We often confuse a contract with a covenant.
A contract says, "I will trade this labor for that money. If you break the rules, I sue." A covenant says, "We are in this together to build something that matters."
Rules are rigid. Relationships are fluid.
The goal shouldn't be just to follow a list of laws; we all know the difference between the Old Testament laws and the New Testament grace. The goal should be to build a tribe that trusts one another.
To do great work, we don't need to lock each other up with rigidity. What we need is to show up for each other and try to be the best we can be.
Here is a better way to work together, without the pressure of perfection:
1. Wash the feet (and the cups) of one another. Jesus led by serving. In the office, this means you wash your own coffee cup, and then you wash someone else's.
- Don't hoard information. Unless you are duty-bound to specifically do so. If the information helps the team do better work, share it freely. Don't hide the recipe to be the only baker.
- But a vault for secrets. If someone trusts you with a private struggle or confidential news, you keep it safe. Sharing work information builds speed, protecting secrets builds trust.
- Pass the credit. Every time it goes well, point to the team.
- Own your mistake. Be humble enough to recognize your own shortcomings and improve on them.
- But don't be a martyr. There is a thin line between being a leader and being a martyr. A martyr tries to save everyone by dying on every hill. A leader tries to get everyone up the hill. If you take the blame for things you didn't do, you aren't building a team. You are hiding the truth.
2. Speak the truth in love, the Bible says (Ephesians 4:15). That means being clear and not mean.
- Document. If you want something done, describe it clearly.
- Don't gossip. If you can't say it to their face, don't say it at all. The Bible calls the tongue a restless evil, full of deadly poison. If you talk about the shortcomings of someone, ensure they are in the room to hear it. If they aren't, you are merely cementing a fracture in the foundation.
- Critique in private, celebrate in public. Follow the Matthew 18 principle: go to your brother or sister directly first. Dignity is non-negotiable. But celebrate team wins in public.
3. We are one body, the Bible says (1 Corinthians 12:12). In the workplace, that means we are all different, but we can function as one:
- Hire people better than you. Don't be jealous of talent. Insecurity leads to mediocrity. Hire people who are smarter than you and let them work.
- Ask for help (I have to remind myself of this more often, haha). Admitting you are stuck shouldn't be perceived as a weakness. It's actually smart. It's a refusal to let your ego stall the goal.
4. Fear Not. Anxiety is contagious, but so is courage. Don't be afraid to share your fears so they don't own you. Don't let the bullies run in the playground. And when you screw up, which everyone eventually will (nobody's perfect), don't hold a grudge against yourself or others. Grace is the oil that keeps the machine from breaking.
5. Work with all your heart. The Bible says to "work heartily, as if for the Lord" (Colossians 3:23-24). This means we care and don't settle. We ask "why?" and "what if?" We do the reading. We prepare.
The "I am Human" Clause.
We want to be perfect, but we aren't. The Bible knows we are flawed.
Let your "Yes" be "Yes." Keep your promises.
But what about when you can't?
Punctuality is respect. Being late steals time that your friend can never get back.
However, life happens. You will get stuck in traffic. You will have an emergency.
If you are going to be late, tell them before you are late.
Don't wait until the meeting starts to apologize. Text them thirty minutes early. Say, "I am running behind, and I respect your time too much to leave you hanging."
That turns a mistake into trust.
Final Words
In the end, we aren't looking for perfection. We are looking for connection. The goal isn't to be a hero who never makes a mistake, or a martyr who fixes everyone else's. The goal is simply to be a good neighbor. We wash the cups, we keep the safe secrets, and we fix the problems... together.
When we build a culture where it is safe to tell the truth and safe to be human, the work takes care of itself. That is how we build a team that achieves something that matters.
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