Have you ever worked for a strong team?

I had the privilege of working with a special team in Montreal for two years.

There I worked at Concordia University, helping students discover their personal faith in God and building them into leaders. 

This team was special. Dennis was our supervisor, and we had a pre-existing and close relationship from our time at university. Maria and Amanda were fun, dynamic, and awesome girls to work with. Even though we came from different backgrounds and even though we had different personalities and strengths, my time working with them was truly blessed. We were like a second family.

At the end of my last term in Montreal, our team went to St.Joseph’s Oratory. We had a retreat day. This meant we spent some time in prayer to reflect on the great work we accomplished.

There was a moment I will never forget. After spending time at this beautiful place, we walked down the steps towards the entrance. And we looked back, staring at the Oratory for quite some time. There were no words. This was the end of it for some of us. Dennis and I had to leave for new roles in Ottawa, and Maria was going to head back to Calgary. We looked at the Oratory, a sign of our time in Montreal. Some tears came. My time here was done.

It was a special moment because we worked really hard at our work and we had a strong team.

A strong team is a core of people that come together and make 2 + 2 = 5. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

It’s interesting that we finished our time together in Montreal at the Oratory. Because earlier that year, that’s where our work started. We had a leadership retreat during the beginning of the fall term and we are talking about the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. 

In reflection, here are 5 functions of a strong team. I use some ideas from Lencioni to help me articulate what I think is true.  

Function#1 – Team Trust.

The team will be as strong as the trust that you have with each other. Trust is the foundation for everything. Trust is the glue that holds the team together.

On our leadership retreat, someone asked us a question which we shared with the group, ‘What is the hardest thing you went through growing up?’ We were vulnerable with each other and we allowed ourselves to be exposed. We saw each other’s humanity. That built trust for the remainder of the year.

Function #2 – Share Same Mission.

The team is stronger when you share the same mission. Same mission = same heart = same direction.

When I worked with Dennis, we both built up leaders in Montreal. I told him one day, ‘I think why our work is so effective is because we both have hearts for the people we serve. Two hearts are better than one.’ He agreed. The result? Both of us were on the same page and we worked together in all things.

Function #3 –  Pursue Good Conflict.

Do we have conflict over the right things? Or do we fight over small and menial matters that concern the ego, personality, and power? 

Good conflict pursues the mining of truth. In fact our team had a conflict resolution statement in our office. We fought everyday to say what we really felt when it came to decisions and ideas. We agreed to disagree. Good conflict makes a team stronger because everything is on the table.

Function #4 – Sharpen Iron.

A strong team is composed of people who see your strengths and weaknesses. When it comes to those areas we are not sharp, our fellow teammates can raise us to greatness. As the Proverbs say, ‘As iron sharpens iron, so one man strengthens another.’ 

During our end of year evaluations, we went around the team for accountable feedback. We spent 5 minutes reflecting for each teammate: (i) What are two things you can affirm in that person and (ii) what is one thing you’ve noticed that needs improvement. It was a humble experience because my teammates saw in me the areas I was weak. But the emphasis was that my team encouraged me to develop into a better leader. I became aware of my weak spots and became more effective.

Foundation #5 – Celebrate.

There’s nothing more valuable when we have a good time with our team.

One year, my team in Montreal treated me to a great birthday. It was fantastic: I was able to have cake and I got a special card with words of affirmation. But my favourite part was that someone bought me Brie cheese and stuck a candle in the middle of it. If you know me, I love cheese and this was particularly awesome. I felt special and noticed.

Having a strong team requires effort and commitment. But a strong team is well worth it. We become so much more effective when we have a team that brings us to another level. They make 2 + 2 = 5.