4 ways to unlock your team's potential

Mike Bonem Feb. 7, 2018

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It had been a long trip, and I needed to rehydrate. So when we stopped, I bought a bottle of water. After we got back in the car, I tried to open the bottle, but the lid seemed determined to stay on. I kept trying to twist it until the skin on my fingers started to hurt. That’s when I looked more closely and realized that the lid was missing the small perforations that make it easy to open. Without a pair of pliers (or superhuman strength), I wasn’t going to enjoy that water.

I am sure that your staff members and volunteers want your church or ministry or non-profit to be the very best that it can be. They truly care about the mission, and they're willing to work hard to accomplish it. But like those perforations on a water bottle, there are things that you can do as a leader to make it easier for them to do their jobs:

• Provide the needed resources. The resources to do the job well are often relatively modest. And yet, when those on the front line don't have them, it can cripple their performance and their morale. 

• Offer encouragement. Just like resources, simple of acts of encouragement can have deep impacts on the motivation of a team. Everyone wants to know that their work matters and that someone has noticed their contributions.

• Give clear direction. Staff and volunteers need to see how their specific tasks relate to the larger vision for the organization. They can't be in alignment if they can't see that bigger picture.

• Remove roadblocks.Nothing is more frustrating than being given an assignment and then encountering obstacles. This is especially true when the resistance is political or irrational. You may not be able to prevent the roadblocks from occurring, but you can help to remove them quickly. 

I'm sure that the manufacturing plant that produced my water bottle thought that everything was fine when they shipped it. In the same way, you may think that all is well with your staff and volunteers. So here's a simple suggestion: send them this article and ask for their feedback on any lids that are keeping them from doing their very best work.

Photo source: istock 

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Mike Bonem is an author, consultant, speaker, church leader, businessperson, husband and father. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a breadth of experience in ministry and business, including 11 years as an executive pastor, consulting with Fortune 100 companies, and leading a start-up business. This article was first published on MikeBonem.com. Used with permission. Learn More »

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