It is true that as a leader those closest to you will determine your success. At People’s Church, I have 3 people who directly report to me, and they are our Executive Directors. Our Executive Directors run the rest of the staff and the church. Today, I want you to hear from our Executive Director of Operations, Josh Brown.
A big passion and vision of my leader (Senior Pastor) is to have People’s Church be one of the best places there is to work in the world. One of my biggest responsibilities as a second chair leader in helping to accomplish this vision is to help maintain the staff culture that my leader has built. One thing I have noticed as our staff continues to grow is how vital it is to hire the right people in the right spots if we are going to keep an exciting and healthy staff culture. Today, I want to touch on a few keys that I have found helpful in pursuing the right people for the right spots.
First of all, I make sure I have my heart and mind fully wrapped around not only the DNA of our church, but of our staff culture. I try and make a conscious effort to think about and refresh my mind with why we do what we do and who my leader has surrounded himself with. Secondly, I don’t shortcut the process. It is easy to want to hurry up and hire, but by realizing it is a process and not shortcutting the process, I am able to make educated suggestions and decisions about a hire. I also involve other staff members in the process. It is helpful for me to get feedback from others in our organization when going through the interview process, especially those who have been involved in our organization for years. They bring a lot of wisdom and insight into whether someone will fit our culture or not. Dig, Dig, Dig. If there is one thing I like to hear from those I interview, it’s “you sure are thorough” and “that was the most intense interview I have ever been a part of.” I try not to assume anything during the interview process. If it raises a question, then I ask it. I have found that most interviewees respect this kind of process. Although it can be time-consuming and rigorous, people get a sense that we truly do care about hiring right, which, I believe, leaves them with a sense of, “they really do care about making this the best place there is to work in the world.”
