What's Your Heart?

by Sam Chand

Your organization has a heart. We’ve all heard the term ‘assimilation’ thrown around a lot. But the heart of your organization is revealed by how you assimilate new members and employees into it. Let’s take a look at this on a practical level.

If someone were to come to your church this weekend, accept Christ, and become a member, what would your plan for that person’s life be? In the next eight months, how would you engage them at every level? Most churches don’t have a systematic, seamless process for each stage of a member’s growth. Most places wait until the person has gone through all the hoops to finally engage them.

An even deeper example: what is your assimilation process with new employees? If someone was to come to work for you today, and today was Day 1, what are your plans for that person’s life? Will you simply start with HR and policies and procedures? Or will you teach them about your culture, making sure they’re a good fit? Will you invest in them and work to make them a better employee?

Most organizations—sacred or secular—do not have a thought-out plan as to how to assimilate people coming into the organization. This is what you need to know: it will cost you three times as much in time, energy, and money to find a replacement than to bring in somebody right. How you onboard a person will define their longevity and the productivity. Engage the heart.