First, staff members should “play” together, whether it’s “tennis or golf or…bowling” to build camaraderie. Second, staff families should spend time together regularly so that relationships can develop among them (strengthening bonds and mutual commitment). Third, leaders should communicate appreciation for each other publicly. This expresses personal gratitude and is a visible celebration of what individuals have contributed (and how much they mean) to the organization. Finally, you should not skimp on regular staff meetings, which should be given the proper attention and be seen as a valuable part of the rhythm of the organization.. These provide an opportunity to strengthen relationships, communicate progress, evaluate operations, and discuss other important issues.
Even though some of these might sound simplistic, I found them to be insightful for leaders who are trying to create environments in which healthy, meaningful working relationships can exist. These suggestions do not seem to allow for much “breathing room” among staff members, though; between work, church services, and other activities, they’re spending a lot of time together, which could be overwhelming. Also, since conflict is inevitable no matter how much effort we put into prevention, resolution strategies would be helpful.
Keeping a loving staff that is committed to working alongside each other is essential to any church’s ministry. I am thinking of an example of good cooperation: say a head pastor casts vision, comes up with the ministry focus to the vision, and implements the staff into their places to make it happen. The staff then eagerly prays and joins in on the vision, making it theirs as well. The church then soars to fulfilling God’s will as put forward by the overall leadership (staff of the church). Now, let’s say that the assistant pastor, the lead musician, the facilitator, or any other party directly involved does not come to that conclusion for direction, then their participation and movement in the ministry will be lacking at best. One kink in the chain and the whole might falter. However, as the article and you suggest, it may be helpful to create an “outside of work” relationship that fosters mutual friendship. I would add, that fosters mutual accountability and involves all the parties included in the ministry to be in prayer for the vision. In this example then, the vision and implementation would be correlated through the whole staff and could then be mutually agreed upon, leaving little room for controversy.
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