Trapped

Trapped

No matter how tied into a system, a job, a ministry, a position, a team someone is... they should never feel TRAPPED.  This is not God's intended design.

I believe it is Andy Stanley who said it best:  "We want to be the BEST place you've ever worked... but realize we may not be the LAST place you do!"

People leave... hopefully on good terms!  

Sometimes God calls leaders to pioneer new visionary efforts. 

Sometimes staff get fed up and quit!

Sometimes home-grown/moved-up-in-the-ranks managers are ready for an industry change, or perhaps finally identify their calling... and must leave to pursue this before it is too late.

Regardless of reason WHY people leave, the reality we must embrace (and empower) is simply this:  people DO leave!

If you have concerns about a key staff member leaving, then I would certainly question the system you had in place to support that staff member in the first place!  No company, organization, or ministry should fall hostage to one person "holding it all together."  If they do, companies are at risk for rash replacement hire decisions, and liable to make a reactionary decision!... which could very quickly recycle the lesson they should have learned in the first place.

So?  How do you prevent your company from TRAPPING team members?

1.  Make TRUST and open communication #1 in your team--> team members must feel comfortable coming to you with uncertainty... and willing to discuss the "hard stuff."

2.  Adequately develop the primary and contingency plans for each individual on the team--> Who's their "backup" during vacation time?  Can you run a One Week trial of this backup plan, without that person being out?  (i.e. have two or three team members swap roles for a week?)

3.  Surrender the future of your company to God's will.  Understand and realize that no matter how hard you work to try to plan for certain outcomes, the LORD will actually direct your path.

Proverbs 16:9 (New Living Translation)

 ⁹ We can make our plans,
      but the Lord determines our steps.