3 Ways to Play Well with Others
Recently I talked about pandemic silos: those 2020-era phenomena that are completely natural, absolutely understandable, and potentially unavoidable. (They also must be destroyed.)
As our staff team makes the rapid shift to “unpack our bags” and convert to a new home gathering model for the remainder of 2020, I’ve noticed quite a few silos in danger of popping up. None are nefarious. All of them make sense. Every last one is a result of individuals and teams hustling to develop good processes and equip disciples who will make disciples.
So yes, the resulting silos – if they’re built – will eventually need to come down. But I’ve also realized that there are three ways that individuals and teams can play nice with other individuals and teams during this – so sorry to use this overused phrase – unprecedented season.
1. Dictation
Not to be confused with a dictatorship, dictation simply means that everyone knows the chief decision maker. Whether due to the need for speed or the yielding to an expert, in a dictation model people get their orders and act on the orders. And let’s be honest, sometimes it’s just easier to be told what to do.
2. Collaboration
In this model, several individuals or teams have to work together to build something that’s never been built, or modify something that worked pre-pandemic, but doesn’t work now. An example of this would be a small groups team and a worship team working together to tweak a weekend service that will be user-friendly for home gatherings.
3. Cooperation
This may be one of the hardest models to follow when the stakes are high and the deadlines are tight, but it tends to yield a really satisfying outcome when it’s done well. In the cooperation model, each team or individual retains its expertise on the subject at hand and contributes uniquely to the finished product.
We’re seeing a lot of cooperation happening right now with the home gatherings processes we’re developing. Our communications team is bringing their design and web and production experience to the table. Our guest services team is applying our weekend hospitality principles to smaller home groups. Our IT team is working crazy hours adding infrastructure to our database so we can keep track of training and metrics.
In the cooperation model, we are seeing a high rate of values retention: because each ministry holds tightly to the values they’ve honed over the years, those values are seen through to the final outcome. And it makes this new Summit concept feel a lot like the Summit.
What are the areas where you need to play nicely with others?
