Every team has rules, written or otherwise, by which they operate. These rules can be healthy or unhealthy. Unhealthy rules include certain topics that everyone knows are off limits (the elephants), or might be that nothing can ever be said that the leader might take as critical. Some teams are great at process but do not deal with accountability or results. Unhealthy rules prevent teams from having candid, honest, robust dialogue.
Only the leader can truly set the tone or culture of a team. Others can try but the leader has the authority to either encourage a culture of discourage it. The more a leader defines the team 'rules of how we work with each other' and then models that culture, the greater the freedom the team has to operate comfortably with each other. The following rules of engagement would typify a healthy team. It takes healthy emotional intelligence on the part of the leader and those on the team to make this possible.
TEAM COVENANT
We encourage robust dialogue where honest opinions, probing questions and potential solutions can be freely shared on any topic relating to the team's (or one another's) ministries. We commit to robust dialogue without attacking one another and to maintain on open, non-defensive attitude.
In the spirit of Matthew 18, we will always speak in love and keep short accounts when offense has taken place.
We will regularly evaluate progress of the organization or that part of the organization we are responsible for and do so with utmost honesty. We believe in timely execution and ministry results.
We practice autopsy without blame. We know things will go wrong and when they do we will do an autopsy of the failure so that we can learn from it without casting blame for the failure.
We keep our promises. When decisions have been made and assignments given, we are committed to fully executing those assignments on time.
We take full responsibility for corporate decisions our team makes and will not engage in leadership default. Our first loyalty is to this team and we will always represent this team well and fully support its decisions. Outside of our team meetings we speak with one voice.
We keep confidential those issues which are shared in our team meetings which should not be shared with others.
We are committed to thinking the best of one another, speaking the best of one another, praying for one another and supporting one another's ministries.
We agree to hold one another accountable for keeping this team covenant and we agree to allow others to call us on it if we violate this agreement
In the spirit of Matthew 18, we will always speak in love and keep short accounts when offense has taken place.
We will regularly evaluate progress of the organization or that part of the organization we are responsible for and do so with utmost honesty. We believe in timely execution and ministry results.
We practice autopsy without blame. We know things will go wrong and when they do we will do an autopsy of the failure so that we can learn from it without casting blame for the failure.
We keep our promises. When decisions have been made and assignments given, we are committed to fully executing those assignments on time.
We take full responsibility for corporate decisions our team makes and will not engage in leadership default. Our first loyalty is to this team and we will always represent this team well and fully support its decisions. Outside of our team meetings we speak with one voice.
We keep confidential those issues which are shared in our team meetings which should not be shared with others.
We are committed to thinking the best of one another, speaking the best of one another, praying for one another and supporting one another's ministries.
We agree to hold one another accountable for keeping this team covenant and we agree to allow others to call us on it if we violate this agreement
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