3. Team leader provides steps to get to the goal.
Once the goals are set in place, someone will need to develop a strategy for how to meet these goals. The strategy will have to include manageable steps, access to resources and a way to measure progress along the way.
Each team, and each member of the team, should know their exact actions steps, timeline and exactly how to access the resources they need to accomplish them (books, podcasts, conferences, training).
It is the team’s job to accomplish the steps, but the leader’s responsibility to make sure the steps are clear and achievable.
4. Team leader holds the team accountable to the goal … positive and negative.
Many leaders are nervous to do this, especially in a church setting, because it feels unkind to give honest feedback to negative performance. But trust me, it is far more unkind to let poor performance go unrecognized.
The more honest (and also kind) you can be during this process, the better.
I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt on their motives because I cannot judge that. But, I can give them honest feedback on their actions, words and ministry results. For instance, I can speak to the look a person made with their face rather than commenting on their attitude. I can speak to the precise numbers of those who attended an event or how much money we made or lost rather than calling the event a “success” or “failure.”
And then, I always want to give people and teams the opportunity to judge their own performance, based on the data, before I give them my feedback. It helps me hear how they see things before I tell them my perspective.
When team members aren’t performing to their full capacity, help them figure out why, and how they can improve.
People want to be led. They want to develop their skills. They want to be seen and known and heard. It isn’t easy, but this is discipleship, and it is the most valuable thing you can give.
