How To Win Over Your Coworkers

It’s really easy to get bogged down with what you do.  You’ve got deadlines to meet, emails to read and projects to finish.  Then in comes a coworker who asks you to do one more thing.

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The temptation is to throw it back at them and say, “I’m too busy, can’t you see?!”  There is a lot to do when you lead a ministry; however, your efforts are limited if you aren’t working as a team.

A huge part of leading a healthy youth ministry means being a part of a healthy team.  While the burden of leadership falls mainly on the shoulders of your pastor, it’s something he doesn’t carry alone.

You need to care about the success of your fellow leaders in the trenches or else you’ll constantly feel alone.  Instead of focusing on your own work start:

TREATING YOUR COWORKERS AS TEAMMATES

While each department and area of your parish is unique they are all connected.  If the Children’s Ministry is healthy then they will be giving you healthy teenagers.  If the offertory is healthy than so will your budget.

When you start connecting the dots it will help you build an appreciation for what others are doing.  You’ll no longer believe, “If they do what they do and let me do my thing we’ll be fine.”  That mentality creates weak silos that can take down a church.

SERVING AND LOVING THOSE YOU WORK WITH

Your life is complicated and messy and so are the other people you are working with.  To help them focus on what God is asking them to do you need to make sure they are set up for success.

Make a daily habit asking coworkers, “What can I do for you?”.  Look for opportunities to serve them at the office and even at home.  When they see that you care about them you’ll earn their trust.  A team that trusts one another can take on any problem.

AFFIRMING THEM PUBLICLY AND CONSISTENTLY

You are not only an advocate for your ministry, but an advocate for your entire church.  If people constantly hear you criticize or complain about it’s staff then it will poison their perception.

If you affirm your team publicly you are vouching for them and building support.  People who love and trust you will want to make sure your coworkers succeed because you’ve shown them value.

The more you work as a team the more you can accomplish as a church and a ministry.  Healthy churches have healthy staffs and that means loving, and investing in one another.