22: Transparency & Trust Build Culture // Bill Blocker, College of Biblical Studies

Al Lopus interviews Dr. Bill Blocker, President of the College of Biblical Studies in Houston.

Challenge:

When Bill Blocker became president of College of Biblical Studies in Houston, two goals rose to the top:

• Articulate the mission
• And get everyone’s buy in

Blocker realized, however, that neither outcome would matter without achieving a third goal—seeing every staff and faculty engaged with passion and energy.

Strategy:

Blocker saw personal and professional excellence, across the board, among faculty and staff. “Where we really needed to grow and improve was executing, fulfilling our promise to provide a biblically based education to African-American and other ethnic minority groups,” recalls Blocker. Toward that end, Blocker has coined the phrase “Can do, will do.”

• Can do speaks to a person’s ability demonstrated in their distinctive strengths, experience and practices.

• Will do speaks to passion. You can have all the education in the world, but without the desire to excel and willingness to serve, you’re bound to fall short.

Results:

As Blocker and his teams have “put the right people on the bus,” workplace engagement, and performance have steadily increased as measured by their Best Christian Workplace survey scores. And something more has emerged. “We tell people that our aim and commitment is to pour everything you need to become the person God wants you to be,” says Blocker. “Every faculty and staff knows he or she participates in truth, training and transformation. Each person knows he or she is a gatekeeper for truth and for training of students. Each one is aware that he or she is responsible for students’ transformation.