7 Characteristics of A Contagious Staff Culture
The more I work with churches and nonprofits, the more I’m convinced that great culture is the number one key to a healthy and effective team. There are thousands of lessons I’ve learned in my years of helping teams build their staff culture, but these seven characteristics are common among contagious church staffs:
1. They have clear staff values and live them out.
On my team at Vanderbloemen, we have nine cultural values that have been ingrained into each team member. They’re on each team member’s desk, they’re plastered over our conference room wall, they’re discussed in every review, and they’re celebrated in every meeting. And it shows. Teams who collectively establish core values and then work together to live out those values have an incredible and consistent culture. Decide what you want the
DNA of your staff to be, create clear team values from that, then reinforce and celebrate them constantly.
2. Everyone is “good with duct tape.”
Being good with duct tape means having a spirit of resourcefulness and agility. On my team, one of our core values is “solution-side living,” and everyone understands that “other duties as necessary” is part of their job description. Organizations that have teams where every single person is a resourceful problem-solver truly stand out. Not only does this duct tape mindset cultivate togetherness and teamwork, but it will keep your team members flexible and agile as well.
3. They keep their soul and stay true to who they are.
We live in a time where churches and ministries everywhere can broadcast their services and build a big online presence through technology. This can sometimes create a feeling of inadequacy in ministries that don’t have the same budget or resources. From that place, some ministries try to overextend themselves beyond what God’s called them to. They sell their soul for growth, numbers, and a bigger budget. And ultimately, the team suffers. Here’s what I’ve learned: nothing beats knowing your mission and vision, and sticking to it. Be faithful in the things God has called you to and do them well. Your team will burn out if there isn’t a known mission behind their work.
4. Individual team members are empowered.
Leaders who empower their staff members create teams that can take initiative and grow ministries on their own. If you’re micromanaging everything happening on your staff, your staff is never going to feel like they have the autonomy to swing for the fences. Strategies and initiatives will be slowed down in their implementation if they have to go through a clogged leadership funnel first. Delegating a lot of decision-making to your team also shows a level of trust between you and your staff, and that trust will inspire confidence and camaraderie amongst the staff as a whole.
5. They consistently collaborate and have fun while they’re at it.
With millennials making up the majority of the workforce and increasingly filling ministry leadership positions, collaboration is more important than ever. People want to feel like they’re a part of a team; not on an island doing everything by themselves. Work on projects together. Consider having an open office plan. Have group brainstorming sessions about how to best implement a new idea that your team is fired up about. Togetherness trumps giving orders, especially when it comes to the millennials who are beginning to fill ministry teams. Facilitate
fun activities during work hours as well. A team that loves working together and are happy is a hard-working, effective team. One of the staples of your office culture should be having fun.
6. Their leadership is accessible.
Make sure that you are accessible. This goes for any level of leadership. Senior leaders need to be accessible to their staff, and the staff needs to be accessible to senior leadership. Keeping open channels of communication is key to establishing a collaborative and supportive work culture. It also keeps strategies, ministries, and initiatives more efficient in their execution.
7. They hire for the right reasons and grow at the right pace.
It’s always tempting to base new hires solely on resume and work experience. While those things are certainly important and deserve serious consideration, they shouldn’t be the end-all-be-all. Make sure that the culture fit is there, too. Many leaders only focus on two aspects of a candidate: competency and character. I’d argue that there are two additional “C”s that are equally important: chemistry and culture. Additionally, make sure you’re hiring and growing at the right pace. Your team culture will never be contagiously great if they feel constantly stressed or over-worked. And throughout growth, always, always, always bring the focus back to your culture.
- Will Vanderbloemen
(Originally Published in the FEB 2017 Magazine)