Several years ago, I facilitated a one-day church staff retreat. Both ministerial and administrative staff
were involved. One administrative assistant
stayed to help pack up at the end of the day.
As we talked, she said, “You know this was really good. We never have staff meetings and this is the
most time we have spent together as a staff.”
I did not respond openly, but I was both thankful and
surprised. I was thankful that someone
on the staff had taken the initiative to advocate for the retreat. However, I was surprised that any staff team
could function without having regular times for planning, encouragement, and
development.
When the team leader is not intentional about staff planning
and development, it is unlikely to happen.
An effective team leader realizes that when his or her colleagues are functioning
effectively and making the best use of their gifts and abilities, not only the
team will prosper, but the organization as well.
Pastors are not usually trained to be team leaders. This subject is rarely addressed in
theological education. Those pastors who
are effective team leaders have learned their skills from being part of a good staff
as a team member, acquired them in the marketplace, or found resources to help
them develop the skills.
This fall, I will be leading three webinars for Pinnacle
Leadership Associates on team leadership.
This an opportunity for any team leader to sharpen their skills.
On August 30, we will consider “How to Coach Your
Staff/Group/Team/Committee.” Whether you lead a work team, church staff,
planning group, or committee, you can apply coaching principles to build an
effective, productive group. We will
consider the basic skills of being a coaching leader.
On September 27, the topic is “Are We All on the Same Page? --Developing
an Effective Staff Covenant.” How can
you improve the way that your staff works together and presents itself to
others? Participants will learn how to strengthen
a staff team by clarifying and articulating common commitments and goals
through the development of a staff covenant.
Finally, on October 25, we will look at “Learning to Show
Appreciation to your Staff/Team Members”
Everyone likes to be appreciated, but people accept affirmation
in different ways. What are the most
effective ways to offer appreciation to staff or team members in your setting?
All webinars are one hour and scheduled for 10 am CT/11 am ET. Each
webinar is $20 or you can register for all three for $50. Register here.
Please contact me if you have questions.
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