The
Heart Of The Matter:
SAFE People and SAFE Teams
Or
On
the Road to the Mission…
I met Reality and Relationships…
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.
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- Remember your “safe”
mentors.
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- Choose to adopt
and model their best behaviors.
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- Make
use of “We” when working with others.
"We" denotes respect, value, encouragement,
listening, support, affirmation and empowerment.
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Next…
First,
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?
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- 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?
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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:
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- Celebrate
wins and strengths.
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- Value
the contributions of others.
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- Model
courtesy and respect.
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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.
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- 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).
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- Exercise
with a colleague during a break. A brief walk will
benefit the body and the spirit and build relationship.
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- Attend
a seminar with your colleagues--one that deals with
family issues, caring for the elderly, community
involvement, spiritual growth, etc.
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- Promote
and encourage participation in community events,
such as prayer breakfasts, walk-a-thons for worthy
causes, special holiday pageants, etc.
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- 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.
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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 can not 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.
Email
us. 
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