TeamBuilder Track

 
 
 

Step 2: Build a Team Culture

FIRST TEAM MEETING

Share the Vision. Gather your team together and review the strategic goal you’ve been assigned to accomplish. Talk about:

1. What the goal is
2. What makes you excited about the goal
3. Ideas to accomplish the goal
4. The timing of the goal - if timing is needed.

Establish a foundation of prayer. It may go without saying, but prayer should be the cornerstone of all we do. There is great power when we hear others pray because prayer reveals the heart. When you hear someone’s heart, you see into what God is doing in their life. While the team is gathered, talk about the necessity of prayer--then take time to pray for the vision/goals of your team and for each other.

COLLABORATION:

As you collaborate and discuss, use your downloaded workbook to record answers.

1. What is a team win? As a team talk about what you believe to be a win. Is a win simply increasing small group attendance by 25%, or is a win a testimony about personal or relational breakthrough.

2. Clarify Team Norms and Expectations. Team norms are basically relationship guidelines that should be established at the get-go, but may also develop gradually. Team norms should be respected and agreed upon habits that become behavioral expectations.

Below are examples of team norms you should openly talk about and agree on.

As you review each of these team norms, make sure someone records the group’s conclusions.

  1. Decisions: How are decisions made? Do we need to reach a consensus? Who has the final say? Is open debate acceptable?

  2. Meetings: When is it acceptable to miss a meeting? How will we encourage participation? How often and how long should we meet? Who will be keeping minutes of the meeting?

  3. Management: Is creativity encouraged? What is a reasonable personal investment of time? What boundaries should we expect i.e. can we call each other at 10:00 pm at night? What is acceptable to share outside our meetings and what should remain confidential until the time is right?

  4. Conflict: Yep, it just may happen and how will you deal with it? How are rules enforced? How do you feel about mistakes? What triggers conflict? How is conflict resolved?

  5. Interpersonal: What is the best way to communicate? Do we really listen, and how can we a rm that we are? Do we respect all ideas? Are we ok with honesty? Does open dialogue occur? Do you agree that a feedback-rich culture is important, and if so, how will you provide feedback?

Is there something else you would like to add to the conversation about team norms? The fact is, if you don’t talk about what is expected on your team, when trouble arises you have no agreed upon foundation to return to.

3. A Note About Maintaining Good Relationships on Your Team

In his book The Power of a Positive Team, John Gordon offers the following advice on improving your relationships and team:

1. Communicate. Communication builds trust. Trust generates commitment. Commitment fosters teamwork and teamwork delivers results.

2. Connect. Communication begins the process of building trust but connection is where a bond of trust is created. Connecting is essential because you’ll never have commitment without connection.

3. Commit. Everybody wants their team members to be committed but if you want commitment from others you have to show your commitment to them.

4. Care. If you knew someone cared about you and had your back would you be more open to their feedback? Of course you would. And it’s the same with your team members.

In this section of Team Building, you spent time creating a team culture. Next, you will work on building a communication strategy. Communication is often a missed key element of a successful team. Without good communication your team can forget the why and begin to wander from your goals.