Anyone who enters an unfamiliar place — whether it’s a new business, new country or new relationship — at some point will find themselves watching and listening for clues for adapting to their new surroundings. For the public safety chaplain coming into the company or department from the outside, learning and adapting to the culture is vital.
Chaplain Xolani Kacela’s observations about military chaplaincy also apply to public safety chaplaincy: “You have to adapt quickly and find ways to assimilate or become a perpetual outsider. People who learn the culture and adapt to it will have a higher chance of success than those who resist assimilation and decide that they can change the culture.”
One strategy for chaplains to assimilate into their organization is to intentionally and systematically operationalize their work. Operationalizing chaplaincy refers to the process of defining, implementing and measuring chaplains’ roles and activities in practical, observable terms. Public safety is an intensely protocol-driven industry, and the chaplain is advised to learn the language. This means understanding and complying with organizational policies and procedures. It means writing mission and vision statements defining the chaplain’s purpose and goals, and ensuring that the chaplain’s work is consistent with organizational objectives.
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In addition to the practical benefits of thinking through and articulating the operations aspect of the work, there is a strong relational benefit. That is, the leadership team recognizes that the chaplain is, indeed, talking their language. By doing the heavy lifting on getting integrated into the workforce, the chaplain sends a clear message: “This is what you can expect from me, and I expect you to hold me accountable.”
There are several key aspects to operationalizing chaplaincy. Among them are:
- Aligning and clarifying the goals and expectations of the position with organizational goals. It is necessary for chaplaincy services to be integrated within the broader mission and objectives of the institution.
- Defining the scope of practice and core competencies. Chaplains must earn and maintain their professional credentials, sharpening and clearly stating their skills and knowledge areas.
- Standardizing practices. Writing and distributing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the chaplain’s work will define the expectations that others can have. It also serves to educate the leadership team and the workforce about the chaplain’s scope of practice.
- Publicizing the chaplain’s code of ethics and personal/professional boundaries. It is essential that the chaplain have clear and firm boundaries, and be held to a code of ethics that prohibits proselytizing.
- Measuring impact. Creating ways to assess the outcomes of chaplaincy interventions, setting goals and having an annual performance evaluation.
These practices provide a level of transparency, showing that the chaplain is treated the same and is held to the same high standards as everyone else. While the language of operations may be unfamiliar to the new chaplain, adopting this approach is not burdensome. To the contrary, operationalizing chaplaincy makes it easier to earn trust. Doing the desk work of creating the operations documents also gives the chaplain the space to think about what they hope to accomplish. It builds fluency and ability to respond to situations and conversations as they arise. And, when the opportunity arises, you have the resources available to prepare presentations for new employees, continuing education, the leadership team or a group of chaplain peers.
At their core, the items listed above are an immensely valuable communication tool. Learning to “talk administration” is a skill that will reduce misunderstandings and facilitate the work the chaplain came there to do in the first place — supporting frontline providers who have a very stressful job.
