“Teamwork
will make your dream work.” - Anonymous
As a Christian camp director, husband, and dad of five
children under 8 years old, time and energy are precious commodities to steward
with the utmost efficiency. There are 7 schedules to coordinate in our home,
not to mention the agendas swirling the activities in our community such as
PTA, MOPS, YMCA, etc. As Christians we strongly believe it is our civil
responsibility to embrace our community and communicate the love of Jesus.
Though our time is thin, we seek to make the best of it by focusing on the first
and most important things. But as you can imagine, our energy waxes and wanes
more than the moon. In fact, in September of 2014, with the time and energy
banks mostly depleted, my wife started a multi-level marketing home business
through Young Living called Natural Talk.
Honestly, we argued over it for about a year and a
half until I noticed something. My wife’s energy level was significantly higher
and I had more time. She was up just about every morning before 6:30 and I was
up before 5:30, spending time with the Lord in prayer and devotion each
morning, and exercising each day. Initially, I thought it was the length of
time we had without a pregnancy. Yet, I also noticed something through her
business, she grew in decision-making, confidence, structure, routine, and even
assertiveness. She was leading a team of women, conducting classes in person,
on Periscope, and on FaceBook. She was staying up later than I had seen her
stay up since before we were married but still getting up early. I couldn’t deny
she was growing as a leader. So I said, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” I
began to pray with and for my wife regarding her business, joyfully (for the
most part) steward the books of our business (Did I just say “our?”), and even
help her plan promotions and parties. We both found greater joy in working as a
team (albeit we still fought quite a bit, but at least as a team). We invested
in a marriage book called Team Us by
Ashleigh Slater that confirmed what I was learning. Then, I saw Michael Hyatt’s
post on 5 Ways To Energize Your Team,
and while the wording we use is a little different, the principles are the same.
It was as clear as could be that you will motivate your team and be successful,
if you are C.L.E.A.R.
C = Celebrating what you want to
see more!
L = Listening with your ears,
eyes, and undivided attention
E = Expressing your deep gratitude
for the efforts and sacrifices of others.
A = Assuming everyone on your team
is intelligent, capable, and working diligently with the best interest of
others at heart.
R = Reminding your team of their
God-given worth, value to the work process, and difference their making.
Check back tomorrow for more thorough explanations on each.
