Pastor’s Blog

Groups rule!  They really shouldn’t, but they do. When it comes to church leadership/administration, TEAMS should rule – not goups.  Why?  Because a strategy based on the group concept is wrought with limitations and inadequacies that create a high potential for unnecessary problems and conflicts.  Another subtle hazard of the group concept is that we are naturally inclined toward this approach.  We unintentionally gravitate toward “group-think” rather than “team-think”.  To build a team-based strategy will require you to be deliberate about educating yourself and influencing others that the team approach is by far the most effective path to ministry success.

Let’s look at some simple definitions that may help you begin to appreciate the many advantages of team over group.  A group is a small number of people with a leader who come together to accomplish an assigned task.  A team is the same except the leader, through his/her demeanor, guidance and instructions, cultivates an atmosphere where members feel a sense of ownership and commitment to value based common goals that they helped establish.  Each team member is urged to apply their own unique talents, knowledge and creativity to the team objectives.

Henry Ford said, “Coming together is a beginning.  Keeping together is progress.  Working together is success!” I can’t remember who said this, but it’s worth noting:  “Teams are less about ME and more about WE.  It is amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.”

Consider these benefits of team versus group: 1) less conflict, 2) because of the positive atmosphere team-think generates, people look forward to the gatherings and this results in an atmosphere of excitement and motivation, therefore attendance is more consistent, 3) there is a dramatic increase in the quality and quantity of input from the team members, 4) a team environment raises the level of creativity and innovation, 5) teams use the budget more efficiently than groups, 6) teams make the overall organization more flexible and adaptable, and 7) fully embraced, team-think eliminates “tufism”.

Transitioning from group-think to team-think is a current work in progress at our church. The information in this blog is what we’re learning and in the process of doing.  We’re not fully engaged in team-think yet.  Again, we have discovered that our biggest challenge in this change process is wrestling with the natural inclination toward group-think.  Moving our organization from group toward team begins with me as the senior pastor.  It starts with self-education on the difference between the two and advantages of team over group.  The staff must then buy into the team concept and begin the process of teaching the people they lead, and so on with the ministry directors, volunteers, etc.  Our goal is that team-think will become as natural to us a group-think has been.

The most difficult barriers to overcome as you move toward team-think will probably be church politics, personality differences, and competition.  When these or other obstacles arise, remind everyone that when we attempt to make permanent changes in how we think, these little irritants are inevitable.  Learning how to deal positively with each barrier will help us to evolve into an effective team instead of an ordinary group.

Essential characteristics of healthy teams include: 1) trust – all participants must be confident that they can count on each other to achieve a common goal, 2) common values – everyone must be likeminded concerning the ultimate goal of the team, 3) entrepreneurial atmosphere – an environment where innovation, creativity and risk taking is expected, not simply encouraged, and 4) reward – the glory of God and the growth of His Kingdom.

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team:  A Leadership Fable, Patrick M. Lencioni (NOTE:  Our staff at WC is currently reading this book together.  We read assigned passages and then discuss them at our weekly staff meeting.)

• Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions of a Team:  A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators, Patrick M. Lencioni

• The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player:  Becoming the Kind of Person Every Team Wants, John C. Maxwell

• The Wisdom of Teams:  Creating the High Performance Organization, Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith