In Church-World you may not have the ability to purely attract and keep high performers based on pay. While you should do your best to pay high performers what they’re worth, they aren’t just in it for the pay. Check out this link for more on how much you should be paying your staff.
After spending the last 12 years on the senior leadership teams of some of the nation’s leading churches, here are six observations I’ve consistently seen regarding creating a church where high performers love to work.
1. A healthy organization.
High performers don’t have time for politics, posturing and organizational dysfunction. They’re looking for a strong culture that goes beyond mission, vision, values, etc. that are written on a piece of paper, but rather lived out in the hallways of the organization. For more on building a healthy organization, follow this link.
2. High challenge.
It’s fun to be a part of a church that’s winning and taking ground! A place where people are meeting Jesus, lives are being changed and there are real challenges to lead through associated with growth. If you’re not taking big enough risks, and making a real Kingdom impact, it’s going to be tough to keep high performers. High performers desire big challenges and big opportunities to lead through.
3. Incredible people.
High performers want to be around other high performers. Great people naturally gravitate toward great people … you attract who you are. High performers are looking for people who have the skills to get the job done, but also an environment where there is real openness and trust between team members.
4. Buy-in.
One of the statements I’ve consistently heard through the years from high performers who love their churches is, “I would go to church here if I wasn’t on staff here.”
5. God is moving.
High performers want to be where God is moving, and if He’s not moving, they’ll jump ship in a minute. Having a front row seat to real life change is the fuel that keeps high performers going. It’s the fruit of meaningful work.
6. Responsibility and authority.
High performers aren’t just looking for a lot of responsibility, but authority that goes along with the responsibility. Nothing is worse than being responsible for something that you don’t have the authority to change, influence and lead. High performers are looking for real influence and the ability to make real decisions that carry real weight. They want the ability to shape their future.
