Help! I’m New (Part 2): Before You Change Anything, Do This First

You’ve been hired. You’ve found your desk. You’ve figured out where the bathrooms are. And already, you see things that need to change.

Maybe it’s the schedule. Maybe it’s volunteers. Maybe it’s curriculum, communication, or chaos disguised as tradition.

Your instincts are firing, and that’s not a bad thing.

But before you touch anything, there’s one critical step that will either set you up for long-term success… or quietly sabotage your leadership.

Do an inspection before you make improvements.

Why Most New Leaders Get This Backward

Most new leaders walk into a ministry and immediately start asking:

• “What’s broken?”

• “What would I do differently?”

• “Why are they doing it this way?”

Those questions feel productive. They feel responsible. They feel like leadership.

But they’re incomplete.

Because until you understand why things are the way they are, every change you make feels personal to the people who built it.

And trust me, someone built it.

Inspection Is Not Criticism

An inspection isn’t about finding fault. It’s about gaining clarity.

Think of it like moving into a house that’s already furnished.

You don’t start ripping out walls on day one. You walk through every room. You open cabinets. You notice what works and what doesn’t.

Only then do you decide what stays, what changes, and what just needs better lighting.

The same is true in ministry.

What Are You Actually Inspecting?

When I step into a new role, I mentally run everything through five filters. They’re simple, but incredibly revealing.

1. Families

How connected are parents to what’s happening? Do they feel informed… or tolerated? Are they partners or just drop-off drivers?

Your answers here will tell you how much trust already exists.

2. Relationships

Watch people, not programs.

Are volunteers engaging kids and students -or just supervising them? Do leaders talk with families or about them? Do people linger… or leave quickly?

Healthy ministries are relational long before they’re impressive.

3. Experience

Is there any sense of intentionality or does everything feel reactive?

This isn’t about budget. It’s about care.

Do spaces feel welcoming? Do transitions feel thoughtful? Do kids and students feel like someone planned for them?

Small upgrades often matter more than big ideas.

4. Safety

This list is usually longer than people expect.

Do you have enough volunteers? Are there clear policies—or just assumptions? Does the environment feel safe, not just technically compliant?

Safety gaps erode trust faster than bad teaching ever will.

5. Hope

At the end of the day, does everything point people toward Jesus?

Not just fun. Not just information. Not just crowd control.

Are kids, students, volunteers, and families being spiritually shepherded or just managed?

Study the Wake, Not Just the Horizon

Here’s another mistake new leaders make:

They only look forward.

Vision matters -but history explains resistance.

Spend time learning:

• what’s been tried before

• what failed and why

• what people still miss

• who the long-term influencers are

When you understand the wake behind the boat, you can tell how quickly it’s able to turn.

Big ships turn slowly. Small boats turn fast.

Misjudge that, and people get thrown overboard.

This Is Where Trust Is Built (or Lost)

Inspection does something powerful:

It tells people you care enough to listen before leading.

When volunteers feel seen…When parents feel heard…When staff feel respected…

You start making relational deposits.

And later—when it is time to change something—you’ll have the trust to do it.

Don’t Rush This Step

I know the pressure you feel.

You want to prove yourself. You want to justify the hire. You want to show progress.

But speed without understanding creates resistance, not momentum.

Your job right now isn’t to fix everything.

Your job is to:

• observe wisely

• ask good questions

• write things down

• and resist the urge to impress

That’s leadership.

What’s Coming Next

In the next post, we’re going to talk about something every new leader underestimates:

👉 How fast (or slow) you’re actually allowed to make change—and why guessing wrong costs you trust.

If you’re tempted to move quickly, you won’t want to miss it.

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