Building an Effective Team: Part IV

When I was in public accounting, Wyatt was the least respected partner in the firm due to his inferior accounting skills. But Wyatt had a gift that few others in the firm had; he effectively recruited new clients. So, Wyatt kept getting promoted.

Sometimes there was jealousy from the other partners and staff. They were often tasked with supporting Wyatt’s new clients with their great accounting skills to supplement Wyatt’s inferior auditing skills.

Their accounting help on Wyatt’s clients often went unrecognized, making for even more tense relations. Together, however, Wyatt’s business development skills, coupled with the other team members' strong accounting and auditing skills, made for a strong team.

1 Corinthians 12:24 teaches, “But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

In business, there will be team members with different gifts. It’s easy for jealousy to surface, but the key to a great team is for everyone to understand that you need each person’s gifts being fully utilized to build an effective team. When you recognize and value each person’s skills, jealousy will decrease, and a cohesive team will increase.

If you desire to build an effective and unified team, everyone involved in serving your clients deserves honor and respect.

Questions for Reflection

• Is there any jealousy between coworkers in your company currently? Is there anyone you are jealous of? What are you jealous of? How might you celebrate their success instead of allowing yourself to become offended by it?
• For further reading about jealousy consider Genesis 37 to learn about Joseph and his brothers and how their jealousy was resolved.
• Take a moment to consider how the work of your company is divided up. How does each person's work affect the whole team? Who gets the most credit? Who has pushed your company forward the farthest? How could you show your appreciation for your teammates?