Much of our work in ministry is centered around working with people in teams.  Yet many leaders also report, according to Ken Blanchard, that they don’t know how to teach their people to work in teams. I was reading today from John Maxwell’s Developing The Leaders Around You (from the pile in the basement that I’ll read one last time before getting rid of).  The chapter on forming a dream team (chapter seven) was great.  Here’s the outline straight from that book I thought might be helpful:

Qualities of a Dream Team (pg 137, John C. Maxwell, Developing Leaders)

1.  The team members care for one another.  Teams that don’t bond, can’t build.

2. The team members know what is important.  Anyone that doesn’t know what’s important to the team not only fails to contribute, but actually prevents success.

3. The team members communicate with one another.  Without good team communication, important task can be left undone and time can be wasted duplicating work.

4.  The team members grow together. Shared experiences and the give-and-take of communication are the best way to promote growth.

5. There is a team fit.  Trust allows team members to work as a single unit.

6.  The team members place their individuals rights beneath the beneath the best interest of the team.  Individualism wins trophies, but team work wins pennants.

7.  Each team member plays a special role.  The important thing is for each person to take a role that’s not only important to the goals and needs of the team, but also to their own personal talents and abilities.

8.  An effective team has a good bench.  A good bench of players allows for longevity.  It allows rest for weary players.

9.  The team members know exactly where the team stands.  Knowing where the team stands separates great players from adequate ones.

10.  The team members are willing to pay the price. Success comes down to sacrifice.