What do you think of when you hear employee handbook? Do your eyes roll? Do you think of a boring collection of policies and rules? Well, you may be surprised to hear this, but you are correct. There is a lot of legal stuff covered in a handbook. The content is not all that exciting unless you are an HR person like me, and frankly its content you may never use… that is, until you need it.
However, I believe handbooks have gotten a bad reputation. That is why I prefer to call them a “Playbook”.
What is a playbook?
A Playbook is defined as:
a book containing a team’s strategies and coordination of activities (game play)
a set of instructions, or methods for completing or handling a specific activity or event
Google “what’s in a playbook” and you will find they are full of content including definitions, conduct policies, roles and responsibilities, goals, stats, vision, values, scheduling, performance requirements and much, much more. Any of this sounding familiar? It should, most of these things can be found in an employee handbook.
Does a winning team ignore the playbook? Is an award-winning architect going to deviate from the architectural plan? Is a car manufacturer going to scrap its engineering diagrams? Of course not. These all provide the plays for which the team of visionaries, planners, and builders deliver exceptional results.
Benefits of a playbook
The same is true in ministry. The staff playbook provides the agreed upon rules of engagement for the successful operation of the ministry. It is a point of reference when a play comes into question. It’s the method of instant replay. It also provides language that your church or ministry can use over and over again to build culture. Other benefits playbooks provide include:
A resource for evaluating potential new staff members during the interview process
A consistent tool to train staff and evaluate performance
Empowers leadership to act and respond in alignment with the organizations values and culture.
Makes having difficulty conversations easier because expectations and boundaries are clear
Ensures fair and equal treatment for all team members
As a result, all team members understand what is expected of them and each other. This is why we love playbooks. It provides the foundation for both the individual and the organization to win!
Want to learn more? We can help you design and implement your people operations playbook. Let’s talk.
