The “A” Team Gets The Job Done!

The A-Team is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from 1983 to 1987 about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. 

One of the show’s catchphrases, was, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

Their call tag was, “If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire… the A-Team, they get the job done.”

That is what a team does, it works together to achieve a common goal, to get the job done.

Whether it is Sunday morning church or a special event. Each team has a leader and team members.

What are you?

Peter Drucker was one of the most widely-known and influential thinkers on management. Here is what he says about leaders and teams:

“The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say ‘I.’ And that’s not because they have trained themselves not to say ‘I.’  They don’t think ‘I.’ They think ‘we’; they think ‘team.’  They understand their job to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don’t sidestep it, but ‘we’ gets the credit….This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done.” – Peter Drucker

Are you a Team Leader or a Team Member?  It is important to know what your role is.

I am a Team Member.  I work best and enjoy it most, when Mark has a goal and says, “Okay, let’s do this.”

• I am an organizer and a planner.
• I love paper and notes and forms.
• I enjoy trying to figure out how to do things.

I want to share with you 5 tips for Team Leaders that you can put into action this week.

Team Leader

As the Team Leader you are a constant guide for your team members. You are the one that gives direction, inspiration and motivation to your team to get the job done.

TIP ONE: Invite suggestions from your Team members.

This allows your team members to feel motivated and important to the team. Discuss things with your team and take their advice. At first, you may need to pull it out of them, but once everyone knows that you truly want their ideas, they will begin to think of new ideas.

TIP TWO: Allow their gifts to shine.  

Invite your team members to share responsibilities. As your church grows so do your programs and organization. As you are faced with new challenges, remember you have a team to help you.  As the leader it is your responsibility to get the job done, not do it all by yourself.  Remember don’t impose things on them; but let them happily accept the challenges. They know what they are good at and what their schedule allows time for.

TIP THREE: Develop Group Huddles at each service and event.  

Group huddles allow for clear direction for the day.  This only needs to take 5-10 minutes, but it bonds the team, and it allows the team leader to communicate any last minute direction about the service.  It also invites a camaraderie among your team.

TIP FOUR: Make the “DeBrief” a part of your culture.  

Just as the Group Huddle, before your service or event, steers toward success. A Debrief after the service or event, allows you as a team to develop, learn and grow from failures and successes. It is important that all team members know that this time is not, “Point the finger” time. It is about what worked, what didn’t work and what can we do better. At the beginning of each debrief, I ask these questions, “Today, what worked, what didn’t work and what can we do better?” As a team, you are working toward making it better.

TIP FIVE: Show your team how much you appreciate them.  

Don’t only discuss church “stuff” with your team. Celebrate their birthdays, anniversaries. Several times a year plan events where they can develop relationships with each other, outside of serving at church. Your team is one of the most valuable resources you have.  It is important to give recognition and praise to your team on a regular basis – individually and corporately.

One simple way is a handwritten note, from you. I’ve just made this easier for you.

Click here to request your FREE Kidmin Post Cards, Volunteer Edition.

Questions to ask yourself:

• As a team leader what can you stop doing that will strengthen your team? 
• What can you begin to do that will build your team?