The Seven Deadly Sins may occur at any level of a Christian organization: governance, leadership or management. All seven of these indicators of organizational culture result from a shift away from the core values of the Relationship Model™: Affirmation, Involvement and Empowerment. While these "sins" are presented in their extreme form, each usually will first appear to a milder degree on a continuum.
1. Sloppy Leadership & Management
Symptoms: How authority flows is not defined or clearly understood. Decisions are not documented clearly. There is little or no monitoring of performance or measuring of results.
Results: Staff and volunteers are frustrated at lack of clarity. Ministry suffers. Mission effectiveness and personal fulfillment are lacking. Good people drift away from the ministry discouraged and aren't missed.
2. Abusive Leadership & Management
Symptoms: Overconfidence, meddling in the work of others, staff/volunteer discouragement, broken relationships, manipulation, personal agendas forced on entire group.
Result: Individual rights are violated. People are abused, discouraged, unfulfilled. Good people leave. Mission effectiveness suffers. Without accountability abuse increases and becomes chronic. Culture is damaged.
3. Vague Strategic Direction
Symptoms: The ministry has no statements of Values, Vision or Mission or they exist but are outdated, unknown and/or without ownership. Future is based on "faith" instead of careful planning.
Results: Strategic direction is assumed by the CEO instead of being lead by the Board of Directors. Confusion and/or disagreement of purpose and priorities lead to unfocused mission and ineffective and inefficient use of resources.
4. Unclear Roles and Responsibilities
Symptoms: Who has authority for what is unclear, overlapping. Few or no current job descriptions exist. Reliance on precedent and tradition. People's assumptions differ.
Results: Significant duplication of effort. Some responsibilities are not covered. Confusion leads to disagreement and strained or broken relationships. Staff and volunteers are frustrated and unfulfilled.
5. Unclear Expectations
Symptoms: Goals are not established for strategic outcomes or tactical outputs. Goals are established by the source of authority but not negotiated with staff in proportion to available resources. Expectations are assumed but not expressed.
Results: Differing assumptions are made. Staff and volunteers have no way of knowing when they have succeeded. Differing expectations lead to misunderstandings, a sense of failure and breakdown of relationships.
6. Square Pegs, Round Holes
Symptoms: First available warm body willing to accept a staff or volunteer position is accepted. Inadequate training or orientation provided. The person's competencies are not matched with needs of the position.
Results: Mission effectiveness is limited by lack of ability of the staff/volunteer assigned. Work is unfinished. People are frustrated. Staff/volunteers are unfulfilled and demoralized, wanting to make a positive contribution but with "the right stuff."
7. Forgiveness Confused with Accountability
Symptoms: Accountability mechanisms are poorly defined, not used or don't exist. Poor performance or behaviour is tolerated, treated with understanding and forgiveness. Annual performance reviews are rare or non-existent.
Results: Successful staff and volunteers are not affirmed. Weak staff/volunteers are not supported or redirected. When forgiveness fails to produce change in unacceptable performance and behaviour, judgment and unfair dismissal may follow with accountability and discipline never happening. | 
