6 Things Your Team Needs That You Aren’t Providing

As church leaders, our goal is to reach as many people as possible for the cause of Christ. Every leader has a team to help them achieve this great commission, whether that is a team of volunteers, your church staff, or even just close friends. Sometimes, however, even with the greatest of intentions, we overlook some of the needs of our team in our attempt to achieve our goals.

Here are six things your team needs from you that you may be overlooking:

1. Clear Vision

In many organizations, especially those that have existed for a long time, the vision can be muddy. You have a general idea of your overall mission and vision, but the details after that get a little less clear. This often seems fine, because your church and staff gets the bottom line, right? Wrong.

For any organization to actually fulfill its mission, it needs to be crystal clear. So make sure you reinforce your vision and values throughout your team often. "This is what we’re doing, why, and how" are crucial banners for every member of your staff to understand and wave as zealously as you do.

2. Competitive Pay

Compensation is a sensitive subject, especially in the church where people are working for much more than a paycheck. This is fine, understandable, and noble, but in a world where there are more open Children’s Pastor positions than Children’s Pastors, we need to be cognizant of the role that competitive pay plays in peoples’ lives.

"You get what you pay for" is a rule that generally applies across the board, whether you’re talking about a sandwich or a high caliber church staff candidate. So don’t break your budget or put yourself in a compromising situation, but be sure to do your research before deciding on a salary. If you’re wondering how your compensation compares, we have other blogs written entirely on compensation, and we also offer a comprehensive compensation analysis package here at Vanderbloemen.

3. Organization

Senior leaders are fascinating people. They are so full of vision, ideas, and the ability to create and inspire new initiatives. I have so much respect for them, but I’ve also worked for enough of them to know that sometimes organizing and implementing said ideas is a struggle.

A great idea is just an idea if you don’t also create a way to get it done.

Recruit a staff member to help organize and implement your ideas, or use a project management software. Most importantly, be available to the ideas of others for ways to make things more efficient. No one enjoys working twice as hard on a project that could be simplified with some organization, so don’t look past it as a useless step in the process.

4. Communication

Communication is key to all relationships. So often tension occurs between leadership and staff members simply because they don’t communicate well. Take the extra time to learn the way your staff communicates. Do team-building exercises or take personality tests if you find that helpful. Whatever it takes is worth the effort. I promise, you’ll have a better office culture because of it, you’ll get better work from people, and you’ll meet your goals and vision with ease and harmony. People work hard for those who clearly communicate with them and make it clear that they’re valued.

5. Constructive Criticism

Constructive criticism is hard to do without it turning into criticism, but it’s an art form worth learning. One of the most frustrating things as an employee is to not know where you stand, whether that is in a specific project or just in general with the team. It’s important for your staff to know you’ll be open about any necessary improvements before they turn into major issues. This creates stability in the workplace and will lead to a successful tenure on your part.

6. Celebration

Celebration is one of the most commonly overlooked parts of work life.

Often, you hear from people when things are busy or going wrong, but nobody follows up when a job is completed and done well. So take a moment and celebrate your teams’ wins. At Vanderbloemen, we ring a bell every time a client hires their sought-after staff member; and every time that bell rings, the office erupts in shouts. As a team, we make sure we take the time to celebrate team wins, focus on Kingdom wins, and enjoy a job well done. A little praise goes a long way.

How would you recommend other church leaders ensure they are providing for the needs of their teams?

If you liked this, you'll also enjoy 4 Reasons Your Church Staff May Leave Your Team.