Discussion: The Best and Worst Teams

Teamwork is at the heart of effective ministry. Leadership often makes or breaks the team dynamic. In this discussion, you will reflect on a team you’ve been a part of and evaluate its health, functionality, and leadership impact. The team could come from a church, class project, job, volunteer group, or any context where people worked toward a shared goal.

In your initial post:

1. Describe the Team Context
• Where and when did this team operate?
• What was the team’s purpose or project?
2. Analyze the Team’s Functioning
• What were the communication patterns like? Were they open and frequent, or unclear and siloed?
• How were decisions made? Top-down, collaborative, or something in between?
• What kind of relationships existed among team members (trusting, competitive, disengaged, etc.)?
3. Strengths and Weaknesses
• How were individual strengths recognized and utilized?
• Were people empowered and encouraged or micromanaged and overlooked?
4. Leadership’s Role
• How did the team’s leader(s) influence collaboration and morale?
• Did they create a sense of ownership and energy, or confusion and frustration?
5. If You Were in Charge
• What changes would you make to improve the team’s health or outcomes?
• Would you communicate differently, shift roles, or change how meetings were run?

Please ensure your initial post is at least 300 words. After making your initial post, please read through the responses of your classmates and make at least three follow-up comments on a different day than your original post. These responses should contribute meaningfully to the discussion, whether by asking insightful questions, providing additional examples or perspectives, or challenging ideas respectfully. Each follow-up comment should be at least 100 words. This discussion is worth 25 points.