Lesson from Disney #5

Lesson #5 - Learn How to Retrain Great Staff Members

+My friend at Disney talked specifically about how to retrain great staff member (emphasis on great). He's got a great team that he manages now and has dealt with plenty of transition in his tenure.

+All great staff members ask these 3 questions:

1. What do I get to do?

2. Who do I get to do it with?

3. Am I a valued contributor?

If the answer is only "yes" to two out of the three, than you will not be able to retain great staff members. In other words, if you get to work on the Cars 2 team and report directly to the director but your job is getting coffee and reviewing scripts for typos you might not want to be on that team because you don't see the value in your contribution.

+I'm learning that great staff members want to work with great people while doing what they are passionate about and add value to others in the process.

+In my experience, building a great staff isn't easy. I've experienced more than my fair share of transition. Sure, I'm not a perfect leader and my organization has plenty of room for growth. But I'm learning that these 3 questions are essential in building a great staff and positive morale.

+I make it a practice to discuss these questions with my staff regularly and if there is an issue I do my best to address it immediately.

+The reality is that if a staff member cannot genuinely answer these 3 questions in a positive and passionate tone than it is best for them and the organization to move on.

+Our organizational culture becomes our currency for retaining great staff.

Lesson from Disney #3

Lesson #3 - Failure Can Be Tolerated, Lack of Judgment Cannot

+There is a huge difference between failure and lack of judgment

+Failure is when I put a plan together, execute it to the best of my ability and then still come up short.

+Failure is actually part of the learning process. If handled correctly, it helps you succeed.

+At Disney, it's ok to fail.

+My friend Brian defines lack of judgment in terms of when you speak negatively about Disney, other staff or departments or even intentionally attempt to sabotage their efforts to succeed.

+Lack of judgment isn't tolerated because the "damage control" simply becomes too high.

+In the local church, I would classify "lack of judgment" as not being "wise." According to Acts 6, one of the essential characteristics for a church-leader was that they be "full of wisdom." Acts 6:3

+At PCC, it's ok to fail.

+In reality, I encourage my team to fail. I say, "if you aren't failing, you aren't taking any risks." It's ok to fail. Just try not to make the same mistake twice. Fail forward.

+In fact, I try to create an environment where it is safe to fail. Instead of flying off the handle at failure we ask questions like: "why did this project/event fail?", "what were the contributing factors?," "where did we go wrong?", "what did we learn?", "what can we do differently next time?"

+Lack of judgment, though, is another issue. Things such as: staff members not valuing volunteers, not having the leadership and emotional intelligence when working with people and delicate situations, losing their temper, speaking negatively against the leadership, unsupportive of the vision, demonstrating a "have to" mentality instead of "I get to" mentality, poor work ethic, etc. These things simply cannot be tolerated. They are a poor representation of Christ and what His Church is all about.

+Brian is right...the damage control for unwise leadership is simply too high of a cost to bear.

Perry Noble on Church Staff

10 Questions Staff Members Should Be AskingJune 2, 2011

#1 – Do I trust the leadership of this church? (If the answer is “no” then there are going to be problems because you will be unable to fulfill what God commands in Hebrews 13:17.)

#2 – Do I find myself attacking other people whom I perceive may be more skilled than me? (If so then you have insecurity issues!)

#3 – Is there anything happening privately in my life that, if it became public, would disqualify me from ministry? (”Your life” is NOT “your life!”)

#4 – Do I value my calling to serve Jesus and His church over my perceived gifting? (If the answer is yes then you will do anything at any time to move His church forward. If the answer is “no” then you will develop a deep sense of entitlement that will cause you to believe that the church should completely be sensitive to your wants and needs above the call to preach the Gospel and reach the world for Christ!)

#5 – Would I attend this church if I were not on staff? (If the answer is no then you need to do yourself, the church and God a favor and resign right now! You cannot serve a church that you do not love–period!)

#6 – Do I always have to be the expert OR am I willing to have others step into my particular area of ministry and point out my blindspots and shortcomings?

#7 – Am I always telling others how tired I am? (If so…SHUT UP! You are IN THE MINISTRY! It’s HARD! Make sure you are taking a day off to rest and relax and then GET ON WITH IT!)

#8 – Do I get angry when I do not receive the recognition and praise that I deserve? (If so…repeat this phrase, “It’s not about me!”)

#9 – Am I honestly giving my best effort? (See II Timothy 2:15!)

#10 – Would the people who are closest to me at work say that I am a walking example ofPhilippians 1:27?

Perry, thanks for posting this today on your blog perrynoble.com. Great stuff we all need to be reminded of as we co-labor together for the Kingdom!

Staff Picnic

Yesterday we had a great day at our staff Labor Day picnic. I'm so blessed to serve with some of the greatest people in the Kingdom. Here's a few snapshots.

Staff Retreat

This Monday our staff is taking an all-day retreat at The Inn at Pocono Manor. I love our staff retreats. It's vital for our team to get together once a quarter and invest in team building and creating a culture of expectation.


We're going to talk about the direction for the fall as we plan some really cool sermon series and children and youth ministry
outreaches. This fall is going to be an amazing season for PCC.

I'll also be casting vision and clarifying expectations as we also prepare to move into our new facility this Christmas. Of course, we will also have a good time just hanging out and relaxing. Please keep the PCC staff in prayer today as we plan and prepare for what is shaping up to be an exciting new season of growth and change.