Reactivity and Differing

The staff of the College Hill Presbyterian Church consisted of ten men and women who held various positions on such topics as healing, evangelism, church growth and pastoral care. Despite those very strong opinions for the most part we made a dynamic and effective team. How did we manage to do it?

1. We intentionally worked on developing the skills and attitudes that make good teams.

2. We did not leave team development to chance, but took time at each meeting for prayer, care and share.

3. We went on retreats for fun, prayer, hearing God and planning.

4. We committed ourselves to "Agree to disagree agreeably".

5. We all took the Myers-Briggs Temperament Type test and discussed our preferences openly and learned to respect each others' preferences.

6. We kept short accounts holding each other accountable for inappropriate behavior.

7. We studied, taught and practiced Mt. 18:15 about reconciliation one on one.

8. We agreed to keep our conversations upbuilding and not to gossip about one another outside the group.

9. We encouraged vigorous debate before a decision but all disagreements disappeared after a decision was made. The Senior Pastor was not exempt from hearing disagreement.

10. Communication about expectations was clear and open. People knew exactly what to expect.

These things kept reactivity to a minimum and we all learned how to run a healthy group.