We all want to be on the A-Team

Each team has a leader and team members.

What are you?

“The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say ‘I.’ And that’s not because they have trained themselves not to say ‘I.’  They don’t think ‘I.’ They think ‘we’; they think ‘team.’  They understand their job to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don’t sidestep it, but ‘we’ gets the credit….This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done.” – Peter Drucker

Are you a Team Leader or a Team Member?  It is important to know what your role is.

I am a Team Member.  I work best and enjoy it most, when Mark has a goal and says, “Okay, let’s do this.”

I am an organizer and a planner.

I love paper and notes and forms.

I enjoy trying to figure out how to do things.

I want to share with you 5 tips for team leaders that you can put into action this week.

Team Leader

As the Team Leader you are a constant guide for your team members. You are the one that gives direction, inspiration and motivation to your team to get the job done.

TIP ONE: Invite suggestions from your Team members. This allows them to feel motivated and important to the team. Discuss things with your team and take their advice.

TIP TWO: It’s not all work and no play. Don’t only discuss church “stuff” with them. Celebrate their birthdays, anniversaries. Several times a year plan events where they can develop relationships with each other, outside of serving at church.

TIP THREE: Allow their gifts to shine.  Invite your team members to share responsibilities. As your church grows so do your programs and organization. As you are faced with new challenges, remember you have a team to help you.  As the leader it is your responsibility to get the job done, not do it all by yourself.  Remember don’t impose things on them; but let them happily accept the challenges. They know what they are good at and what their schedule allows time for.

TIP FOUR: Develop Group Huddles at each service and event.  Group huddles allow for clear direction for the day.  This only needs to take 5-10 minutes, but it bonds the team, and it allows the team leader to communicate any last minute direction about the service.  It also invites a comraderie among your team.

TIP FIVE: Show your team how much you appreciate them.  Your team is one of the most valuable resources you have.  It is important to give recognition and praise to your team on a regular basis – individually and corporately.

As a team leader what can you stop doing that will strengthen your team? 

What can you begin to do that will build the team?

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