Multi-Site: 6 Best Practices for a Campus Visit

If you serve in a central role in a multi-site context, you are going to make campus visits. Or at least you should be making campus visits. You should strive to be a church hopper.

But what are the best practices to employ when making a campus visit? I’m still learning this. I don’t have it all figured out. I still take two steps back for every three steps forward, it seems.

But based on 15 or so years of “showing up on a Sunday,” the following are tried-and-true practices I strive to hit:

1. Find out how your campuses want to be visited.

Recently our central team sent a survey to our campus Guest Services Directors (GSDs). We wanted to know what they want in a visit. We asked questions like:

• Do you prefer that we schedule a time or just show up?
• Do you want us to walk around with you or leave you alone?
• Do you want us to give real time feedback or schedule a week-after phone call?

…and the answers were all over the place, proving there’s no one size fits all when it comes to those visits. So I’ll often consult the answers before making a trip, and make sure I’m meeting them where they are.

2. Have a posture of helpfulness.

One of our former staff members used to challenge us to arrive early for set up and stay late for tear down. While schedules don’t always allow for that with every visit, I appreciate the motivation and think that at least asking, “How can I best serve you while I’m here?” is the right question. That might mean you help to fill in a low volunteer team, or lead a volunteer huddle, or … yes … stick around to tear down. But your GSDs and their volunteers will appreciate it.

3. Don’t (always) show up empty-handed.

When possible and appropriate, bring your GSD a cup of coffee or a biscuit. Or go nuts and bring a few dozen donuts for volunteers. If the campus is waiting on a resource from central, hand-deliver it and offer to assemble it, install it, or set it up. Be like the cool uncle who brings gifts at random times.

4. Don’t fix it on Sunday.

Going back to point #1, some GSDs want your real-time feedback on Sunday. Others will want the time to point out to you what they think the problems and opportunities are. But if you’re a fixer, your biggest challenge will be to tamp down that urge to blow the system up and reset it while you’re there. Don’t do that. It can undermine your GSD, frustrate their volunteers, and erode credibility in the entire system.

[Related posts: Don’t Fix It On Sunday; How Does Multi-Site Feedback Work?]

5. Do for one what you wish you could do for all.

To borrow steal a quote from Andy Stanley, look for opportunities to be a huge blessing in small ways. If a volunteer mentions that they always forget their name tag at home, print them an extra one the following week to keep in their car. If a volunteer mentions a recurring issue that’s a simple fix, get the blessing from their GSD and then take the personal initiative to fix it.

6. Follow up with the Guest Services Director and their volunteers.

Depending on your GSD’s answer to the questions in point #1 above, you might need to schedule a quick call or meeting the following week to debrief the visit. But follow up, regardless, to thank the for their time and point out what you saw. It’s important here that you don’t assume the positives. Call them out for what you saw that was right!

And don’t forget their volunteers. If you meet a volunteer or two for the first time, take note of their name and send them a card, thanking them for their service.

If you’re in multi-site world, what have you found to be the best practices of a campus visit?