Do your small group leaders know the game plan? Do they know the position of the goal line? Can we improve our strategy?
So we win a few and we lose a few. Does this sound like your team's banner? So our team members don't always know when to block or which way to run. Our team captains (small group leaders) don't always give the right plays. What is a coach to do? Sounds like it's time to revise our coaching strategy. You do have one don't you? Surprisingly enough, it is quite common that small group coaches have not devised a coaching strategy.
Every dynamic team has a coach with a dynamic coaching strategy. This strategy will be first clear to the coach, it is both defined and intentional, before it will be clear to his leaders. It should include the vision, direction and confirmation that are all backed up by a good, clear personal example. Let's take a closer look at the elements of a dynamic coaching strategy.
Vision
The first element in creating our strategy is vision. This is the element that makes our strategy dynamic. Many groups fade or resolve to become just a social group due to the lack of a clear vision. Include your leaders and spend much time in prayer to seek God's vision for your group. Remember this is God's ministry not ours. By including your leaders they will have more ownership in the vision, and they will learn to do the same when they become coaches.
Vision states the who, what, where and why of group meetings. It states what your group is, what it does, and the purpose of your meetings and what it hopes to achieve. My church provides a definition statement for our groups, a vision statement and group goals. This gives a clear point of reference for our leaders to guide and redirect their groups. A clear plan such as this gives our groups much endurance.
Direction
The next step after casting the vision is to set our direction or our game play strategy. Each step toward the direction of the goal is a play in itself. This direction covers many aspects, such as how to attract members, conduct meetings, mentor new leaders, minister to one another and out-reach beyond our groups. The direction needs to be intentional and clear. Remember it's hard to reach the goal without a set of good plays.
Confirmation
Giving our leaders continual confirmation trains and builds their abilities and confidence. We give our leaders confirmation by defining their role, evaluating the fulfillment of their role and showing them that we are there to help them in their role. By defining their roles they know what is expected of them and what is expected from others. Without clearly knowing our roles it is rare that we fulfill our roles completely. Through defining roles we accomplish true teamwork where everyone is functioning in the fullness of his or her gifts together. By evaluating roles of leaders we open the opportunity to better equip them in their leadership development. By giving fair, loving evaluations we confirm the fact that we are there in time of need. Confirmation is often an overlooked means to enable and empower small group leaders.
Example
In 2 Tim 2:2 Paul instructs Timothy to follow his example in teaching. "And the things you have heard me say … . Entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others."(NIV) By our example our leaders can see the vision, the direction and confirmation of the plan in a practical application. By redirecting our leaders to the vision they see how to redirect their group members to the vision. The direction of the strategy is easily understood when they can see your plan through your interaction with them and others. For example, when working on a skill consider bringing them into your group where they can follow your lead more closely. By fulfilling our own role of evaluating their progress, they entrust you as a source of help and instruction. Our personal example enables us to project our coaching plan with the clarity needed for our leaders to understand and embrace as a model that they can follow.
The team with a plan
In order to have a dynamic team we must have a dynamic coaching plan. We need to cast our visions, we need to set directions and we need to practice confirmations. And, of course, more is seen by our example than what is said by our plan. Empower your team coach!
