The Glue that Makes Great Teams Great: Permission to Play Values

Every great organization shares common values unique to them. Whether it’s a church, a para-church organization, or a business, prevailing teams know and breathe their values, their shared assumptions about how they do things. I’ve served in U.S. churches and my latest church in Canada for a total of 42 years. One of the first things I did when I came to Canada was to share the 10 core values I wanted our team to embrace. I call them ‘permission to play’ values. In other words, if you want to play in our sandbox, here’s how we play. You may already have a great set of values that work for you, but if you don’t, this list I’ve developed over the past several years might provide a starting point for yours. Both Bill Hybel’s and Rick Warren’s lists have influenced mine. Here they are.

We value . . .

  1. Integrity.
    • Is. 32.8 But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands. (NIV)
  2. A positive, coachable attitude. 
    • Phil. 4.8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. (NIV)
  3. Volunteers
    • We work for them; they don’t work for us.
  4. Body, soul, and spirit care.
    • Luke 2.52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (NIV)
  5. Simplicity
    • Simple is best.
  6. Authenticity
  7. Teamwork and trust.
    • We keep short accounts with each other and subordinate our personal agendas to the church’s agenda.
  8. Continual growth and learning.
    • We welcome constructive feedback.
  9.  A healthy work ethic.
    • We work hard and have fun.
  10. Taking bold faith steps. 
    • We aren’t afraid to fail.

What staff values would you add to this list?

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4 thoughts on “The Glue that Makes Great Teams Great: Permission to Play Values”

  1. Charley Blom

    i love the post, especially 2,4 and 8. i add one concerning family. that family life usually trumps church life for staff.

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