There was a team in Romania getting ready for their first day of work. As their translators arrived and Romanian church members joined them, everyone on the American team was excited—except for one. The team leader noticed that one lady was standing back from the rest of the group. She also didn’t seem to have the same excitement as everyone else. The leader went over to check on her and quickly discovered that she was scared. This was her first trip and she had never done this type of ministry before. All she wanted was to go back to her hotel room!
The leader spent time encouraging her, and then he matched her up with a veteran team member who was more than happy to mentor her. By the end of the day, she was just fine and went on to have an incredible week. By observing his team and being sensitive to their needs, this team leader was able to ensure a successful project and a great experience for everyone.
We began in our last post talking about the importance of working on your short term mission team not just in it if you are the team leader. We continue that discussion today as we focus on taking the pulse of individual team members.
During the course of the trip, you will want to observe every person on your team. As you do, ask yourself some questions about them. How can I help maximize their potential? Would the person’s skills and gifts be better utilized by doing a different aspect of ministry or by working with a different group? Do they need extra encouragement? Are they struggling?
In addition to looking for team members that may be distressed or confused, the leader should also watch for personality conflicts. Changing up work teams or room assignments when conflicts first arise may be the best way to maximize the limited time that you have. You want the team to be focused on the work at hand not on personality issues.
One other thing to watch out for when evaluating team members is fatigue. You may need to make some schedule adjustments and build in some “down time” so that your team gets adequate rest. What you give up in time you will probably make up in productivity.
The key for the short term mission team leader is to be proactive. Ask questions of your team and national workers. Make sure they are doing well and that they have the resources they need. As you do this and constantly check the team’s pulse, you will help ensure that your trip is a success.
We would love to hear your thoughts, ideas or suggestions on this subject. You can post your comments here, on the discussion tab of our Facebook.com/MinistryTravel page or on the Ministry Travel Group page of LinkedIn.