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After 25 years in full-time ministry, I’m recognizing a consistent pattern within the most fruitful ministry teams. So, I gave it a title and blogged about it. Here are the 7 ingredients of healthy and productive ministry teams. Let me know what you think…
#1 Healthy and productive teams identify as a team.
Not every group of people working together is a team. Some ‘ministry teams’ are just working groups – a group of co-workers or key volunteers that report to the same person (Pastor). They might meet together periodically or even regularly but the results require no collaboration or teamwork and that’s not a true team.
Real teams differ from working groups in one important way – they have a shared win. Shared wins require individual and mutual accountability. In other words, shared wins happen with collaboration and teamwork or they don’t happen at all.
#2 Healthy and productive teams embrace shared values.
The best teams clarify three sets of values: 1) values that articulate the uniqueness of the mission; 2) values that describe what excellence looks like; and, 3) values that clarify how people are treated.
Clearly defined shared values are like glue, they hold the ministry team together. They are like a compass, they keep you heading in the right direction. They are like a ruler, they serve as a measuring stick. They are like a magnet, attracting the right people.
#3 Healthy and productive teams stay on mission.
A clear and compelling mission helps leaders distinguish between good, better and best. Having a sharp mission statement empowers ministry teams to say, “No, we are not going to pursue that. It’s not on mission.” And the only way to say, “No!” is to have a deeper burning, “Yes!” inside.
Mission creep has inhibited many organizations from accomplishing their purpose and the Church is not immune from this debilitating disease. In fact, the Church is more vulnerable than most organizations because the spiritual needs around us are so immense and we want to help. Ministry teams that have a sharp sense of their most important mission are better equipped to overcome the temptation of mission creep.
#4 Healthy and productive teams insist on a set of clearly defined roles, responsibilities and expectations.
Roles identify who we are within the organization, responsibilities define what we do and expectations communicate desired results to achieve.
The best teams assign roles and responsibilities based on sweet spot – the intersection of three things: 1) gifting of God; 2) passion of the individual; and, 3) need/opportunity within the ministry or parish. When all three exist, managing the person is a whole lot easier, just loose them and let them grow the ministry.
#5 Healthy and productive teams contain a mix of personalities that catalyzes positive chemistry.
Just as there are various positions on a sports team and different instruments in an orchestra, the best ministry teams are a mosaic of personality types. In healthy teams, unique personalities are welcomed and appreciated. Differences are complimentary not contradictory. In other words there is relational chemistry that manifests in the following ways:
- people like each other and enjoy spending time together
- meetings are fun and generate a lot of discussion and ideological conflict that produce great ideas
- there is a high level of trust and empathy
- people listen to each other because they sincerely value other perspectives
- people share their hearts because they are free and safe to do so
- relationships are transformational in nature not transactional
- there is productivity chemistry as well, people in business call this synergy
- people arrive early and stay late because the morale is high and exciting things are happening.
#6 Healthy and productive teams have the ability and the willingness to adapt and change.
Methods are many, principles are few; methods always change, principles never do. Ministry efforts quickly become irrelevant when methods are confused with principles. Saying, “we’ve always done it that way” is a certain way to fade into ineffectiveness. The only reason to do it one way and not another is because it’s the best way to do it.
Great leaders are simultaneously loyal to two principles that seem to be contradictory: preserve the core and stimulate progress (language borrowed from Jim Collins). I will say it again: methods are many, principles are few; methods always change, principles never do.
#7 Healthy and productive teams speak the unspoken engage in difficult conversations with grace.
Healthy teams are filled with substantial levels of vulnerability-based trust (Lencioni) and genuine mutual respect. Trust enables teams to engage in deeper, more meaningful and sometimes jugular conversations that involve a lot of ideological conflict. Getting things aired out in the open increases the level of commitment to the decisions that are made because everyone feels understood.
Working groups meet regularly but results require no collaboration and that's not a team. Share on X Real teams have a shared win that requires individual & mutual accountability. Share on X Shared values on the senior ministry team are like glue, they hold the team together. Share on X Shared values in the parish ministry team are like magnets, they attract the right people. Share on X Roles = who we are; responsibilities = what we do; expectations = desired results. Share on X In healthy teams, different personalities are welcomed and appreciated. Share on X In healthy teams, differences are complimentary not contradictory. Share on X Saying, “we’ve always done it that way” paves the way toward irrelevance & ineffectiveness. Share on X Healthy teams embrace 2 contradictory ideas: preserve the core & stimulate progress (Collins). Share on X
Love #3 it’s all about focus! Many worthy and good things come at us every day, still if they do not align with our mission we must avoid them at all cost. Love the “mission creep” language.
Also like #4 assigning roles based on a person’s sweet spot! Operating outside of my strike zone only brings frustration. Again it’s about focus.