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.

I’ve made confession. Did you catch it? #5. It is what it is. I’m 6’2″. Coach all of my sons little league teams. Eat meat topped with bacon. Dislike ballet and on occasion, enjoy a good chick flick. As someone who loves leading teams let me say…If you want to grow as a Team Leader, than you need to watch a good chick flick. What’s that now? Yes, chick flicks

In every good chick flick there is a scene early in the film that rallies the hero to heroin and endears audience to story. It is the, meant to be scene. It ensures that the audience understands that this couple, although apart, must join together so that a.) the world will not blow up b.) the kingdom will survive c.) true love will prevail against all odds. This moment connects us to first to characters, then to story

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

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Thanks. Looking forward to seeing how you lead teams.

1. Pick up all the stuff off the ground you can roll
2. Rake up all the other big pieces…if it gets dirt in it it actually helps.
3. Get out your hose. Turn on high. Blast everything else out of the trees. TP dissolves in water.
4. Take a picture. Maybe this should have been #1.

That’s pretty much it. Not rocket science. Imagine you could do the same thing in your life with interruptions. What if you had a simple strategy for reacting to a mess.  Maybe you could use the TP method?

1. Respond to what you know must be done first. Eliminate clutter. The big pieces. Start with the easiest of the hardest.
2. Get some tools to help you cope with what remains of the clutter. Tools look like people, God, a Bible, counselors, friends, mentors…
3. Have some fun with the problem. Blast away and play. (yep the hose part)
4. Remember your trial for it is sure to find you in some form again.

If you are in a mess now. Let me know. The best thing I can do for you is to pray for you.

How do you handle a surprise mess?

Value is a crazy thing. Today, instead of telling me why this is sooo worth the investment, think about things in your life that have value. Measure them using these three questions:

1. How will this (thing, person, object, ideology etc…) help my community to flourish?

 2. How will this help my faith to strengthen?

 3. How will this bring glory to God and not me? 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. – Philippians 2:3 and 4

 The guy who bought a similar prototype did so at Comic Con for 17K. 17. Yes. Se-ven-teeeen. Thousand. Dollars. Here’s what he said post purchase, “my girlfriend is going to kill me”. Well, probably not kill but pretty sure she is re-valuing her profile at match.com right about now. Today, know what you value and why. Here’s my working standard measuring tool. Not perfect. Not always met. But in place:

1. Family over work.

2. People over programming.

3. Humility over pride. Still working this one out :)

4. Bonus: Han Solo over Boba Fett ;)

How do you measure value?

Value: Every Millennial wants to add value to an organization.

• ‘John, what do you think about this?’ or ‘John, how would you present this widget‘
• ‘John, your good at _______. How would your skill set make this work for others?’

Valued: Every Millennial wants to know that they are personally valued by an organization. 

• ‘John, lets grab coffee (then don’t talk about work).’
• ‘John, nice work on that widget. Can you change this part of it a bit?’
• ‘Thanks for thinking through this with me. Is there something more you think we need here?’

Valuable: Every Millennial wants to be a part of an organization that is valuable.

• ‘John, how do you think that idea will help people do ________?’
• ‘John, you made a difference with your idea to _______________. Do you see that?’
• ‘John, last year we served our community by ________________. How could we do more of that?’

These are a few quick statements. You will need to make them your own. They need to honest. M’s don’t shy away from process but they do walk away when process is cloudy as to value, valued and valuable. How are you using Gen M in your organization?

All,

On behalf of the Bennett Family, I want to thank you for the last 11 years of ministry. I am truly blessed to have served you. I don’t have enough words to express my gratitude. You have helped reach students and families with the gospel. You have helped disciple and evangelize a generation. I would challenge you to continue to pursue Christ, live out the gospel, and rescue a generation of students and help them to become like Christ.

 It’s an amazing paradox isn’t it? Christ joins us as believers through the bond of salvation. A justified family of brothers and sisters in Christ. That same ‘family’ bond also breaks us apart as God leads us to pursue the cause of Christ for the world. I am incredibly excited about the next phase of ministry. Pray for us as we transition. Love you guys. You will be in my prayers and in our hearts always.   

As I stated to the church on Sunday morning, the Bennett’s will be continuing to live in Weston and our children will finish the semester at WCA at the end of the school year. Many have asked, ‘where are you going?’. So, in order to not have to continue to answer so many emails and texts and twitter messages:), Here are the details: I am pursuing a few different things this next year but the majority of my time will be spent on developing a new ministry called Legend Labs which is a mentoring group to churches with my friend Adam Bond.

 Last year Adam asked me to be on his board of directors of his new group. Later in the year when he learned of transition plans he asked me to pray about resigning my board position and coming on as a ministry partner full time. After wrestling with God for quite a few months I finally committed in January 2012 to one year time frame to help him and see from there where it all lands. Very exciting times. 

•  check out what we do here: www.legendlabs.org
•  my new email is erik@legendlabs.org

Christ Alone,

Erik, Jill and the rest of the Bennett’s

Here is part of what a Millennial can do in your organization. They can tell you whether you are being honest in your evaluation of yourself. Millennials have this uncanny knack at seeing truth for truth. They can spot a fake and sniff out the truth. If truth got buried in an avalanche we’d use Milliennial St. Bernard rescue dogs to sniff out a rescue. Are you engaged with Millennials on your leadership team? Here’s how you can lead them to help you lead your organization:

1. Give them a true voice at the leadership table. You will feel scared that their lack of practical experience will derail you. Dismiss that feeling. Fear is never a good motivator. Instead, listen to the words they say and how they make you stick to topic and doctrine. They know a line when the hear it. Use them to help you know the same. Use them to help vocally challenge the norms.
2. Let them dream about change out loud. Millennials want to change failing systems. Let them browse your systems and then allow them to dream about a new way of doing things. This will cause you to be scared. Dismiss that feeling. Fear is never a good motivator (yes, I said it again.). Instead, listen to what they dream about. I like hearing Gen M’s dream about the future church, since in fact, they are it.
3. Ask them good questions that promote more questions. Gen M thrives in places that reek community. They leave places that don’t. Good questions create atmospheres that allow for community. The question, is the petri dish of community. We ask Gen M questions that help make us all think together through issues. Dont be afraid to ask hard and challenging questions (repeat that sentence about fear). Gen M’s see that as you valuing their place at the table. It makes them bonded to you and to the organization.
4. Dont leave their decisions aside without telling them why. Biggest.Mistake.Ever. Gen M’s need to know if they are doing well or if they need to raise their game. To walk through the first three steps and leave this one out will destroy any community you thought you created. Why would you throw that away? Fear (repeat the sentence again). If the decisions don’t make sense for your Org let them know. It wont hurt their feelings. Instead it will energize them toward helping you solve another part of the process.  
5. Take numbers 1 through 4 and apply it toward a personal friendship. It’s not time they are after, its you. They desire mentoring not coaching. Mentors don’t solve problems they help you solve problems. Coaches dictate who you could be if you followed their direction. Coaches win or lose. Mentors help you prepare for life after the game. Spend an early morning drinking coffee or a late night playing Call of Duty (preferably: MW3). Allow them to  see your life and speak into it. You will find that they speak into it with questions so that they will have answers to live their life. This is all about the team and the relationships within it.

Who are the Gen M’s on your team? How are you using them to help impact your organization? How are you using them to impact your own life? How are you creating community in your organization?

• The right culture is quickly contagious.
• Everyone works together when everyone is vested.
• When the vision is clear everyone is clear on the vision. (that’s so simple but is so true)
• Rewarding your team not only brings fun, but care which grows trust. (these people freak over November and December)
• Jon Acuff is as funny and authentic at 7 a.m. at Cracker Barrel as he is before thousands at a conference.
• The Loveless Cafe has the best fried chicken and biscuits this city boy has ever eaten. That has nothing to do with Dave Ramsey. It’s just good to know should you be traveling to Nashville.
• God can put you anywhere he wants, when he wants, for whatever purpose he has decided, all for his glory.

Thanks for letting me learn today. Enjoyed every minute. You guys rock.