Tuesday, March 9, 2010

10 Characteristics of a Healthy Team...

The following post by Ron Edmondson caught my attention. Ron's ten characteristics remind me of the healthy team I work alongside of at SoHills.

I love organizational leadership as a subject and I am happy to serve on a healthy team. It’s amazing how many church leaders I know that say their team is not healthy. Recently I started wondering why it is that I claim our team is healthy and it led me to this post. Here, in my opinion, are 10 elements of a healthy organization/team:


1) A shared vision is held by all team members.


2) Team members and their individual ideas are equally valued.


3) Leadership development is a part of the strategy.


4) The organization readily embraces change and risk taking is encouraged.


5) Team members are continually energized and encouragement flows freely.


6) It’s a fun place to hang out…people enjoy their work and relationships are deeper than just the professional environment.


7) Mistakes are considered part of the learning process.


8) The structure doesn’t limit growth, but provides healthy boundaries.


9) There is a freedom to offer constructive criticism, even of top leadership, without fear of retribution.


10) Conflict is not discouraged, but used to make the team better.


What would you add to the list?