The Question of the Week...

The same question, coming from 3 different conversations with 3 different pastors over the course of 3 different days prompted this series of posts.



Q: How do you put together a team of leaders to guide a church through a building project?

My reply is that you don't just want a team, you need a high-performing team. The foundational work that I have used for several years is based on what Pat MacMillian, author of "The Performance Factor", has described as six characteristics of a high-performing team. The first characteristic was a common purpose. The second was crystal clear roles. Here are the remaining four characteristics.

High performance teams need - no, demand - accepted leadership capable of calling out the levels of initiative and creativity that motivate exceptional levels of both individual and collective performance.



High performance teams have effective processes. They identify, map, and then master their key team processes. They constantly evaluate the effectiveness of key processes, asking: How are we doing? What are we learning? How can we do it better?


High performance teams must work out of a foundation of solid relationships. The relational qualities of trust, acceptance, respect, courtesy, and a liberal dose of understanding are needed for high levels of team effectiveness.



High performance teams have excellent communication. No team can move faster than it communicates; fast, clear, and accurate communication is the key to thinking and acting collectively.

It's a short list - only six characteristics. But each characteristic plays a specific and vital role in making the team effective. Notice the arrangement of the characteristics - a wheel shape. In a sense, each one is equal and necessary. If one of these six characteristics is missing or inadequate, the team is limping at best. Think of the wheel on your car: if it is out of balance or alignment, the performance is affected. What starts out as a distraction can turn into a disaster.

The same is true for your team: if two or three are missing, your group is probably not a team at all.

Here's my quick answer for the question above.

A: You start by bringing together a group of people who effectively demonstrate the six characteristics of a high-performing team. Once the team is together, the work begins.

TEAM + WORK = TEAMWORK

Now the fun begins...