Evaluations, Up or Down, On a Scale of One to Five.....

In May of each year my office gets many callers looking for a "really good evaluation form" that can be used to decide how well things went during the previous year. In congregations where there is paid staff, the caller often wants an authoritative form that will indicate whether the religious educator did a good job, and sometimes if that person should get a raise. I guess it's part of the push-button mentality we get from quick return tax forms and instant analysis that computers can bring. Or as we seek more humane ways to judge, maybe we hark back to ancient eras when all abided by secretly cast stones, black or white, irrevocably, unambiguously indicating a person's fate. In September we seldom think of evaluations as we are filled with the hope and promise of the best ever!

As the fall season gets underway, it's really an ideal time to plan to evaluate. Come next May you can look back on what you set out to do, gauge how close you came and what you might do to get even closer next time around. If you wait to start in the spring, then it will be too late.

Conflict adverse as we UUs are as a group, we often tend to avoid making open evaluations. We seem to falsely confuse valuing the inherent dignity and worth of each individual with thinking it inappropriate to assess and evaluate results that we, as individuals and in groups, seek to acheive. There is great strength and integrity in holding each other accountable as we move toward our chosen goals. When we move together in community we can act to make our lives congruent with our highest aspirations.

It's actually not that difficult to evaluate later if you plan for it now. Here's a relatively simple, general process that works well on an annual basis:

1. Gather the interested parties, especially those who will be engaged in trying to bring about the desired results.
2. Pick some specific, achievable goals your group would like to accomplish. (Mission statements can be a guide.)
3. Focus on those you feel are worth the effort and that the group is willing to commit to.
4. Identify some observable milestones that you agree can mark your progress.
5. Clarify how you can get these results--"who, what, when & where?" are good questions to ask. (What actions have to be taken to produce the results or outcomes)
6. Write up what you are doing, why & how so it can serve as a reminder, guide and information for folks who come along after you are underway.<

Do what it takes to succeed in your own terms--that's what makes an exciting energized group! That's what draws new people into the effort. Savor life in its fullness, make mistakes and learn from them, go ahead and refine your efforts or try something different. When everyone knows and has agreed to the basis of evaluation beforehand, progress can be compared to the milestones envisioned as you go along, then your assessment can be a meanful review of shared efforts.

Then, next May, you will be ready to evaluate! You will have a way to compare what has been acheived with what has been hoped for. You can reflect on the surprises, obstacles, the quality of the effort--and maybe even the thrill of the victory and (if necessary) the agony of defeat!