MOTIVATING HIGH MORALE

One of the great challenges of a leader is maintaining high morale.  While some leaders have a natural ability to keep people motivated, most of us have to work hard at keeping people focused on the ‘big picture’ and vision of ministry.

How do you keep your team passionate? Ready?  Motivated?  There are four stages of morale:  Poor, low, moderate, and high.  Poor morale is where the leader must do everything.  Low morale is where the leader must do productive things.  Moderate morale is when the leader must do the difficult things.  High morale is when the leader only does the little things.

Where is your team on this scale?  How do you motive for a higher moral?  Our attitude toward volunteers, our ability to encourage them, and to show we trust them plays a great part in how a team responds to our leadership.

Here are some things to consider:

1.        Show that you trust your team.  Trust goes a long way in building momentum and moral.  Give them room to fail, and work with them as they grow.  The greatest tool you can give your team is trust.

2.       Create opportunities for them to succeed.  Find ways to give your team opportunities to succeed.  Help them grow and find opportunities to do things well.  And when they do, celebrate it with them and the team.

3.       Don’t block them from being involved.  Often we don’t let others get involved because we do not think they will do it as well as us,  and that might be true at times.  But the long term affect will be that you might lose a valuable member of a team that you can mentor and develop in to a solid leader.

4.       Communicate for greater impact. What you say has great impact on the team.  If you are constantly correcting and rebuking, you might create a team hesitant to serve.  If you encourage and speak life in to your team, you will find a team ready to grow.

The reality is, when you’re winning, nothing hurts, but when there is low morale,  there will be waste energy and poor involvement.  Find ways for your team to win.  Find ways for them to have greater impact.  Your greatest success will be in the success of your leaders and students.

Remember, under the right circumstances, people will respond positively.  Create an environment for success.

Abe Daniel - District Student Ministries Director

Northern California and Nevada Assemblies of God Student Ministries

- Inspired by "17 Laws of Teamwork