As Watermarke Church has grown, the number of people with ideas and suggestions has grown, too. Every leader is going to deal with criticism, but often leaders find themselves dismissing some critics, only listening to a select few. The few are typically saying what you want to hear. That is a dangerous position to take as a leader. Although it's natural to listen to people who say what you want to hear, it insulates you from some people or ideas that will make you a better leader.
Here is how I handle EVERY critique we get at Watermarke:
1. Give grace
2. Consider the source
3. Discern the heart behind the feedback
4. Is this person engaged in the mission and do they understand the strategy
5. Listen
6. Give grace
7. Thank them
If the critique is good, then let them know. If it is poor, then give them grace. If it's rooted in frustration, there's a good chance people do not understand your mission or strategy/approach.
We always must consider the source, too. Negative feedback from your target consumer is much more important than feedback from the sidelines. Feedback from those invested in the mission will carry more weight than criticism from people casting stones from the bleachers.
The better job we do communicating mission, vision, and strategy, the better the feedback, and the fewer people we have criticizing out of ignorance. And, with a well defined strategy and approach, hyper-critical people tend to drift away. Every time I make it clear where Watermarke Church is going, the people who are on mission buy in further, and those with their own agendas tend to start looking for other organization to infuse their personal vision. That's a win.
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