jects, often in areas where family members have differences. Without this “safe haven” families become fragmented since they feel they can’t discuss differences. Performance management: Do you have clear roles and job descriptions for everyone working in the business? Does each person understand the tasks for which he or she is accountable and the extent to which he or she can make decisions on their own? Is every employee given feedback on a regular, structured basis so that they know what they do well and where they can stand improvement? Is that documented? Have you developed, written down and shared a family employment policy so that all family members (and key employees) understand how family members may be considered for employment? Do you have a policy on compensation that assures that everyone receives “fair market value” for their work? Governance: Do you have documents describing the ownership of the assets of the church with clear description of the roles, rights and responsibilities of owners (e.g. shareholder agreements)? Do shareholders have a regular time and place to learn about what is happening in the business and to share their goals and concerns? Have you read or do you understand the current governance documents of the church? Do they clearly set out the expected course of action in the event of a change in leadership? Churches, by law, are not owned–but issues of ownership and leadership can be similar. Perhaps your church’s governance documents designate an automatic successor (similar to the common “President” and “Vice President.”) Another option is to create a committee of individuals who would come together and search for a successor. For example, your church could amend its governing documents to provide for a selection committee that would collect information on interested applicants and present the best suited applicants to the board or congregation. There is no right or wrong answer; whatever plan fits the dynamic of your church is the best one for your church. Catastrophe planning: Do you have a plan for who would direct the church if the leader died suddenly and documents that are readily accessible to help that person deal with the legal, financial and operation challenges in that crisis? Have you shared the plan with key people so that they will be prepared to implement it at that time (spouse, other church executives, etc.) Succession planning: Have you considered what type of leadership will help achieve the long-term vision for the church and who might be prepared to be a successor to the current church leader? A frequent mistake is to look to someone just like the incumbent or a relative. It is important to start with the goal for the future and look at who has the competencies to help achieve that. Estate planning/insurance: In the event of a death in the leadership, does your organization know and under-
UNCERTAIN FUTURE
stand who owns the deceased leader’s A bankruptcy judge intellectual property? Can your church awarded the sale of the Crysstill use a pastor’s sermons and teachtal Cathedral in late Noveming material after his death or must ber to the Roman Catholic the church obtain a license from Diocese of Orange in a move that will require his beneficiaries before the church to vacate the being able to do so? cathedral within three On another note, years. The Catholic does your church have church will refashion key man insurance on its the iconic cathedral for use by its own parishprimary leader? Could your ioners. church survive the death The Associated or permanent disability of Press reported that this individual, or would it “the Crystal Catheneed a cushion to survive dral’s troubles run far deeper than the on while it recoups? loss of the campus and stem Building trust: Have you identifrom (Robert H.) Schuller’s fied points of distrust, explored what retirement, an ill-fated is contributing to the distrust and what attempt to hand over the can be done to repair those relationministry to his son (Robert Anthony), and the church’s ships? Are you working to keep trust by failure to adapt to attract honoring each other? Distrust underyounger worshippers.” mines family and church relationships Members of the family had and can be something that is difficult feuded for nearly four years to address: especially if distrust in the over the future direction of the congregation. leader has developed. The diocese’s offer advisors: Do you have advisors was for $57.5 million for who are challenging your thinking and the 40-acre campus. The proactively bringing your attention to cathedral leadership was still issues that will protect you, your family holding out hope for God’s “intentional delaying” for an and your business? Do your advisors intervention that would stop talk to each other to be sure that they the sale to the diocese. are coordinating their efforts on your behalf? Independent directors: Do you have a board of directors or trustees to help you work “on the business of the church” rather than “in the business” with independent perspectives that come from outside the family and the church? It is difficult to find people who are connected to the church and yet independent. If you want to be sure that you are seeing issues that could destroy the family or the church, it is important to engage and empower independent overseers who will “tell the emperor that he isn’t wearing any clothes.” While not every one of these 12 practices may apply to your situation, the key is to be sure that you are using the best practices of organizational leadership and stewardship no matter what the connection is between your family and your church. CE Leslie Dashew is the president of the Human Side of Enterprise LLC, Scottsdale, AZ, and a partner in the Aspen Family Business Group LLC. She is the co-author of the new book The Keys to Family Business Success. [ www.lesliedashew.com ]
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