making it easy to be an insider...

we have spent the last 3 months at the hospital with our newborn son Josiah, who has a rare heart condition called HLHS. In our time at the hospital, we have found there are some perks to being an insider.

An insider knows...

1. That the parking garage is free after 10:30 pm.

2. The stairs are much faster than the "D" elevator

3. Arriving at 5:30 for a 5:30 meal is too late to get any food at the Ronald McDonald House

4. There is free coffee in the PCICU waiting room, so don't pay to get it in the lobby

5. Talking on cell phones is frowned upon, but texting is overlooked almost every time

At your church, office, or school there should not be a hard learning curve to to becoming an insider however. For instance, the Moore family showed us a lot of these tips, within the 1st few days we met them. They were more than happy to share their insider secrets with us. Does your organization have insider secrets?

As an insider, do you have...

1. A special trick to make the copier fold and staple every time?

2. A way to jimmy and shake the key to unlock that tricky cabinet?

3. A special row at church where you can see the AC works best, you can see the stage, the pastor, and the screen all at the same time?

4. A bathroom around the corner from the main one where the line is always shorter?

5. An entrance that allows you to bypass the creepy old man who frowns at everyone?

Do everything you can to make the insider tricks available to everyone. Being an insider helps make us all feel at home. This can be done through a website or blog, but ultimately the very best way is to have someone who is willing to show every newcomer the insider secrets...