Evaluation is a key ingredient to growth as a leader. As a youth worker, you need to offer feed back to those you are leading. You also need to receive honest feed back about your performance as a leader. The mark of a great leader is one who is not afraid to hear what others think of him/her. As a resource, this month we are offering an evaluation tool that you can give to your volunteer staff or student leaders as a source of evaluation for your ministry. We have modified these questions from a book entitled First Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. (Simon and Schuster Inc, 1999)

1. Do I know what’s expected of me in this ministry?
2. Do I have the materials and equipment to do my job right?
3. Do I have the opportunity to do what I do best?
4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
5. Does my team leader, or someone else, seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone in the ministry who encourages my development?
7. Do my opinions seem to count?
8. Are other staff members committed to the ministry?
9. Do I have a best friend in the ministry?
10. In the last six months, has someone talked to me about my progress?
11. This last year, have I had opportunities to learn and grow?

Using this resource with your staff and students will give you a window into their perception of the youth ministry. Learning to use evaluation effectively will help you become a leader that people want to follow.