In 2023 we placed a major emphasis on our Core Four – the four core behaviors we want to see in all New Day staff – and this year we want to keep the momentum going by covering one of our core four each quarter. And today we’re covering “duplicate.”
To duplicate something is to make a copy of it. And this is exactly what we want each staff member to do: Make copies of yourself. You have certain competencies, a certain character and you live by a certain culture. And we want you to take who you are make copies.
How does this happen?
- As you train them, they adopt your competencies.
- As you spend time with them, they adopt your character (as it rubs off on them).
- As you coach them, they adopt our New Day culture.
So in time, you create a mini-me, a copy of yourself. They still have their own unique God-given temperament and personality, but have adopted your competencies, character and culture.
This is what we see in Jesus’ ministry. His disciples remained unique individuals, but Jesus reproduced himself in them. He taught them what they needed to know, he modeled godly character, and constantly taught them kingdom culture. For example, in Luke 9:54, when James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume those who rejected Jesus’ ministry, Jesus was like “That’s not our culture.” And through various instances like these he taught them, until he had reproduced himself in them. And this is what we want to do with our volunteers.
Now here’s a little encouragement for you: Come 2025 we’re going to get coaching from Mac Lake that will give us a systematic and intentional process for exactly how we can do this. Right now this is happening more organically, but Mac will help us to do it more systematically and intentionally and skillfully.
DISCUSSION QUESTION: What are some of the signs that we’re successfully imprinting ourselves on our people?
STAFF ANSWERS
- When you observe a volunteer doing their job just the way you taught them.
- When we see someone striving for excellence in the details.
- When someone shows up five minutes early for a meeting.
- When they give feedback to those they lead just like we give feedback to them.
- When those we lead ask for our feedback (in that it shows they know the goal is to get better).
- When they show a love and commitment to the mission and vision.
- When they demonstrate a teachable spirit.
- When they solve a problem the way you would.
- When the department is run in your absence the way you would run it when you’re present.
- When staff repeat New Day sayings (e.g., excellence is in the details, five minutes early – right on time, quality not extravagance, etc)