Safe Team

The Heart Of The Matter: SAFE People and SAFE Teams

You cannot impart what you do not possess. You must first go to the well yourself before you can share with others. Spiritual Ambassadors are examples who walk the walk. They are mission focused.

In their book, Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Kouzes and Posner state that “the secret to closing the credibility gap lies in a collective willingness to get closer, to become known, and to get to know others – as human beings, not as voting statistics or employee numbers.”

SAFE Versus UNSAFE

Be a SAFE person. Unsafe people think they “have it all together” instead of admitting their weaknesses. Unsafe people are religious instead of spiritual, i.e., they focus more on external than the inner life. Unsafe people are defensive instead of open to feedback and are self-righteous instead of humble.

Unsafe people avoid closeness instead of connecting, and are only concerned about “I” instead of “we.” They resist freedom instead of encouraging it and prefer to condemn rather than forgive. They stay in the parent/child role instead of relating to others as equals and are a negative influence, rather than a positive one.

How to Become a SAFE Leader and Develop Safe Teams

• Choose to be a safe leader.
• Evaluate yourself to determine if you possess any of the "unsafe" traits listed above and with God’s grace, choose to emulate a more positive trait.
• Remember your “safe” mentors.
• Choose to adopt and model their best behaviors.
• Make use of “We” when working with others. "We" denotes respect, value, encouragement, listening, support, affirmation and empowerment.

Next…

Evaluate and discuss the environment of your team.

• Evaluate the Relational Environment of your team. Does your team have a high level of trust? Do they treat each other with respect, dignity, care and compassion? Is there the diversity needed on the team to produce effective decisions? Are the unique contributions of each team member appreciated? Is there a sense of belonging and camaraderie? Is there trust for one another?
• Evaluate the Communication Environment of your team. Is it a safe environment where communication is encouraged? Do members of the team feel heard and understood? Are members of the team truthful and have they mastered the art of straight talk? Is conflict channeled into creativity?

Second, determine what one area of change for you will increase the safety of your team.

• Which characteristic of an unsafe person is your Achilles heel? How might your personal growth impact your team's working environment and help to build bridges?

Third, get practical.

• What one thing could you practically introduce into your team's working environment that would increase trust and make “safety” deposits?

Remember to:

• Value uniqueness.
• Celebrate wins and strengths.
• Value the contributions of others.
• Learn from each other.
• Spend time together.
• Model courtesy and respect.

Practical Suggestions for Developing Your Spiritual Ambassador Influence

• Hospitality – Invite people to lunch or an activity on the weekend. Few events draw people together better than sharing a simple meal, or enjoying a group potluck. Read Acts 2:42 – 47.
• Start a prayer or Bible study group. Keep it brief. Have each person choose a favorite text before your meeting, and assign two or three to offer prayer. During the workday promote a quick “prayer huddle” (one minute sentence prayers regarding a difficulty or challenge).
• Exercise with a colleague during a break. A brief walk will benefit the body and the spirit and build relationship.
• Attend a seminar with your colleagues--one that deals with family issues, caring for the elderly, community involvement, spiritual growth, etc.
• Promote and encourage participation in community events, such as prayer breakfasts, walk-a-thons for worthy causes, special holiday pageants, etc.
• Be sensitive to difficult situations among your Team that may require a Pastoral Care referral. Encourage these individuals to contact the Ministry of Spiritual Nurture in the Pastoral Care office for spiritual care and support.

There are many ways to begin a friendship. The important thing is to learn to "like" people. Look at them the way you would a beautiful painting. Take in the many details that make up their individual personality. Enjoy the encounters!

It takes time to develop a true friendship. There is never a need to rush a relationship. In fact, good relationships take time. You will find new and interesting things about your friend along the way if you do not try to learn everything on the first visit. Jesus himself took a special interest in each encounter His attention was focused on the individual. In the book Ministry of Healing, the author depicts this lovely picture of Christ’s ministry, "He taught in a way that made them feel the completeness of His identification with their interests and happiness. His instruction was so direct, His illustrations were so appropriate, His words so sympathetic and cheerful, that His hearers were charmed."

Your attitude about making friends is more important than whether you are a shy person or an outgoing individual. Think about this, if two people go to the beach to enjoy the surf and sunshine and one bodysurfs all day, while the other walks leisurely along the shoreline picking up seashells, who enjoys the outing most? Why, they both did. They received equal pleasure.

Detail people's differences with admiration. Isn't it wonderful that God gave us different faces, hair color, even laughter and personalities? Have you really stopped to enjoy God's creation in mankind? If you will take the time to develop a sincere appreciation for humanity, it will show as you interact with your colleagues.

Know Your Limitations

Learn to love people, but do not get drained by difficult and complicated problems. It is very important to recognize when someone is in need of help that you cannot provide. As an ambassador for your area you may contact Pastoral Care through the Ministry of Spiritual Nurture for confidential referral and follow up.

God has called you to extend sincere friendship to people, so do not hesitate to have an open conversation with your friend if you detect that something is wrong. Express to them that you believe that God can help them in their struggles, and share the ways that He has helped you through prayer, scripture, friends and family, as well as professional interventions. He can make use of all these means for our good.