We have been focusing our last several blogs on divided teams. More specifically, the last two blogs have looked at toxic teams in terms of identifying and hopefully preventing them. As a new pastor or a recently reassigned pastor, you often inherit a team. While it may be helpful to identify that the team is struggling, it might be too late to prevent that from happening. This might force you into the difficult position of having to fix the situation.
Kevin Kruse wrote a very helpful blog entitled, “5 Ways to Fix Your Dysfunctional Team” on Forbes.com https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2013/12/11/5-ways-to-fix-your-dysfunctional-team/?sh=27be9a08fd9b. Much of the blog is capturing advice from a book, You First: Inspire Your Team to Grow Up, Get Along and Get Stuff Done. If you are having serious issues it might be worth getting the book as used copies are available for a reasonable price https://www.amazon.com/You-First-Inspire-Along-Stuff/dp/1118636708/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2PGXZB88JDDIZ&dchild=1&keywords=you+first+inspire+your+team&qid=1614701808&sprefix=you+first+Inspire+,specialty-aps,158&sr=8-2
In Kruse’s blog he classifies five kinds of toxic teams: The Crisis Junkie, The Bobble Head, The Spectator, The Bleeding Back and The Royal Rumble. Rather than go into great detail here I would refer you to the original blog as in this blog we will focus on fixing rather than identifying the various types. Despite the fact that there are different types of dysfunctional teams, both authors propose that turnarounds of these teams can only be accomplished from the efforts of the leader.
They acknowledge that this is not easy. You need to “take ownership for making things better”. This can most effectively be done by changing yourself. They then provide five daily responsibilities that you, as a leader, must assume.
- Start with a positive assumption – Identify and fix your biases and what you may be contributing to the situation. Also, appreciate the positive values that your team is contributing. If necessary, struggle to identify these as this change in perspective to the positive is an important first step.
- Add your full value – don’t just do what is necessary, do more. Bring enthusiasm, dedication and desire for the success of the team and the mission. They need to see it in you before they will believe it.
- Amplify other voices – often there is the reserved team member who has great ideas that get pushed aside by others who are more aggressive. Support those who are valuable but get shut out.
- Know when to say no – perhaps the most difficult step for many priests. Saying no may be the correct response to achieve focus and better use of resources.
- Embrace productive conflict – we have written extensively about this in other blogs. The key is to make the conflict productive, not distracting.
We have also discussed dealing with a “bad apple” in previous blogs as there may be times when a team is not generally toxic, but one member is disrupting them and causing the problem. Wayne Dyer, a renowned self-help author said, “When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change.” See what you can change by changing your perspective before you act.