Lines of communication. One of the questions that I often get is, “Who do I talk to about … ?” I’m sure you’ve dealt with this, too. Clarifying a point leader for each volunteer position is critical for team health. Just declare a supervisor (or “coach” if you prefer) and then resource that person to make decisions regarding the team.
Tools. Nothing is more frustrating than being given a responsibility—but not the resources—to get the job done. This can be a computer, a password, a key, a program, access to money or actual tools. It’s helpful to periodically ask, “What do you need to get the job done?” Every volunteer will appreciate effort and progress here, and this will go a long way toward creating a compelling team culture.
4. Acknowledge Achievements
Peter Drucker popularized the phrase, “What gets rewarded gets repeated.” In fact, he called it the most important management principle in the world.
Everybody likes to know when they’ve scored a point. And once the target is clearly defined, you can celebrate every time somebody hits it.
Practically speaking, there are lots of ways to do this. Gary Chapman’s book The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace is a great place to start. One tool we use for determining how people on our team like to be recognized is … ask them! We make a list and ask people to circle the way that’s most meaningful to them. Then we at least know what kind of acknowledgment will be meaningful.
5. Create Mobility
Serving in ministry is great. And some people are wired to stick with a particular role or task for the long haul. But others are going to need a very clear path toward more responsibility and variety. For those people, the question that is already circling around in their minds & hearts is, “What’s my next step?” And that’s a good question for leaders to consider. It’s our responsibility to think that through, to create next steps for those who are inclined to “move up the ladder.”
Here are a few things I’ve learned about building organizational “ladders” in a church setting:
Make it simple.. If you’re leading a volunteer effort, don’t make it another job for people.
Make it clear. Map out exactly what’s expected to move up the ladder.
Like a ladder, create two rails: (1) requirements and (2) responsibilities.
Focus on the right stuff. Not popularity, but character and effectiveness.
Be sure that the bottom rung of every ladder has room for those exploring faith, and that the top rung is a serious leadership position in your church or organization.
6. Make Recruiting Everybody’s Job
The teams I see thrive the most are those where everybody is onboarding new people. When recruiting is bottlenecked with the team leader, that team always stalls out. Give people on each team permission and responsibility for filling positions on the team. Help them by spelling out what you’re looking for. The clearer this is, the faster the team will fill to capacity and beyond.
If existing team members are having a good experience and doing meaningful work, it will be contagious. They’ll get friends and family members involved as quickly as you will allow them to.
At our church, we’ve found Dave and Jon Ferguson’s book Exponential extremely helpful with this piece. They spell out a five-step process for apprenticing new people in ministry:
1. I do, you watch, we talk.
2. I do, you help, we talk.
3. You do, I help, we talk.
4. You do, I watch, we talk.
5. You do, someone else watches, you talk.
Once people get this framework in their minds, it can become part of the team’s culture to invite others to watch, then help, then take ownership of the process.
How about you? What tips do you have for helping others get involved? I’d love to hear your feedback and suggestions, so feel free to comment and share.
Gabe Kolstad is the lead pastor of Westside Community Church in Beaverton, Oregon, a certified trainer with Church Leader Insights and a multi-time advanced coaching expert with Nelson Searcy. This article was originally published on GabeKolstad.com.