6 Ways to Build Community in Your Leadership Team

God created us to live and work in community. The more community we experience, the stronger our teams. Highly productive teams often exude strong personal bonds and work in an atmosphere that fosters community. Good leaders understand the importance of community and actively seek to build it among their teams. Consider these 6 ways to build community in the teams you lead.

1. Provide regular relationship building experiences for your teams to deepen their chemistry and their friendships.

Foster the sense that nobody is in an “out group.” If some team members are perceived to be in an “out group” it can set up a subtle prejudice that can affect team dynamics. Teach your team that because we naturally default to seeing others as being in an ‘out’ group, your team must be vigilant to avoid it. Monitor for cliques. Be vigilant especially when you bring new team members on board.

2. Create physical gathering places in the workplace that encourage socialization.

Something as simple as water cooler conversations can help build community.

3. Regularly remind your team to see other team members’ perspectives.

Teach your team to learn to walk in other team member’s shoes. It’s called mentalizing. Mentalizing helps us see situations from the perspective of others. Studies show that the more we do this, the more we are likely to feel empathy toward and relate more positively to those whose perspective we are taking.

4. Help team members share their goals.

When team members share goals, their connection to each other and their commitment to the team’s goals will intensify.

5. Build an attitude of gratitude among your team.

Model gratitude so that your team can see it in you. Regularly explain how gratitude not only is Biblical but that it actually helps build team cohesiveness.

6. Build trust.

As trust increases, the neurotransmitter oxytocin increases which strengthens cooperativeness among your team and empathy toward each other. It even lowers blood pressure and the amount of the stress hormone, cortisol, in our bodies. Building trust among team members can actually lower cortisol.

What are some things you do to build community within your team?

Read more from Charles Stone »

Charles Stone is the senior pastor of West Park Church in London, Ontario, Canada, the founder of StoneWell Ministries and the author of several books. This post was originally published on CharlesStone.com.

Charles Stone
Charles Stonehttp://CharlesStone.com

As a pastor for over 43 years, Charles Stone served as a lead pastor, associate pastor and church planter in churches from 50 to over 1,000. He now coaches and equips pastors and teams to effectively navigate the unique challenges ministry brings. By blending biblical principles with cutting-edge brain-based practices he helps them enhance their leadership abilities, elevate their preaching/ teaching skills and prioritize self-care. He is the author of seven books. For more information and to follow his blogs, visit CharlesStone.com.

Fit for the Kingdom

The Lord prompted Reardon to think about combining Christian fellowship with fitness in order to create a new small group for men.

4 Reminders for Discouraged Parents

Parenting can be hard, so let these truths encourage you.

Lessons From the Early Church

The early church can show us that through patience and careful cultural discernment, we can navigate the torrents of modern culture.