Stop Tolerating Mediocre Church Staff: Hire and Keep A Players

The Cost of Mediocrity in Staffing

• 💡 Leaders often lose sleep over team issues rather than strategy or finances, dealing with staff who are nice but don't deliver results, are chronically late, or have lost their drive.
• ⚠️ Tolerating B players sends a message that mediocrity is acceptable, which frustrates A players and can lead them to leave.
• 🎯 Even one B player can negatively impact overall performance, slow down progress, and cause the culture to accept a "good enough" standard.

Defining and Valuing A Players

• 🚀 A players are individuals who consistently exceed expectations, bring solutions, take ownership without being asked, and elevate those around them.
• 🧠 They are self-motivated, continuously grow and learn, and are energized by obstacles, often seeking feedback to improve.
• 📈 Research suggests A players can be up to 10 times more productive than average performers, with a smaller team of exceptional talent outperforming a larger team of average performers.

Identifying and Managing B Players

• ✅ B players meet job requirements but rarely exceed them, often needing detailed instructions and lacking initiative.
• 🗣️ They tend to be comfortable with the status quo, get defensive when receiving feedback, and may offer excuses like "it's not my job."
• 🔍 The "keeper test" from Netflix asks if you would fight hard to keep an employee if they wanted to leave; a "no" indicates a B player who should be moved out.

Building a Culture of A Players

• 🛠️ Leaders should hire for character and train for competency, looking for attitude, drive, and core skill sets rather than just experience.
• 💰 It's crucial to pay top performers what they are worth, especially in nonprofit settings, to retain them.
• 🎯 Making tough decisions about underperforming staff, setting clear improvement timelines, and moving them out respectfully is essential for organizational health.

Benefits of an A Player Team

• ✨ A team of A players leads to less time managing and more time leading, with problems solved proactively and innovation occurring naturally.
• 🚀 Organizations with A players can implement progressive policies like unlimited time off or a 4-day work week, leading to increased productivity and employee satisfaction.
• 🏆 The best organizations win not with strategy or resources, but with the best team, emphasizing that compromising on talent compromises the mission.