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The minister of music should evaluate other groups that he/she doesn't direct. This process is often very difficult because most people are volunteers. When things are going well, evaluation is easy. When they aren't, evaluation is difficult. Again, ongoing evaluation by the music council is helpful in this regard. When problems are addressed regularly, no one is surprised, and regular opportunities for improvement are available. When you become the evaluator, always remember how it feels to be evaluated. The person you're evaluating will feel no less vulnerable than you feel when you are evaluated.

Evaluation by a Consultant

Some churches have a consultant evaluate their ministries. While this process may be very helpful, unfortunately, it is sometimes done with an agenda. I tend to be skeptical when a single person is enlisted to evaluate the entire church or when a firm of professional church evaluators is secured. I prefer enlisting a group of trusted, experienced, and respected ministers from other churches to serve in this capacity. This plan offers a broader perspective and provides specialized input. Ministers of music should occasionally seek outside consultants who will spend time with the music ministry and offer suggestions. An objective look from the outside can provide helpful input.

Evaluating the Minister of Music

Ministers of music are usually evaluated in the following areas: Ministry – How effectively are you ministering to the needs of those in your sphere of influence? How are you balancing the demands of music vs. the demands of ministry?

Administration – How well are you managing those with whom you work? How thorough are your goals? Are you reaching them? Are you staying within the budget? Do you submit materials on time? Is the work of others enhanced or hampered by your administrative skills? Are you prepared for meetings?

Collegiality – How well do you get along with other ministers, the pastor, and the staff? Do you carry your part of the church's responsibilities?

Conclusion

Ministers of music are often accused of being lone rangers and having a tendency to work in isolation from the rest of the ministers and staff. When this happens, they usually are not communicating well with people involved in music ministry either. Give careful attention to the feedback that you receive. If you're not receiving feedback, you should seek it. Evaluation is ongoing and will happen whether you place yourself in a position to hear it or not!

Time Management

All of us have the same time in a day, week, month, or year; however, some people accomplish much with their time while others accomplish little. Simply stated, time management is learning to achieve maximum results from the time we are allotted. Ministers of music have a responsibility not only to themselves for how their time is used but also to the church they serve. In addition, we have a spiritual responsibility for the stewardship of our lives.

People who accomplish a lot in their lives have learned to utilize their time effectively, although different people have different time management methods. Each person must find time management processes that work for him/her. Managing our time effectively is an ongoing process, not something that we master once and never have to refine. Time management changes in different periods in our lives, with different jobs and responsibilities, and with different colleagues. Time management is different for a single adult than for a married person with children. Before we had children, I took longer lunch breaks, spent more time talking with colleagues, and attended more community events because I could take work home if it were not completed at the end of the day or week. As a married person with children, I have less time and energy to work at home. My days have become more structured and productive. When I've changed jobs, I've generally had more responsibility. This increased responsibility has necessitated my continuing to work on time management and leadership skills. While no one system works for everyone, there are principles and suggestions most people agree are helpful and should be mastered.

See the Big Picture

Goals ultimately determine our long-term and short-term objectives. When you have planned yearly goals, work backward and schedule them into monthly, weekly, and daily tasks. By doing this, you will assure that the important things are done. Sometimes we work hard each day, take work home at night, work on weekends, and still are not effective in our ministries because we haven't done the right things. Begin each day with this question: What is the best task for me to do today?

Prioritize Your Tasks

Use the following grid to help prioritize your tasks. ImportantNot Important

Not UrgentUrgent

Our goal is to spend our time in the "important" and "not urgent" quadrants rather than the "urgent" and "not important" quadrants. Many of us spend our time dealing with urgent and not important matters. There will always be urgent matters; however, urgencies should be genuine emergencies rather than issues that could have been dealt with when they were not urgent. Good time management depends on your ability to do what you don't have to do when you have the time to do it, i.e., important and not urgent! We should learn to say "no" to unimportant items, deal with minimal urgencies, and spend the bulk of our time dealing with truly important matters.

When a task comes our way — this may be written, e-mail, phone, or some other way — we should choose one of the following:

1) Do It – Many tasks are easily accomplished and should be done immediately. Others require immediate attention and must be acted on promptly.

2) Plan to Do It – Schedule a time to do it. Using your calendar, plan a time when you'll accomplish this task.

3) Delegate It – If someone else can do the task appropriately, delegate it. (See the section in chapter 5 on "Delegation."

4) File It – Some items do not need action but must be kept for future reference. Most executives and mangers spend an estimated six weeks of the year looking for things.

5) Pitch It – Throw it away tangibly or mentally. When dealing with mail or e-mail, pitch everything possible.

The "To Do" List

Everyone should have "to do" lists. A "to do" list helps us to monitor our progress, make good time usage decisions, and avoid letting things slip through the cracks. On my desk, I keep a legal pad with "To Do" written boldly across the top. As I go through mail and other materials received, I write down everything that I've not responded to immediately. Each day I go through my legal pad list and pull off the tasks that must be accomplished for the day. These items form my daily list. Some of the items on my big list stay there for many weeks, even months. Sometimes I remove them because, while they are good things, they are not important. If I would have had discretionary time, I might have done them; however, they are no longer important to me. Some of the items represent long-term projects that are scheduled. Seeing them on my list reminds me to think about them. When I work on these tasks, they are usually easily accomplished because of the time I've already spent thinking about them.

Many people prioritize their "to do" list by assigning each item a letter. "A" is for tasks that must be done today, "B" is for tasks that could be done today, and "C" is for tasks that can be done if there is time. When all tasks have been assigned letters, number them according to priority (do all the "A's" in priority order, then the "B's," and continue to the end of the list). What is not accomplished at the end of the day gets moved to the next day's list.

Managing the Calendar

Having more than one calendar is dangerous. Most people who have more than one calendar spend valuable time reconciling their calendars. Having one calendar helps you to see the big picture at any given time. Accepting an additional responsibility is more than just having a space on your calendar, since it may involve preparation, coordination, travel, or other effort.

Many people keep their calendar on the computer and use various formats to arrange for meetings and other tasks. While this system is effective, it may give other people too much access to your time. Additionally, a traditional calendar is helpful for coordinating schedules with your spouse or children.