When a church’s leaders and staff are accountable to each other, a positive church culture can flourish. For this accountability to work, though, you need both performance appraisals and periodic checkups.
Here are ten questions you can ask your team members during those periodic checkups to help evaluate the health of your church culture.
1. What areas of the church’s vision do you resonate with most?
This question can give you insight into how well you are communicating the vision. If staff members struggle to come up with an answer or their responses have little to do with your church mission, it is probably time to revisit your vision and get everyone back on board. Your mission and vision should not be incidental; they should be chief motivating factors.
2. How clear are your responsibilities?
There should be no ambiguity about expectations. Each volunteer or staff member should know what is expected of them. If they do not, it might be a sign of a communication breakdown or lack of clarity on behalf of the leadership team.
3. Are there areas where you lack training or support?
Different personalities require different levels of involvement and oversight. Some people are perfectly happy with minimal supervision, and others desire more input. Find out what kind of environment each team member thrives in. To treat your staff equally, you may need to handle them all a bit differently.
4. What resources or help do you need to succeed?
Sometimes team members may not feel comfortable asking for tools or assistance. This question encourages an open dialogue about what they might need or want. It also enables you to get on the same page about their budget or ability to bring on volunteers or helpers.
5. Are you comfortable voicing your opinion—even if it challenges leadership decisions? Why or why not?
The feeling that each person’s input and ideas are valued is an essential element of a healthy culture. No one wants to be somewhere where their contributions are not appreciated. But it may take time and proof (by observing other voices being heard and taken seriously) for team members to be comfortable with sharing their opinions, so it is critical to have this conversation regularly.
6. What would you say is our team’s number one motivator?
The aggregate of answers to this question can provide you with a good deal of insight into your church leadership’s culture. Aim to listen without trying to influence your staff members’ answers. It’s not helpful if you subtly (or unsubtly) indicate that there is a right answer to this one. Be an information gatherer, and gently investigate to get to the bottom of each person’s impression.
7. How do you feel that the work you are doing matters to God and the church?
Deep down, people want to do things that matter. If team members do not feel like their work matters, there is a good chance they are not using their gifts, and it’s likely that they do not feel appreciated. It’s going to be helpful to know the difference.
8. How does this team inspire you to do your best work?
This question can help draw out any underlying issues among the staff. If you ask people outright whether they have any problems with their team, they may either shy away from being honest for fear of being labeled critical, or they may come up with a long list of minor aggravations. This question allows them to focus on the positives about the team. If you get the sense that they are holding back or unhappy, you can ask follow up questions to find out why.
9. If someone asked whether your position contributed to or distracted from your spiritual growth, how would you respond?
Work is work. Everyone is expected to perform and contribute at their job. But we hope for something more from church employment. The environment, the relationships, and the work itself should be propelling people toward spiritual maturity. If a staff member’s work at the church is not supporting their growth, you need to know.
10. Are there any areas in your job where you feel stuck?
This question reinforces your desire to see team members excel, and it gives them an opportunity to talk about any of their questions or concerns.
Diagnosing cultural health.
Positive church cultures do not simply materialize. They have to be created and maintained. Because the culture is influenced by everyone on staff, it’s critical that you do not assume your own feelings are an adequate picture. With questions like these, you can get a clearer picture of your culture and any areas that could use some work. By simply asking these questions, you are communicating that you care—which already improves the culture.
Let’s journey together.
You don’t need to do ministry alone. You can find opportunities to connect, plus more content and conversations about church administration, at XP Summit: xpsummit.org.
