3 words....

When you think of the DMV, what word comes to mind......SLOW. How about when you think of the library...quiet. What about Clemson football...too easy I couldn't resist. Every organization has a unique identity, a brand. It's at the intersection of the organizations unique culture and the personal experience of those who use their resources.

Every entity has a culture. It's the way you operate, relate and connect with the people that walk through your doors. Over the summer we had our annual Staff Advance...other churches call it their Retreat, but we feel that the church should always move forward. Going into the advance Pastor Steven gave each staff an assignment, interview 3 people who have been associated in some way with Elevation and ask each to describe the church in 3 words. The exercise helped the staff understand that we have a unique culture, but is it the one we want. We walked away from the assignment with a clear understanding of our 3 words: Audacity, Honor and Generosity. Moving froward all decisions, structures, conversations need to reflect those 3 words.

If you are at a church I recommend that your staff go through this exercise. It will help you clarify your culture and your identity. I've decided to take this to a personal level. I'm going to email a random sample of my people in my contact list and ask them to respond with 3 words that describe me. I may not like everything I read, but it will help me understand how I'm being perceived. The goal is to leverage to feedback for personal development. I'll keep you posted on the results!!