3 Questions Culture Shapers Ask

Culture can mean a lot of things when we look at it from an organizational standpoint. Here’s what it’s not. It’s not a mission statement on the wall. It’s not a bunch of declarations. It’s not policy. It’s also not ping pong tables at the office or trust falls on the team retreat. Culture is the outgrowth of consistent behavior. So, a culture shaper (or a culture shaping team) is one who lives out, over time, the things that they value. If it’s faith, you’ll see it. If it’s methods, you’ll feel it. If it’s donuts, you’ll smell it.

Want to be a culture shaper? 

Here are three good questions to ask:

1. When a person steps out of their daily responsibilities and considers the larger organization of which they're a part... what do they experience, feel, and sense is important? It’s a shorter list than you’d think.

2. From a personal stewardship standpoint, what can you uniquely bring to others (family, friends, team) that they can only get from you? It’s probably a mix of a few things. Bring that unique contribution to the planning table, the prayer time, the outreach, the staff meeting.

3. If you were to take the temperature of the current culture that’s been set, are there things that need to change? Are there parts of your plan burning hotter than others, that shouldn’t? Have you cooled off on an area of emphasis that should receive more focus? What can you do to help make a shift in the new direction? Think baby steps. 

Great people are involved with our organization in lots of different capacities. We have people who volunteer a few hours a week, people who work overtime, and everything in between. No matter their capacity of service with us, we want them to reflect back on their time with us as a chance to do the greatest work of their life. Even more, we want them to look around inside our region and see people with great faith who are growing in their leadership and concerned with building God’s kingdom, not our own.