Four easy ways to add value to your team

April 16, 2018 wgsattlc

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Four “Easy” Ways To Add Value To Your Team

Team management is one of the most difficult task that a pastor faces. Each team member is different and needs certain things from you as the team leader if they are going to be successful at what they do. After all, the best description of a servant leader is to, “Give people what they need in order to be successful. Or biblically put in Ephesians 4, “equip the saints for ministry”. Every leader struggles with team dynamics and how to make the team work better and better together for the cause of the Kingdom of Christ. Let me give you 4 easy ways to move the team forward while instilling value into those you work with.

T = Trust – there is nothing in my onion harder than letting go of a project or area of ministry. Turning a vital ministry over to another person and telling them they need to run with it and not micromanaging it is very scary and it requires trust. Building trust takes time, however it has to do more with the people being in the right seats that anything else. The bottom line is this, be slow to hire and quick to fire. I often say to my team, “If I can’t trust you, I don’t need you” or another way to say it, “If I have to do it myself, I don’t need you.” Being careful to hire people of character and integrity and then fully investing in them and watching them succeed is the best part of leadership, but it takes trust, both as a choice and because it is earned.
E = Encouragement – Everyone of us likes to be encouraged. It is so important in the local church that it is even a Spiritual Gift that some people have. We have one lady in our church that I love to see her heading towards me because I know that her mouth is full of encouragement. When she is done talking to me, I am pumped up and want to do more. That is exactly what good leaders do better than anyone else. They bring encouragement to the team and the team individuals. When everybody else is down, there responsibility is to lift the team up. When things are not going right, their role is to say, “There will be a better day tomorrow”. Not a prideful attitude but a confident hope that God is in charge and He will make it right. Encourage the team. It causes people to do their best.
A = Appreciation – this goes along with Encouragement. No matter what age your team is, no matter how long they have been with the church and no matter what role on the team they play, everyone needs and wants to be appreciated for the contribution they are giving. Good leaders learn to say thank you and mean it and it makes a powerful difference to the team. There is no other area of leadership that is more neglected in my opinion than this. Without even realizing it, we soon take team members for granted. As a matter of fact, because they don’t need a lot of attention, we seem to take the best team members for granted and consecrate on the difficult ones. Don’t get caught up spending all of your time investing is difficult team members and forget to be thankful to those who are doing great things in the ministry for Christ. Being thankful makes a difference.
M = Mentorship – This is where building value really shines. Taking someone from where they are and giving them the tools and skills to be successful is what it is all about. Look to improve your team by investing in them. The difference between a poor team and a great one may be you. Most of us love to talk about the great things, but a good leader is not afraid to talk to a team member about how they can improve on the things that just are not working. I hate conformation but realize it may be the best thing I can do for my team. I need to ask myself, “Do I love this team member more than any problem that can arise” or Do I want the best for this person?” If I truly have their interest in mind I will invest in them and mentor them so that they can be a the best they can be. It always takes longer to mentor but the rewards far out way the effort.

Probably the greatest joy a leader can have is to see his team move forward and be the best they can be. By giving trust, being full of encouragement, appreciating all that your team does and mentoring them along the way you will see huge dividends and a more satisfying work place for all involved.