[Fuusm-l] FUUSM Congregational Feedback Meetings

[nwolske17 at yahoo.com]

Thank you, Darryl. 


Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone


On Monday, May 15, 2023, 11:06 AM, Darryl Ting via Fuusm-l <fuusm-l at fuusm.org> wrote:


Dear FUUSM Community,

 

At the end of the annual congregational meeting in April,(under “Other business for the Good of the Order”), I made a motion that therebe “congregational style” meetings for the purpose of congregational feedbackon the minister’s performance and specifically excluding the minister.  After discussion, the motion was passed.  

To learn more about why I made this motion, what I proposed,and what has happened since … please read on. 

 

Why this motion …

Prior to this, the method of congregational feedback wasthrough congregational surveys.  Ipointed out that the survey approach had some significant flaws, notably thatthe survey questions limited the scope of the feedback, that survey feedback isone way and isolated (no dialogue for clarification and no benefit of hearingother people’s feedback), and that everyone’s feedback counts the sameregardless of the amount of interaction they have.  The cumulative impact is that despite the surveys, there is a significant level of frustration within the congregation from peoplefeeling they have not been heard.

 

What I proposed …

Special congregational meetings to allow the congregation toprovide feedback.  That approach wouldprovide better, clearer feedback by eliminating the above-mentioned flaws ofsurveys.  More importantly, it allowspeople to express themselves directly … in their own voice, andunfiltered.  And it allows us to form amore informed collective view through the sharing of our individual views.  

Why exclude the minister’s attendance?  I wanted to encourage feedback, and it is notuncommon for people to be reluctant to give or receive negative feedback.  It is just an emotionally difficult thing todo.  The absence of the minister wouldmake it easier for people to speak up.

 

Follow-up …

At the May 8th Board meeting, the Board determined that itcould not call a congregational meeting and exclude the minister.  The minister declined to voluntarily excludeherself.  Therefore, the Board could notimplement the motion.

 

Following the Board decision, a steering group (KarenBinkley, Nancy Luthy, and myself) was formed to develop a plan to implement themotion.  Our target for communicating thedetails of that plan is the end of May.




Thanks for reading to the end,

Darryl Ting
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