conducting
team huddles
What is a team huddle?
How do we huddle at Inspire?
1
Remember the Why. This is the foundation of every huddle and every ministry. Before we remind the team members what to do or how to do it, we must always make sure the why is at the forefront of their minds. Remembering the why in every huddle ensures that the entire team is rallying around a purpose greater than themselves. (1 min)
Here’s Our Why:
We exist to inspire Gospel-centered
discipleship everywhere we go.
2
State the Wins. Once your team is excited about the why, you must fill in the blanks and clarify the what and the how. Is there a clear, stated expectation for each role on your team? Have you equipped them with the resources to accomplish this? Every huddle should have a few stated “wins” or goals for the day. (2 mins)
Captains and leads always remember:
celebrate wins often!
3
Create Team Unity. Once your team has been compelled by the mission and understands what the expectations are, naturally team unity begins to take shape. Now is the time to tell stories celebrating past wins that illustrate how the team is working together to accomplish the mission. Be sure to connect the story to one or more of our Inspire Team Commitments to reinforce a healthy team culture! (5 mins)
If you’ve ever watched a sporting event, you might be familiar with a team huddle or what happens when a team takes a timeout. In a huddle, team members circle up, not for conversation, but as an opportunity for the coach to clarify expectations, create unity, and cast vision for the next play.
Here is a great TED Talk on “How great leaders inspire action.”
Below is a list of three essential components for a successful huddle at Inspire. Don’t forget: an effective huddle is a short huddle. Keep it less than 10 minutes.
Here is an example of a clearly stated win for each ministry:
Hospitality
Parking lot greeter: let’s wave and smile at every car today.
Kids Ministry
Let’s greet and call every child by their name today.
Kid Admin
Let’s prepare tags in advance for regulars.
Audio
Let’s make sure we’re ready for sound check by 9a sharp.
Visual
Be sure to communicate with the sound team.
Worship
Let’s not forget to engage with the congregation.
Here is an example of a clearly stated win for each ministry:
Step 1
Tell a story: Use past "I caught you" cards to generate stories.) “Last Sunday Andy waved and smiled at every car pulling in. A customer who was staying at the hotel asked him what he was doing. Andy told him about Inspire and then invited him to come. The customer went back to his hotel room, got dressed, and made it to church!”
Step 2
Connect the action in the story with an Inspire Team Commitment: “I’m so proud of Andy for demonstrating the ability to Move people!”
Step 3
Bring them back to the Why: “This is the reason why we are here. We are inspiring discipleship everywhere, even in the parking lot of the hotel!”
4
Be Prepared. The key to an effective huddle is to come prepared with your why, your wins, and your caught you statements already throughout and ready to go. Here is a form you can fill out for every huddle that will help you come prepared.