Over the years, DiscipleMakers has developed a flourishing workplace culture. Two of their foundational practices are an intentional commitment to proactive listening and creating a relationally-based workplace where feedback is welcomed.
Through a long partnership with Best Christian Workplaces, DiscipleMakers has consistently measured and refined its culture since 2015. They are a growing campus ministry now serving more than 26 campuses. On their most recent survey, they ranked in the 100th percentile among 168 peer parachurch and missions organizations—a rare achievement that reflects both spiritual vitality and organizational health.
A workplace culture built on intentional listening and relational connection has contributed to their flourishing workplace culture.
At the heart of DiscipleMakers’ culture is a simple but often underused leadership practice: ask for feedback early.
“I’ve learned the hard way over the years, as President,” Peter Krol reflects, “that I’m going to hear people’s feedback whether I want to or not, so I can just make it easier by asking for it upfront, before the decision becomes encoded in stone.”
This posture reframes feedback from a threat into a strategic advantage. Rather than defending decisions after the fact, leaders invite input while decisions are still forming.
Tom Hallman, Vice President, explains how DiscipleMakers’ leadership team has put this principle into practice: “There were several people who regularly offered insightful feedback whenever we'd make changes. So we thought to ourselves, why not make that part of their jobs and make them policy consultants? God clearly gifted them with sharp minds and enough courage to speak to leadership. The outcome is better policies, higher trust, and a sense of shared ownership.”
This practice of asking for feedback requires humility from leaders and respect for the insights of people at all levels of the organization.
In addition to getting specific feedback from their policy consultants, the leadership team has other practical communication practices that contribute to a flourishing workplace:
Listening leadership thrives in an environment of trust, where people feel safe to speak. At DiscipleMakers, psychological safety is rooted in a deeply relational culture.
“We take the Lord very seriously, but ourselves, not so much,” Tom says. This value creates an atmosphere where hierarchy fades, and relationships flourish. At staff conferences, senior leaders and new hires casually interact—playing games, sharing meals, and engaging in informal conversations.
During new staff orientation, the executive leadership team shares testimonials and stories about what they each love about their jobs, and new staff can ask any questions they want. It provides a relational connection between those in leadership positions and brand-new staff.
“The top levels of the organization are just sitting around on couches, talking with the newest staff,” Tom notes. “No one thinks twice about it.”
In addition, leaders pray regularly for the staff, both personally and when they meet together. They often follow up with a quick text to the person they prayed for in order to encourage, share Scripture, and ask for additional prayer requests. This happens at all levels of the ministry.
The leaders understand that it’s a challenge to keep a highly relational culture as they grow. DiscipleMakers has expanded from 11 campuses to 26 in a decade. Tom reflects on the growth, “We have a family feel, and the struggle for us is to try to figure out how to let everybody get a say as we grow. We’re around 120 staff right now. That’s a really big family dinner table!”
Continual attention to relational connections and accessibility lowers barriers to feedback and fosters trust. Over time, a healthy workplace culture increases employee engagement, so staff bring their full energy to achieving the organization's mission.
In addition to multiple feedback loops, DiscipleMakers has a long-term commitment to measurement. Since 2015, the organization has conducted regular Employee Engagement Surveys through Best Christian Workplaces.
Aimee Hodges, the Best Christian Workplaces consultant who works with them, observes the listening culture in action: “As we go through their Employee Engagement Survey results together, I can see how all the leaders own the results of the survey and want to dive deeply into further understanding. They have fluency with the data that demonstrates the practical ways they use survey data to inform action plans.”
This iterative process has created a culture of continuous improvement. Even after reaching the 99th percentile, the team didn’t settle. “Let’s keep pushing,” Tom says. “Is there a 101st percentile? I don’t know. Let’s go!”
DiscipleMakers’ journey offers practical insights for leaders seeking to cultivate a healthy workplace culture:
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