The After-Action Report
This is the third blog in the series, “A Field Manual for Pastors.” Each post will offer practical advice that I offer to pastors I work with. These are insights I never learned in seminary. They are lessons I learned from leading firemen and soldiers and from forty years of leading churches through every challenge imaginable. I will be sharing the core strategies I used as I sought to give my life to the church while protecting my heart and my time so that I could do what matters most to Jesus.
I was sitting in a staff meeting after what I considered a mediocre event and it seemed all we remembered was what we did well. Everyone looked happy and confident with the discussion. I interrupted the relaxed mood with an objection that betrayed my frustration.
“This is the third time we’ve done this the same way. I’ve seen this done better elsewhere. How can we improve if all we do is slap each other on the back and talk about how good we are? The best path forward is an after-action report.”
When I looked attentively at their faces, I knew that I had hurt them. I hadn’t meant to discourage them, but mediocrity need not be the standard for what we do in the name of Jesus. Realizing this wasn’t their fault nor their intention because this was all they knew, I began again with an apology, which has been the way I’ve had to restart many conversations after I’ve shown frustration at meetings.
I responded “I’m sorry if this discourages you, and please forgive me for the way I said it. I want to show you a better way, and the after-action report is a good place to start. Everything we did fighting fires on the hotshot crew or any field training exercise in the Army was followed by an after-action report. That’s how we got better and kept from repeating the same mistakes over and over.” I felt the rolling of the eyes behind the unblinking stares in response. I could hear their disapproving thoughts: “Here we go again, another firefighting or Army story. We’re a church!” The meeting that had seemed so light now paused under the weight of my words.
“Ed, are you criticizing us or trying to make a point?” someone asked.
“Both,” I answered and shifted in my chair. “I don’t want to be okay with mediocrity for Jesus and unexamined performance that repeats the same mistakes year after year.”
An after-action report isn’t about fighting fire or shooting tanks; it’s about leadership. Before putting any task or event in your rearview mirror, discuss it from a unique and necessary perspective. Don’t rehearse your achievements, no matter how well they went. Instead, ask these questions, “What went wrong? What could we have done to prevent what went wrong? And what did we learn to do better next time?”
This simple document changed our approach going forward. We simply asked those three questions, recorded the answers, and filed them for the next time. We eventually filled thick folders for Vacation Bible Schools, Fall kickoffs, Christmas events, Easter services, youth retreats, children’s teacher trainings, and even (after a long process of building trust) our annual business meetings.
Most of the staff quickly saw how effective this tool was for improving things we put so much effort into. Only one balked at the process and would beg to forgo the after-action report because they “hated the discussion.” That told me something about their competence as a leader. Not too coincidentally, they also resisted input from discipleship. We discovered later that they had a secret life, ending their ministry.
Think about Jesus, and model launching the after-action process after His approach. He was free to pull rank on His mostly clueless disciples. Outside of a few rare occasions, He corrected them with gentleness and vision. Let your followers know that all you want from them is to join you in improving your ministries. Consider the possibilities if you, as a team, sought the Spirit’s guidance in answering this one question, “How can we make this better next time?”
Never be satisfied with mediocrity. You can stop making the same mistakes year after year, meeting after meeting. Put those you lead on the path to success by learning from their mistakes (and your mistakes; you go first!).
Build the after-action report into the expectations of your leaders firmly, patiently, and lovingly. Hold on to your direction toward quality, and trust that your love for those you lead will conquer their resistance to change and any feelings that they’ve been diminished. Pray that their hearts will allow your love and the love of Jesus to cast out fear. Together, move toward excellence in what you do for Jesus and His people.
There’s a memorable moment from my own life that cemented my commitment to excellence in all that I do for the Lord Jesus. I was teaching the Old Testament Walk Thru for Walk Thru the Bible in a small church on the west side of Michigan. It had been a hectic week and I hadn’t prepared properly. During the hours of the demanding seminar, I kept making small mistakes. The size of the crowd was also de-motivating, and I just wasn’t bringing my usual energy and enthusiasm to the day. Feeling a little guilty, I thought to myself, “This is still the best seminar these people have ever been to.”
The Holy Spirit jarred me with this sentence I heard in my mind: “Ed, I don’t want the best they’ve ever heard. I want the best you can do!” That was a Holy Spirit after-action report I will never forget.
I’m not saying that every event or sermon needs to be a homerun according to the evaluation of others. I’m saying that what we do for the Lord Jesus deserves our best. The after-action will better our bests, and that seems like a good track to run on.
You are called to fulfill your ministry (2 Timothy 4:2) with excellence (Colossians 3:23-24) and unity (Acts 4:32; Galatians 3:28; Philippians 2:2-3; Romans 14:19) in mind. That is the good news of this gathering of believers we call the church, and thus a new place is made where all of your leaders and all of God can dwell. When you move toward excellence emphasizing loving one another (John 13:34-35) with all the vulnerability speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) involves, you will be free to improve every ministry opportunity.