{"id":11614,"date":"2018-07-11T10:17:43","date_gmt":"2018-07-11T15:17:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=11614"},"modified":"2018-07-11T10:17:43","modified_gmt":"2018-07-11T15:17:43","slug":"book-review-sticky-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=11614","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: Sticky Teams"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Sticky-Teams-Keeping-Leadership-Staff-ebook\/dp\/B0039W58IA\/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1531322054&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=sticky+churches\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-11615\" src=\"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/81XjkgzrM0L.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"336\" height=\"443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/81XjkgzrM0L.jpg 1506w, https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/81XjkgzrM0L-228x300.jpg 228w, https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/81XjkgzrM0L-768x1011.jpg 768w, https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/81XjkgzrM0L-778x1024.jpg 778w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 336px) 100vw, 336px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;A unified and healthy leadership team doesn\u2019t just happen. It has to be a priority.&#8221;<\/em> Larry Osborne,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Sticky-Teams-Keeping-Leadership-Staff-ebook\/dp\/B0039W58IA\/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1531322054&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=sticky+churches\"><em>Sticky Teams<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>It has been 14 years since I served on a church staff, but I have found that I really enjoy reading books about healthy churches.\u00a0 There are a lot of similarities between churches and Christian education.\u00a0 I feel certain that most of what Larry Osborne talks about in his book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Sticky-Teams-Keeping-Leadership-Staff-ebook\/dp\/B0039W58IA\/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1531322054&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=sticky+churches\"><em>Sticky Teams<\/em><\/a> would be quite applicable to a variety of different contexts&#8230;pretty much anywhere that at least two people are working together!\u00a0 Reading this book definitely gave me some ideas on things that I could do to help our team at my school.\u00a0 The greater takeaways were those things that I learned that I could be doing to be a better teammate.\u00a0 This book was a great read&#8230;fairly straightforward&#8230;and I&#8217;d highly recommend it!<\/p>\n<p>Here are some things that I highlighted while reading&#8230;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>STICKY TEAMS STICK TOGETHER. That\u2019s their defining trait. When faced with the differing agendas and clashing perspectives that every team must work through, sticky teams know how to deal with the issues at hand and still come out united in purpose and vision, with a genuine camaraderie undamaged by strong differences. In other words, sticky teams are not only productive; they\u2019re healthy. Page: 19<\/li>\n<li>One of the great beauties of a truly healthy and unified leadership team is that it experiences unity in the healthiest sense of the word. Sticky teams aren\u2019t made up of mindless clones; they\u2019re made up of widely divergent personalities and viewpoints. Their team members often disagree, but they know how to fight fair. When the battle of competing ideas is over, they march out and present a united front, setting aside their personal preferences and agendas in light of the greater good and the bigger mission. Page: 20<\/li>\n<li>A unified and healthy leadership team doesn\u2019t just happen. It has to be a priority. Page: 24<\/li>\n<li>it finally dawned on me that we were never going to change the world out there if we couldn\u2019t solve the conflicts in here. Page: 25<\/li>\n<li>Eventually, I settled on three irreducible minimums that defined what I was looking for. They became the grid through which I judged how we were doing and what we were aiming for on both a board and a staff level. They form my working definition of a unified leadership team. Your list may differ. But this is a good place to start. Doctrinal unity Respect and friendship Philosophical unity Page: 28<\/li>\n<li>unity that insists on uniformity isn\u2019t unity at all. It\u2019s a cheap counterfeit. Genuine and biblical unity is found in the midst of real and passionate differences that we set aside in the recognition that the differences we have are nowhere as important as the King we serve. Page: 29<\/li>\n<li>The key is to clearly determine ahead of time the things we won\u2019t fight about and then make it crystal clear to everyone that these issues are off-limits. Page: 29<\/li>\n<li>Making clear what you will and won\u2019t fight over will save you lots of grief. In nearly every theological tussle I\u2019ve been asked to moderate, the battle hasn\u2019t been over something spelled out in the church\u2019s doctrinal statement. It\u2019s been over a peripheral issue that someone felt should have been an essential issue. Page: 30<\/li>\n<li>Friends and strangers have very different patterns of relating to one another. Friends are vulnerable, while strangers hold their cards close to the vest; friends tend to give each other the benefit of the doubt, while strangers are cautious and suspicious; and when it comes to dicey issues, friends debate, while strangers argue. Page: 31<\/li>\n<li>The third component of a healthy and unified team is philosophical unity. Simply put, this means having a basic agreement about our priorities and methods of ministry. Page: 31<\/li>\n<li>The dysfunction and disunity in our churches often is not so much a matter of sinful people with evil motives as it is a pattern of failed traditions, policies, and structures that unintentionally tear us apart. There is a better way. Page: 34<\/li>\n<li>Resolving these five issues provided the biggest payoffs once we found a way to get around them or fix them. Meeting in the wrong place Ignoring relationships Not meeting often enough Constant turnover Too many members Page: 37<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWhenever a group of people increase the amount of time they spend together, there is a corresponding increase in their regard and appreciation for one another.\u201d Page: 40<\/li>\n<li>Our \u201cno theys\u201d rule applies not only to the board; it also applies to every staff meeting and to all of my dealings with the congregation. Now whenever someone says that they\u2019ve been talking to some people who have a concern, I always ask, \u201cWho are they?\u201d If I\u2019m told that they wouldn\u2019t be comfortable having their names mentioned, I respond, \u201cThat\u2019s too bad, because I\u2019m not comfortable listening to anonymous sources. Let me know when they\u2019re willing to be identified. I\u2019ll be happy to listen.\u201d Page: 53<\/li>\n<li>Rather than trying to figure out what everybody wants them to do, leadership teams have only one question: what does God want us to do? Page: 53<\/li>\n<li>How will this person fit with the team relationally? How will this person fit with the needs of the team organizationally? Page: 56<\/li>\n<li>My list of the six things I want every one of my leaders to know: Ignore your weaknesses Surveys are a waste of time Seek permission, not buy-in Let squeaky wheels squeak Let dying programs die Plan in pencil Page: 73<\/li>\n<li>successful ministries ignore their weaknesses and focus on their strengths. Page: 74<\/li>\n<li>The fact is, oiling squeaky wheels can be hazardous to your church\u2019s health. Leaders who place too much emphasis on keeping squeaky wheels happy risk abdicating leadership. Instead of initiating, the leaders end up reacting. Instead of asking, \u201cWhat does God want us to do?\u201d they ask, \u201cHow will the squeaky wheels react?\u201d Page: 81<\/li>\n<li>Specialists who can\u2019t become trainers or who aren\u2019t willing to become trainers will eventually put a ceiling on the growth of your church or bust your budget. Page: 110<\/li>\n<li>A ministry can\u2019t remain healthy and vibrant when behind-the-scenes turf battles, budget wars, and volunteer raids are taking place. Fiefdoms and silos might make for strong programming, but the price is a sick church. Page: 112<\/li>\n<li>When working with leadership teams to determine their ability and openness to fully utilize and keep young eagles, I ask three questions. Are young eagles empowered and platformed? Are young eagles in the loop or in the meeting? Who gets to ride shotgun? Page: 115<\/li>\n<li>Ephesians 4:11\u201313 is a popular text and can be found on many bulletin covers, letterheads, and logos. It calls Christian leaders to equip the entire body of Christ for the work of the ministry. It implies that the one-man show is out, that we all have a role to fill, that we need to be trained and equipped to fulfill it. Page: 130<\/li>\n<li>In particular, I\u2019ve come to rely on five powerful tools to keep us aligned. A clear and simple mission statement A front-loaded pastor\u2019s class The drip method of preaching Sermon-based small groups Short and sweet congregational meetings Page: 160<\/li>\n<li>One thing that distinguishes great teams is the way they navigate the landmines and danger zones that bring so many other teams down. Page: 170<\/li>\n<li>Leading boldly requires a commitment to stay. Page: 181<\/li>\n<li>The Scriptures (especially Proverbs) suggest that it\u2019s wise to have something in reserve. Solomon put it this way: \u201cIn the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.\u201d14 When we fail to build a margin into the budget or lack the discipline to store up some savings, it practically guarantees that we will have some sort of financial crisis every year and a long history of missed opportunities. Page: 192<\/li>\n<li>In a fallen world, these kinds of tough situations are unavoidable. Even in a great church with a great team, moral failures, financial meltdowns, and staff members who don\u2019t make it are part of the landscape. It\u2019s not a new phenomenon. The Bible is riddled with similar events. We can learn a lot by looking at how God responded when things went wrong in Israel and the early church. He didn\u2019t cover it up. He told us the truth. Though painful at times, telling the truth is always the right thing to do. It\u2019s also what healthy teams have come to expect and, sadly, what dysfunctional teams will never know. Page: 210<\/li>\n<li>For two thousand years, we\u2019ve suffered more than our share of failed leadership, astounding cultural blind spots, nasty fights, misplaced priorities, millstone traditions, and lots of sin in the camp. But we\u2019ve not been able to kill off the church yet. She\u2019s still his bride. He\u2019s still in love with her, and he\u2019s still coming back to take her home. Page: 212<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;A unified and healthy leadership team doesn\u2019t just happen. It has to be a priority.&#8221; Larry Osborne,\u00a0Sticky Teams It has been 14 years since I served on a church staff, but I have found that I really enjoy reading books about healthy churches.\u00a0 There are a lot of similarities between churches and Christian education.\u00a0 I [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,14,25,16,17,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-study","category-book-review","category-education","category-family","category-leadership","category-north-cobb-christian"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11614\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}