Even on a ministry staff, it is common to have misaligned team members. I recently wrote about three types of staff members. In ministries I have consulted with, I have seen many “partially aligned” staff members—people who are content to be on the team but don’t wake up each day passionate about the mission and values of the team. It is rare, but very special, to have a team fully aligned around the same mission and values. By God’s grace, I have enjoyed those seasons and know the joy of mission and value alignment. When a team of leaders is aligned around the same mission and values, there is deep joy in the work—even in the challenging and difficult days. While I am sure there are more reasons why being on an aligned team is awesome, here are three:
1. Synergy is realized.
The idea of synergy is basically that 1 + 1 can = 3, that people can make each other better and accomplish more together. Synergy can only happen if a team is moving in the same direction. When a team is not aligned, people unintentionally work against one another and 1 + 1 can actually = 1.5 as people move in opposing directions.
2. Impact is amplified.
Because an unaligned team wastes lots of time, each individual’s contribution is muted to some extent. But when a team is moving together in the same mission and operating around the same set of values, each person’s impact is amplified. People love being on an aligned team because an aligned team makes them better.
3. Unity is enjoyed.
The psalmist wrote, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!” (Psalm 133:1). It is truly pleasant to partner with a group of people who move and work in harmony.
The implication for ministry leaders is pretty simple. Be very, very cautious of bringing “partially aligned” people onto your team. Unity is too important to risk.
