So, you’ve been asked to build a team.

From scratch

And you have no one.

And you are not quite sure what to do, or where to start…

I get you. I’ve been in that place many times. Perhaps you’ve even been given the classic leadership line: ‘you don’t have to do everything, just oversee the team.’

“What team?” I hear you say! “There is no team. It’s just me.”

Agh! If I had a dollar every time I have heard that line…

Still, it’s the mild frustration and sheer exhilaration of pioneering something new that makes team building one of my favourite things ever. I love it.

Seeing a team begin to grow then move forward and make a difference is one of the things that makes me tick.

Effective team building is about having the right focus. The focus should be people, not tasks.

If we focus on a task that needs to be done and overlook people in the process we have missed the point. To grow lasting flourishing teams we should be helping people find roles they love. Below is a list of tips that might help in your team-building ventures. When you’re finished reading, I’d love you to add your own tips and experiences in the comment section.

Here goes:

First steps in building a team:

1. Pray

Prayer aligns our thoughts with the mind of heaven. The ‘who’ and the ‘how’ comes to us as we seek God first. It’s easy to get overwhelmed in leadership, however, if you see God as the leader and your role simply as one who comes to Him to seek direction then the weight is lifted off. Your job as the ‘leader’ is to outwork His ideas. It’s a partnership.

The first step to building anything is to seek God. What are His thoughts?

2. Get Vision

If you don’t know what you are building how are you going to inspire anyone else to build with you? Take some time to think and pray about the purpose of the team. Why does it exist? How will it help people?  What will team members be doing practically to see this happen?Think about what it will look like, how it will feel to achieve the goal, what type of people will best fit the dream?

Vision inspires people.

No one wants to waste time doing something that doesn’t make a difference. The Bible tells us that without vision people perish, they wander without constraint. Vision doesn’t have to be some grand purpose for their life. A simple goal and picture of what you are wanting to build is often enough purpose to motivate people and help them decide whether or not they would like to help.

3. Ask someone to be involved.

It sounds basic but you’d be amazed at how often this step becomes a ceiling to growth. I think at times we have this ethereal idea that if people just knew we wanted new team members, they’d be keen to help. In my experience these cases are rare. People can hear an advertisement in church news, listen to an announcement from the platform, read a message on social media etc.

It is not until you speak to someone and personally invite them to join your team that they realise there is a need and consider whether they are the person to fill it. It seems like a slow way to grow—one by one invitation—but if the alternative is waiting around hoping people will come to you I know which one I’d rather choose.

Give it a go, I’d love to know how you go.

Next up is:

So, you’ve got a team together now what?

Happy team building,

Carly xx

Coming up soon:

‘How do you make a rostering system that works for everyone?’

And

‘Defining clear roles and systems in a way that builds a sense of team not destroys it.’