“What you do with your staff during the days preceding the school year will largely determine the quality of your staff relations and the preparation of your staff team for the task ahead.”
As we look to the fall, what are the primary things your staff need to start the year off?
Today is my first day to be back 100% focused on our campus (after being on assignment at CSU all summer).
First matter of business: planning our Staff Planning week. We meet as a team and plan for 5 days from 9-noon (everyone works on ministry to-do’s in the afternoon).
My tendency in staff planning is to jump right into business and assume that everyone is as motivated, comfortable (in team relationships, with the campus/students), and aligned as I am. That’s why every year I re-read this article: Orienting Your Team (all quotes are from that article).
What do staff need?
“You can pretty much assume that most staff return willing and able but not very motivated and with little or no vision. A summer on location can drain the life out of a person as much as a difficult overseas project.
Their felt needs have to do with a sense of belonging to a family. Am I really an important and an integral part of the team? Is my contribution and input valued? Does anyone really care about me?
Do I really like these people? Do I really know them? Staff need to know that they are working with loyal friends and no matter how difficult the task, you can do anything with your friends.”
According to the article, a new staff/intern needs three things:
- Orientation to a new town/campus (campus tour, set up utilities/bank/etc, unpack, get settled)
- Try to accomplish this before staff planning week!
- Orientation to how your team and ministry operates
- A typical staff weekly schedule
- Philosophy of ministry (we have a one page sheet called “How we do Ministry – One Page” which, as you would expect, tells our entire philosophy of ministry on one page!)
- Team norms (how we operate as a team)
- Orientation to their specific job
- What specific things they will be doing this year - What is expected of them (staff jobs, position focus, setting personal ministry goals)
- What they can expect from you
Team Leaders- what do you do with your team before the school year begins?
Staff – what are your primary needs going into the year?
photo courtesy of amirjina
