Callings - Job Descriptions

Has there ever been any effort put toward 1-page job descriptions for each calling that could be used by a bishopric member during the interview to give a brief idea to the member of what duties and responsibilities they're being asked to accept? I realize that this information is available in the Church Handbook of Instructions. I just think a bullet-pointed simple list would be useful.

If the information is provided in the Handbook, then why is there a need for a separate document? Each member of the bishopric should have a copy of the Handbook and should use that when necessary for reference.

What would be a good idea is a index that indicates where each job description can be found. It's not always obvious where each calling can be found and some roles are in multiple sections. This eliminates any issue with trying to interpret the Handbook's terse wording as well as trying to stay up to date with any changes.

The trouble is that for most callings the handbook only has a few lines explaining responsibilities, leaving the bishopric and the member receiving the calling a lot of space to interpret and define their own duties. I think part of the reason for this is that there are many ways to fulfill a calling, and part of magnifying your calling is examining your individual talents and determining where you will focus your efforts. So, it would be hard to make a page for each calling without adding your own interpretations and extrapolations.

sbradshaw wrote:part of magnifying your calling is examining your individual talents

And how they fit in with the talents of others in the presidency.

I'm fairly new to this board, but I wanted to say that I agree, it should be personalized and people should read the handbook. But for someone who is new, won't get much training, and is not tech savvy, a list of what to do and who to call and who to report to and what they should be doing and reporting back would be priceless. I'm putting a list together right now, trying like you mentioned to keep it to one sheet. Starts out, "Thank you for agreeing to this assignment! We hope you find joy in service, and if you struggle, here are resources and people you can call for help." Our building coordinator has never been trained and has no idea it's his job to assign people to clean the building. The bishopric has been doing it. I told the bishop that the building coordinator could be doing that, but he has no idea that's his job. Many times people get a calling and expect someone to train them. As RSP I expected someone from the stake to offer training and help. Sometimes they are busy doing other things that are more urgent and it's easier to work around sometimes than train someone. Many of us are self-starters- I read the handbook, study the handbook and conference talks and I want to do a good job - but the most important job I have is to train my replacement and to help others understand their assignments so they can fulfil them. Many people feel they are not being supported. If they knew who to talk to about it, the problem could be solved. Having a point of contact and a few lifelines for training and support make the difference between not getting the job done and learning how to serve. It would just be nice to have a format or template that was thoughtful and thorough, but that we could add extra information as needed.

The "Handbooks and Callings" section in Gospel Library now has additional resources (beyond the General Handbook) for several callings, which can be a helpful resource.

The "Handbooks and Callings" section...

That's a great reminder of additional help that's available for training newly-called members.

Another thing to mention is that for those of us who don't live in a large ward with fully-formed organizations and classes, the nature of many callings in practice is different for us. I've often been discouraged when seeing lists of things a certain calling 'should do", and then feeling quite stressed because I was trying to fit that list into our local situation (if the Handbook says we need to do something, then we try and do it, even if it doesn't really apply to our member needs). Although many times I've been blessed when following prescribed counsel without understanding the "why", there are times when modifications make sense. So I've appreciated the recent move away from as many specific lists about many things in the handbook, allowing for flexibility and adaptation (with appropriate approvals) when needed.

That said, the O.P. does bring up a good point -- without lists, how do any of us know what exactly is desired from us in our callings? Perhaps the Bishop counseling with the organization president (or whoever the member will report to), could then determine what that leader hopes the member will achieve in their new calling. And then having the leader create a simple bullet-point list that is applicable to their situation, and which they can reference going forward to make sure their efforts are aligned.