OPS TEAM PRESENTATION

NOTE: I shared these thoughts with a new group being trained for the Ops Team. We were transitioning this team to a new young leader (Cory) and my goal was to help him succeed with the group as part of the “training”. Perhaps these notes would help inspire the design of your training…

  1. Opening Thoughts
  2. I am now in a season where God is telling me to “Gear Up” and “Give Away”. PK has always talked about seasons of climbing and seasons of camping…and I am definitely into a new climb
  3. “Gear Up” has me leaning into new experiences, carrying more responsibility, and taking new territory. From my personal life to my work life, I am stepping into new challenges and trying to turn loose of old habits and clutter that are keeping me from the “more” that God has for me.
  4. “Give Away” is about passing along the valuable lessons that have been poured into me over the years. From the lessons that I write about every day in my blog to empowering and training other leaders, I am intentionally trying to share the leadership mantle that has been entrusted to me. Cory is a great example of that. There is no young leader on this staff who carries his unique mix of heart and project management skills…he is the perfect leader of this team…and I can’t brag on him enough. If you have any trust in me as a leader, please give that same trust to Cory and let’s build a team that the entire church wants to join. OK?
  5. LET’S PRAY
  6. Review the Evolution and History of the Ops Team
  7. First Building: Collins Hill
  8. 250 seats, 100 parking spaces
  9. One volunteer had all Sunday morning teams (Parking, Greeting, and Ushers)
  10. Next Building: Edwards 1
  11. 500 seats, 250 parking spaces
  12. We split into 3 teams under 3 different pastors
  13. Next Building: Edwards 2
  14. 1,000 seats, 530 parking spaces
  15. We formed the original Ops Team…by gathering all the team leaders every Sunday morning and reviewing our response plans to that day’s agenda.
  16. Central Campus
  17. 2,500 seats, 1400 parking spaces
  18. Due to the sheer size & scope, One volunteerbecame the Ops Team (he happened to be an analytical thinker who also was the leader of the Greeting Team)
  19. Last year, we realized the Greeting Team had developed an “operational DNA” and we prefer to return to the “concierge DNA” that we first envisioned. Therefore, we separated the Ops Team from the Greeting Team. Cory now leads both teams and I have been helping with the Ops side. I have become convinced this was the best thing that has yet happened to this team.
  20. Vision and Direction (DNA, heart, passion, best practices)
  21. Ops Team owns the gaps between these teams during a service:
  22. Parking
  23. Greeting
  24. Usher
  25. Coffee
  26. Hospitality
  27. Resource (free CD’s)
  28. Tech
  29. Producers
  30. There is no job description, but your plate is always full
  31. We are always looking for the next issue to solve
  32. Restroom / lobby speakers not working or bad volume
  33. Pinch points in the flow of people due to last minute lobby layout changes
  34. Check-in issues
  35. Children’s pickup issues
  36. Medical emergencies
  37. We project manage (event manage) for the church
  38. Our job is to identify and elevate, but not regulate. This is a mantra I pushed hard upon. If the Ops Team begins to act like the “church police”…we lose our visitor friendly DNA
  39. We help protect the 12Stone experiencebrand
  40. Roles we need in the Ops Team:
  41. Leaders who are skilled at taking command in an emergency
  42. Highly relational skills are required
  43. You won’t see the Ops Team in an org chart
  44. But everyone will follow a leader who knows what to do, and who brings calm to the storm
  45. Project Planners who are skilled at organizing complicated projects and events
  46. Normal Sundays
  47. Major Event Sundays
  48. Major Initiatives (Christmas Projects)
  49. Campus launches (especially future ones in temp locations)
  50. Contributors who just make the team better at both!
  51. Weekly rhythms to focus on
  52. We need to give better advance notice of service flow and the unusual “sideshows”
  53. We need constant “Walkabouts” during service times
  54. We need to huddle and debrief after every service
  55. We need to share notes among the campus teams
  56. Projects needed now
  57. Improved emergency evacuation plans at all campuses
  58. Shared communicationsbetween campuses
  59. Expanded coverage beyond weekend worship (student ministry events, large training events, etc)
  60. Other thoughts
  61. Honor the boundaries of your “All Access” pass. Don’t enter the secured areas (office, production) and use that as an opportunity to visit.
  62. As the exiting leader, do not allow a conversation with me to become a change your process. Cory is your leader. He should be included in any requests to change the process.
  63. All of us need to recruit and build this team
  64. 12Stone will lean onthis team for all campus launch and major event planning
  65. 12Stone needs us to be strong in capacity, relationships, and maturity