Detterick urged to hold staff accountable, set priorities By Parker T. Williamson The Presbyterian Layman Thursday, October 1, 1998
Detterick says he has spent a great deal of time talking with staff leadership teams at the Presbyterian Center, asking them to think beyond the perimeters of their particular tasks toward a consideration of how what they do fits into a larger vision for the Presbyterian Church (USA). Developing a common understanding Acknowledging Detterick's corporate management background, GAC member Alfred Warren, a retired General Motors executive said, "My heart sang when you accepted this job." Warren warned Detterick that he would receive invitations to travel throughout the country, and he urged the new executive to resist being drawn away from his primary duty of managing the Presbyterian Center. "One of the problems with the former executive was that he did not see the staff enough to let them know that they would be held accountable for their actions," said Warren. Detterick said he thought the GAC needed to do a better job differentiating between staff and elected person responsibilities. It is not the staff's job to set policy, he said. That is the task of the elected people. "Our staff has clearly been too involved in policy making discussions. We need to discipline ourselves not to do that." On the other hand, said Detterick, "I think we have often asked elected people to make decisions without giving them a sufficient data base on which to make the decisions. I hope we can begin to develop a common understanding in the GAC and articulate where the boundaries are." Detterick said that the function of the GAC was to enable mission by listening to congregations and middle governing bodies, building an efficient and integrated staff to do the work of mission, and becoming proactive on future priorities of the church's mission. "My biggest job," said Detterick, "may be to help the GAC decide what issues not to attack. We can't handle them all. The GAC will have to determine what should be at the top of the list. Then we need to do those things well." |
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