Does Everyone On Your Team Have Your Back?

You can’t do ministry on your own, you need a team.  But, what happens when you feel like someone on your team doesn’t have your back?

Courtesy of Transformer18/Creative Commons License

The only thing worst than doing ministry on your own is running it with a team that you feel like is disloyal and undermining.  If you ignore it, it will only grow and eventually take you out of the game.  To address it you need to:

IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM

What does disloyalty look like?  Some of the signs are obvious, while other might take some investigating.  But, two major warning signs that you have a loyalty problem are:

• Gossip 

• Decisions being made contrary to the vision

Why those issues are occurring is something you have to look into; however, they are not okay to ignore.

CONFRONT IT EARLY

As soon as you sense a problem address it right away.  It’s much easier to confront a small problem than something that has had time to grow.

If you catch someone gossiping ask them about it.  If you know someone went behind your back be sure to ask, “Why?”  If you let it go negative feelings and emotions can take over eventually allowing the problem to get out of control.

ADDRESS IT WITH A PARTNER

Not only should you address a problem early but you should address it with someone you trust.  Make sure they are someone who is not emotionally attached and can look at the issue objectively.

If you are going to confront someone of the opposite sex make sure your partner is of their gender.  Have your person acts as a intermediary so that no one feels ganged up on.

LISTEN THOROUGHLY 

If you notice that someone on your team is not being loyal make sure you aren’t going into the situation with guns a blazing. Remember there are two sides to a story so make sure you go in with open ears.

Don’t accuse them of what you’ve heard instead ask them about it.  Listen to their side and give them a chance to defend and explain the situation.  There might be more than what you know and it will help you develop a better decision on how to handle the situation.

DEVELOP A PLAN FORWARD

If their is a history of trust and this is a one time thing it’s best to try and repair the relationship.  If you’ve sensed a pattern you need to let that person go.

You do not have to release that plan right away, but don’t do it alone.  Make sure you forgive them, you thank them for what they’ve done and wish them the best.  (For more on firing volunteers read HERE)

You need a team that you can trust and they need to trust you.  A healthy team is going to help you take on the real challenges and make an impact on your community.  To avoid these situations constantly invest in them and never stop loving your team.