Know What You Are Hiring Into

Why this comes before the search

You can train a skill. It is much harder to change what someone values. So write down your culture before you meet a single candidate, and hand it to them early. A good candidate will read it and lean in. The wrong one will often take themselves out, which saves you both.

Below is how one church has written it down. Use it as a model for your own, not as your own.

Mission and creed

Mission: "Meet people where they are and point them to Jesus"

Creed: "Jesus is our message, our life. This is His church. Built on love and full of faith. We are here to serve and not be served. We are grateful, expectant, and ready. To God be the glory, forever and ever, Amen"

One vision

"Division begins when there are two different visions happening. We don't want to do a bunch of good ideas, we want to do a few God ideas."

Church values

• Jesus Is Our Message. "We are Jesus people, not religious people. Methods will come and go, yet our message will remain the same."
• Connection Is Our Culture. "We also believe that your connection determines your direction, therefore we are serious about connecting others to our community."
• Generosity Is Our Privilege. "We don't give out of obligation, but as an opportunity to invest in the Kingdom."
• Worship Is Our Weapon. "Worship is how we fight our battles."
• Servant Leadership Is Our Calling. "Every leader is a servant first. From the parking lot to the pulpit, everyone serves. Every role is different but they are all important."
• Prayer Is Our Priority. "Prayer is not a last resort, it's our first response."
• Honor Is Our Commitment. "We honor and care for those God has placed under us."
• Excellence Is Our Pursuit. We give our very best as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23 (opens the passage on Bible.com)). We work hard, and we have fun doing it.

Leadership values

Show Up. "So much of leadership is consistency and presence. When we show up in the highs and lows, we're telling our teams and church that this thing is priority."

Take Ownership. "Nothing just happens. We all have a part to play in Kingdom building. We should be quick to take responsibility and make problems our problem." "An owner doesn't fill a seat, they find the gaps and meet the needs of the organization as a whole."

Pursue Excellence. "It's impossible to make it better and stay the same." "We encourage every servant leader to make it 1% better every week. Progression over perfection."

Replace Yourself. "This thing doesn't grow unless you grow others. God-math is a math of multiplication, not addition."

Stay Healthy. "The ultimate goal of Pinewood is not growth, it is health. True health creates strength that sustains real growth."

Celebrate Constantly. "A critical spirit is born out of a negative attitude. We celebrate constantly realizing that the things God is doing is greater than the mistakes we are making. We see and believe the best in people and situations."

Work Together. "The Church is built, not by the talents and gifts of a few, but by the sacrifice and service of many. Doing things alone, in isolation and without the greater team is a pride driven response."

Protect Unity. There is no place for gossip in any form. When something is unclear or bothers us, we go to the person privately and get clarity. We refuse a critical spirit.

What we expect of every leader

1. If you will be absent on a Sunday, give at least two weeks' notice to the person you report to, unless it is an emergency.
2. Make the all-leader meeting a priority.
3. Be in a small group (a minimum number of times each season).
4. Complete the newcomer class.
5. Take part in a leadership evaluation in the off months between seasons.
6. Schedule your team in the church database at least two weeks ahead.
7. Turn in purchase requests at least two weeks ahead.
8. Prepare for and take part in the church's annual conference.
9. Prepare one team training each season.
10. Communicate in real time: the health of team members, urgent issues, deadlines and attendance.
11. Use a SWOT review to develop your team.

Write your own list. Ten or so lines, each one something you can see and check. A candidate should read it before the second interview.

Sayings we use

Short lines carry culture further than long documents. These are some a new staff member will hear in their first month:

• Leaders go first.
• Inspect what you expect.
• Delegate but do not dump.
• Leaders work with margin.
• Leaders over-communicate.
• Ask before you correct.
• Discussions are for decision makers.
• This is "our" team.
• If serving is beneath you, leadership is beyond you.
• We get to do this.
• Healthy things grow.
• Play the long game.
• Culture happens by design not default.
• Leave it better than you found it.

Make it yours

Before you post the role, have these on paper:

• Your mission in one sentence.
• Your values, each with one or two sentences of plain explanation.
• What you expect of every leader.
• Five to ten sayings your team already uses.

If you do not have them yet, write them first. It is slower. It is still the right order.