The FlipFlop Gospel

Glad to have long time friend, Daniel McKenzie, guest post today. He is a tortured soul. An Alabama fan in ministry in Tennessee. He’s a ten-year ministry leader. Here’s his post:

I am responsible for leading over 10 different leadership teams comprised mostly of volunteers in my position as Minister of Youth.  I have leadership teams for different programs and areas of the church that I lead (that extend well beyond working with teenagers.)  As one might guess, it’s sort of tricky leading that many groups, going in that many directions.  As my leadership roles and teams have expanded, regular meetings are not logistically practical.  Along the way I learned tough lessons about which meetings worked and why they impacted the sense of team.

When I arrived on the scene over 10 years ago, most of my leadership teams were accustomed to having monthly meetings. Over time, meeting attendance began to drop off and I realized that not all parts of our meetings had value to everyone.  My leaders were committed to what part they were involved in but didn’t have time or interest to identify with the whole.  It’s a hard truth to grasp sometimes that other people may not be as passionate about the same things that we are passionate about.  It made perfect sense to me that a Bible Study teacher would be keenly interested in the dilemmas other volunteers were having with snacks.  After all, I cared deeply about every moving part!

How could we build and be a team if we didn’t all sit around a table once a month?

1. Team is developed through shared purpose not shared information.  For volunteer teams, a healthy team concept is built when the “coach” has respect for the time, energy, and interests of its members.

I began to think about our leadership structures and sense of team in relation to the parts of a wheel.  Wheels have hubs, spokes, and the wheel itself.  The hub is the core of stability and is the one part directly connected to the bigger picture of the vehicle.  The spokes connect the hub to the wheel.  The wheel itself is where the vehicle connects with the road.

My early attempts at team leadership had every volunteer leader taking on the role of every part of the wheel – everyone was the hub, the spokes, and the tire all at once.  When I began to see my role with a few others as the hub, new communication strategies as the spokes, and my volunteer leaders as solely serving in the role of the wheel my teams were much more effective and enjoyable for all parts!

2. I have just a few leaders that help me hash out vision and planning

Rather than having monthly meetings, my teams might have one meeting per year or semester.  We mainly communicate purpose during these meetings and only spend minimal time with details; and only the sort of details where it’s just nice to be in the same room to coordinate.  From there I spend my time communicating details through emails, texts or calls – my new spokes.  My leadership teams only know the details that they really need to know.  This is much more efficient for my leaders and surprisingly, this is more efficient for me too.  With meetings you have two bulky parts –  the time planning and the time actually leading the meeting.  With email, my planning is written out and my “leading” is a simple mouse click!  So now when my teams perform their leadership roles – when the rubber meets the road – our wheels have much less mileage on them.

These adjustments in my team leadership model, have given me the ability to lead several teams at once and helped build a more positive atmosphere for my volunteers leaders.

Daniel McKenzie has served as Minister of Youth at Central Baptist Church in Johnson City, TN since 2000 where he also helps lead in college, young adult, family and contemporary worship ministries.  Daniel enjoys sports, cooking, writing music, and playing several different musical instruments. He is married to DeAnne and has 3 boys.

Team. There is nothing better than leading one or being effectively led while on one. If you lead a team of at least five people I want you to be a guest blogger on this site. The rules are simple and look like this:

• The subject of the post must be Team Leadership.
• The post must tell us the practical side of your work.
• The post should teach us from failure as well as success ie… be honest.

Once you submit your post, I reserve full editing rights (grammar, spelling and, length if needed). Your submission is your agreement with these rules.

Remember these things when writing:   

1. Keep your post under 650 words.

2. Your post must be original.

3. Your post cannot appear elsewhere.

4. You agree to have your post linked/appear on Twitter and Facebook.

Email all posts to erik@legendlabs.org I will respond within one week with a simple yes or no. Please include in your post a short bio, twitter name, and pic if you wish.

Thanks. Looking forward to seeing how you lead teams.