Here at Converge Coaching, we spend a lot of time talking about things pastors never learned in bible college or seminary. Today’s subject is one of those things.

When we talk to leaders about shaping culture, sometimes we get head nods. Other times, we get blank stares and should shrugs. The truth is, culture is fuel. You can craft an amazing organizational vision, create a dynamic playbook, but only a healthy culture provides the fuel for that vision and playbook to become reality. Culture trumps vision and strategy every time.

So today I’m writing about a framework for shaping a culture that will fuel the vision God has given you for the church you lead. Shaping culture starts with:

Identifying Core Values

Core values for some organizations are nothing more than words on a poster hanging on the wall. Nobody pays attention to them, organizational behavior is not influenced by the words on that poster . . . in many instances, those posters inspire cynicism.

The concept of core values can be a bit confusing, so let’s start with what they’re not:

• Aspirational – Aspirational values are characteristics an organization wants to have, wishes it had, and believes it must develop in order to maximize its success. These should not be confused with core values, which already exist, do not change over time and do not come and go with the needs of the organization.
• Permission to play – Values such as integrity, honesty, respect for others—these are minimum behavioral standards. Without these, a person shouldn’t even be allowed on the field of play.

Here’s my perspective on what core values are:

• Identified more than created – Core values are behavioral traits inherent in an organization. They lie at the heart of the organization’s identity, and usually already exist. They simply need to be discovered.
• Behaviors – Core values answer the “how do we behave” question. They provide staff and team members with clarity about how they act and interact at work. Core values are the behavioral rumble strips of a church or a business.

When we drive on a freeway and veer into the rumble strips on the shoulder, our car shakes. Our instinctive reflex is to course-correct, and get back into our lane. Core values function similarly. They teach us how to behave as we pursue our God-given vision, and when we get off course, they (hopefully) shake us back into the proper behavioral lane.

I stated earlier that core values are more identified than created. So how does a leader go about this identification process? It starts with the leader himself/herself. It then includes their leadership team. Once this group, along with the leader, gets fluent with the values in both understanding and behavior, those core values can then be broadcast to a larger audience. But it starts with the leader identifying them.

How to identify core values

• Questions to ask:
  • If I could clone anyone in the organization, who would that be? Why? What stands out about them that would make me want ten more just like them? Write a list of those positive traits.
  • For each trait listed, ask the following questions: Is this trait inherent and natural for us? Has it been apparent in the organization for a long time? If the answer is yes, then you’re hot on the trail of your core values.
  • Are we more committed to these values/traits than the majority of other orgs who do what we do?

In my view, the leader of an organization has to answer these to the best of their ability before opening up the discussion to the next level of leadership. Bringing in a consultant with a fresh set of eyes at this point can be helpful.

Once the core values have been identified by a leader and his/her leadership team, the next step in this culture-shaping pathway is to

Define/refine the identified core values

This part of the journey answers in depth the following questions:

• What does each value mean? For example, if you’ve identified the value of a healthy work/rest rhythm, what does that mean in your context? Hash this out with your team. Take notes.
• Why does this value matter? This step answers the question, “So what?” Why is this value important? What’s there to gain if we live it out? What’s there to lose if we don’t? Again, take notes.
• How will this value shape our behavior as leaders? How will it impact the way we talk to each other, treat each other, handle conflict with each other? Once more, take notes.

The goal of the define/refine step is two-fold. First . . . clarity. Second, a common language, so that every leader on your team (you included) when asked what the core values mean and why they matter, essentially says the same thing. Again, this process can be augmented with an outside facilitator.

All of the hard work outlined above sets the table for shaping the culture of our organization on a large scale, using core values as the foundation. Here’s a simple strategy for culture shaping:

• Teaching – Take time to teach these values to your organization—what they are, what they mean, why they matter, and how they will shape organizational behavior.
• Modeling – Culture is more caught than taught. When the leadership team behaves consistently within the boundaries of stated core values, the rest of the organization gets the message that the values matter.
• Celebration – When someone in the organization lives out a core value, take time to celebrate it publicly. What gets celebrated gets repeated
• Accountability – When it comes to shaping the culture you need, holding each other accountable to your core values is where the rubber meets the road. Let me share an example:
  • Suppose you have a strong performer on your team who’s not a cultural/values fit. You’ve tried to work with this person to help them embrace the values, but you’re seeing no progress. Keeping this person on the team creates a variety of problems. It’s demotivating to the rest of the team. It sends a loud and clear message that the organization isn’t really serious about what it says it believes.
  • Conversely, when you take the difficult step of letting a strong performer go because of a values mismatch, you not only send a powerful message about your commitment to the values, you also usually find that the performance of the remaining team improves because they’re no longer being stifled by the negative behavior of their former colleague.

The values journey can take 3-6 months to identify and define. But your culture will take a lifetime to shape. You’ll never be done shaping the culture you need. If you would like some assistance with the journey, Converge Coaching can help.

Leader—you may have a mouthwatering picture of a future organizational destination. You may have a brilliant playbook that outlines practical steps to arrive at said destination. But you need a healthy culture to provide the fuel to make it happen.

Rooting and praying for you,

John