach stays on the sidelines.

What does this mean for you, the coach, during the Bible study?

1. Follow the Leader

Let the apprentice decide when to make transitions (for example, from mingling to beginning the discussion). If the apprentice looks to you to signal a transition, just sit there patiently looking back. Respond quickly to the apprentice’s leadership; don’t drag your feet if you would have done it differently.

2. Plug Some Gaps

If the apprentice asks a question that meets with silence, suggest a possible answer. Don’t revert to “teaching mode”; just offer an answer to help reignite discussion. Don’t sit there like a sack of potatoes; take part just like everyone else.

3. Clarify When Necessary

If the apprentice asks a confusing question, respond respectfully with a clarifying question. “When you ask how this applies to our lives, are you asking about Jesus’ parable or the disciples’ response to it?”

4. Be Okay with Silence

Participate, but don’t dominate. If the apprentice asks a poor question, and the discussion falls flat, don’t rephrase the question or ask a different one. Let the silence sit, and let the apprentice figure out how to recover. Moments of awkward silence generate terrific coaching opportunities later when you meet to evaluate the meeting.

5. Act Normal

It’s okay if group members know you are coaching the apprentice. But they shouldn’t feel excluded, as though you and the apprentice have a secret, non-verbal code between you. Avoid too much body language or conspiratorial collusion in the corner of the room. Just act normal; you’ll have plenty of time to evaluate and instruct when you meet with the apprentice one-on-one.

If you want the apprentice to learn to lead, you must give the apprentice room to lead. Go ahead and call the plays in advance. But once it’s game time, you get to watch your team do its thing. You could be the sort of coach who shouts and gets mad during the game, but why would you want to? Better to simply let the games reveal what to work on in practice.

How to Help Someone Plan a Bible Study

March 11, 2016 By Peter Krol

Studying the Bible and leading a Bible study are not the same thing. Though they’re composed of the same raw materials, the order of events makes all the difference.

When I study the Bible on my own I follow the steps (roughly) in order:

Observe
Interpret
1. Ask questions
2. Answer questions
3. Determine the main point
Connect the main point to Jesus
Apply

Of course, it’s organic and cyclical. But the workflow generally moves in order through these steps (see the OIA infographic).

Ian Ruotsala (2010), Creative Commons

But when I lead a Bible study, I arrange the same steps in a different order:

Launching question introduces the main point.
Opening application.
Observation and interpretation questions are all mixed up.
Determine the main point.
Connect the main point to Jesus.
Application questions.

When Bible study apprentices are ready to begin leading studies (the “You do; I help” stage of training), I make sure to help them see the difference. In our private study, we begin with a blank page. But in public teaching (including small group discussions), we begin with a nudge in the right direction. In all settings, public or private, we listen to the text and don’t presume upon it. And as leaders, we can help group members also to listen carefully to the text.

So when I meet with an apprentice to prepare the next Bible study, I have a few goals. The preparation meeting usually follows this agenda:

Study the passage together and reach agreement about its main point.
Come up with specific applications for ourselves.
Come up with some application questions for the group.
List a few observation and interpretation questions that will help the group reach the main point.
Craft a strong launching question that will plant the seeds of the main point in the study’s opening minutes.

By the end of the meeting, I want the apprentice to have enough material to create a set of leader’s notes. I offer much direction to make this happen. But after doing this for a few months, the workflow passes through a series of phases:

Phase 1 (should have happened by now): I create the leader’s notes, but we meet to discuss them before the study.

Phase 2: Apprentice and I meet to create the leader’s notes together.

Phase 3: Apprentice creates the leader’s notes without me, but then we meet to discuss them.

Phase 4: Apprentice creates the leader’s notes without me, but emails them to me for feedback before the study. In this phase, my regular meeting with the apprentice focuses on shepherding the people (discussing how they’re doing, next steps, etc.).

Phase 5: Apprentice leads the study, and I never see the notes. I now give feedback on the study itself, only after the fact.

The point here is for the apprentice to have a steady increase in responsibility, along with a steady decrease in oversight. The details may look different for each person, but the key is to keep moving forward. And this movement should be gradual. If you go right from Phase 1 to Phase 5, most apprentices will feel abandoned and disheartened.

As the apprentice masters each phase of responsibility, we move into the next one. Such visible progress inspires and builds trust.

5 Signs They’re Ready to Lead

February 19, 2016 By Peter Krol

As you train a new Bible study leader, how do you know when the person is ready to start leading? When should you move an apprentice from the “I do, you help” to the “You do, I help” stage of training? If we advance people too quickly, they may burn out and give up. If we move them too slowly, the training could become stagnant and lifeless. What are the signs of a good balance?

1. When they ask for more

Jim Gillooly/PEI (2008), Creative Commons

I made this point when I wrote of the prior transition between stages, and I repeat it now. High commitment + low motivation = small chance of long-term perseverance. But when your apprentice is motivated to take more responsibility, it’s worth it to consider giving it.

2. When they can communicate God’s word

By “communicate,” I mean more than “teach.” Of course they should be able to study the word and teach its main points. But potential leaders should also live out the word and habitually apply it to themselves. They handle the word well and allow it to handle them. Because Jesus said those who abide in his word show themselves his true disciples (John 8:31), this expectation marks a baseline for those who also want to make disciples.

3. When they have deep compassion for the people in the group

Jesus gave more signs of true disciples, one of which is love for one another (John 13:35). Jesus spoke and served out of deep compassion (Mark 6:34, 8:2), and his undershepherds are similarly motivated (1 Thess 2:8, 2:17-3:13). Is your apprentice driven more by the flock’s needs than by personal gain? Does the apprentice want a platform from which to speak, or is there an observable propensity to listen? Do group members trust the apprentice to have their best interests at heart?

4. When they have made sacrifices for the group and its members

If discipleship is costly (Luke 14:25-33), ministry is even more so. Those who will lead people must invest themselves in those people. Your apprentice prepares for leadership by making regular sacrifices for others, such as helping you to lead, coordinating activities, or getting together with group members outside the regular meeting. If you see these sacrifices taking place, without resentment or complaining, your apprentice may be ready to lead.

5. When group members trust them enough to follow them

Jesus’ final sign of true discipleship—bearing much fruit (John 15:8)—can be controversial, because we’re not sure how to hold people accountable to something over which they have no control. Even the best leaders can face widespread rejection and seasons of wilderness; they might have no control over people’s responses to their leadership. Just think of Moses (Exodus 2:11-15, 3:1), Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-18), and Paul (2 Tim 1:15). We can even think of Jesus himself (Mark 14:50, 15:34)—the one who could have controlled responses if he wanted to.

And yet we consider each of these leaders a hero. Though they experienced seasons of anguish, loneliness, and death, those seeds eventually sprouted into abundant fruit (John 12:24-26). That’s why the New Testament expects leadership candidates to experience seasons of testing (1 Tim 3:10) and accountability to things they can’t ultimately control (1 Tim 3:4-7).

Be ready to take risks on people who aren’t yet perfect. But also maintain high standards, and look for evidence of effective leadership. Look for the fruit of trusting, eager followers.

4 Ways an Apprentice Can Help with Your Small Group

January 22, 2016 By Peter Krol

Leo Reynolds (2005), Creative Commons

The second stage of training a new Bible study leader is “I do, you help.” When your apprentice is ready to help, will you have something for that person to do? Here are some areas to consider.

1. Help with Logistics

As you give your apprentices some responsibility for the group, they can feel more ownership and demonstrate faithfulness. And as they show faithfulness in small things, you can entrust even greater things to them. Helping with logistics may involve recruiting, hosting, communicating, advertising, bringing a snack, or planning a group activity.

2. Help with Shepherding

Your goal in training a new Bible study leader should ultimately be to raise up a new shepherd of God’s people. So apprentices will learn much by learning to help you shepherd people. Apprentices can help shepherd people during the meeting: Asking good questions, encouraging quiet people to speak, or following up with prayer requests from previous meetings. They can also help shepherd people between meetings: Calling folks in the group, meeting with them for lunch, or connecting with outreach contacts. Ministry experience will help apprentices learn to lead better Bible studies.

3. Help with Preparation

Include your apprentice in your Bible study preparation. Though you could get it done faster by yourself, apprentices won’t learn unless you let them in. Meet with them before the meeting to go over the passage. Show them how to observe and investigate the text. Give them a voice to help shape your main point and craft specific applications for the small group.

4. Help with Evaluation

After the meeting, ask your apprentice how it went. How clear was the study? What was helpful or unhelpful? How were people responding? What was good? What could be better? What could we do to follow up on things that were said?

When leading a group, it’s great to have some help from an apprentice. This means we have to ask for help. But sometimes we fail to think of how apprentices can help because we’re too busy keeping all the responsibility for ourselves. So the main idea is to give apprentices real responsibility. In the next post I’ll expand on why it’s often difficult for us to do this.

How to Train Someone in a Task

November 13, 2015 By Peter Krol

Training is the process by which someone matures from learning to leading, from participating to performing. It is a process we regularly underestimate but can’t go without.

Some self-disciplined, intuitive types can train themselves in a skill by merely observing and imitating successful people. But there are masses of people who, to make progress, need rigorous coaching and instruction. This is why athletes, entrepreneurs, and executive teams hire personal trainers or outside consultants. Classes and books may help with communicating information, but effective skills-training rarely takes place without close contact, personal investment, and frequent feedback.

Living Fitness (2013), Creative Commons

The world gives many names to such training: mentoring, coaching, supervising, parenting, tutoring, consulting, counseling. The Bible calls it “making disciples.” And when we use this fitting label, we’ll quickly realize the Bible has much to say about how to go about doing it.

While I write this post as part of a series about how to train someone to lead a Bible study, the process I outline¹ can be applied to almost any skill. Since it describes how God works in the world, we should expect it to work as we follow his example.

I do, you watch; aka “Come and see” (John 1:39). Invite this person to become your official assistant leader. Meet with your assistant before the group meeting to go over the passage. Teach that person how to do OIA Bible study. Practice it with that person over the course of a few months.
I do, you help; aka “Come and follow me” (Mark 1:17). Ask your assistant to evaluate your leadership and make suggestions for improvement. Give assignments for your assistant to carry out during the meeting. “Please help me to draw out the silent person.” “Please feel free to ask a key question if you think the discussion is lagging.” “Please come early and be ready to help welcome people.” “Please let me know what you hear that will enable me to make the next study more relevant to them.”
You do, I help; aka “Go out and come back” (Luke 10:1-24). Let your assistant lead one of the meetings, and then meet to give that person feedback on how it went. You now play the support role during the meeting, helping with difficult situations or participants. Encourage your assistant with what went well and offer suggestions for improvement. Avoid correcting every minor mistake; focus on broad patterns that might hold back this person’s leadership ability.
You do, I watch; aka “Go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:18-20). Right when your assistant starts being truly effective, you’ll need to send that person out to start a new group without you. This is painful, because it will feel like your own group is moving backwards. You’ll lose the momentum and excitement of visible progress. But where there had been one group, now there are two. This is worth it.

The beauty of this process is that it’s neither time-sensitive nor dependent on factors like capacity, competence, education, or learning style. Because it’s merely a framework to guide the discipleship of an individual, we can tailor the process to all the different kinds of people we train.

If, after delegating the task fully (step 4), you suspect the person is struggling to succeed, that’s okay. Most trainees need to make their own mistakes and find their own style before they find competency. But perpetual floundering may also reveal that you moved too quickly through the steps and should return to one of them.

For the rest of this series, I’ll walk through these four steps in detail, explaining how we can use them to train people to lead their own Bible studies.

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¹I’m grateful to Dave Kieffer for introducing this model to our Team Leaders in DiscipleMakers.