MODULE 1 - Section 6
Becoming a Healthy STT Coordinator: Perspective & Actions
30 Minutes to complete section and related assignments
In this section, you will learn:
Bring your unique self and perspective to the role of coordinator.
Adopt the Storyteller perspective to help others see deeper into the community.
Take action through administrating, communicating, developing, hosting, and leading.
Recognize you have an important role of influence, so lead confidently and continually learn.
The Storyteller: A Complimentary Perspective
Ever have a parent, sibling, teacher or other mentor explain something to that helped you see it in a way you didn’t/couldn’t before? It’s one of those feelings where it’s like discovering a whole new world.
And now, it's likely their insightful, guiding perspective has led you to a point where you can’t not see things the way they helped you discover them, right?
This is what Jesus did when He was on earth. How the Spirit continues to do so with us today. It's what those great mentors of ours did for us. And this is the remarkable perspective you have to offer as a short-term team coordinator.
In the STTs Dept., we call this perspective The Storyteller.
The Storyteller perspective serves as the primary foundation perspective for all healthy coordinators, and, as you will see, it is a complimentary foundation on which the uniqueness of your self and your own perspective can build upon.
Defining the Role
There are two primary aspects that are fundamental to the Storyteller perspective:
Invite outsiders into the Story that God is telling in the community.
"Pull back the curtain" to help outsiders see what is really happening in the lives of the vulnerable and the broader community.
A Storyteller is like a diplomat that is able to move between two worlds and create a bridge between them bringing with them their unique perspective of having once been an outsider with a limited understanding but now aware of the inner workings of the community and its people.
Hopefully, you noticed that being a Storyteller doesn’t necessarily mean having to be an actual expert storyteller. Rather, the focus is on a growing ability to bring intentional insights and focus to various aspects of the community or the life/lives of individuals in the community and how that relates to the challenges, assets and transformation happening there and in the lives of its people.
Storyteller Practices
You have a brief overview of a Storyteller’s perspective, but let’s go a level deeper.
How do Storytellers actually help short-term teams get a peek behind the veil? To understand that, let's name the key characteristics and practices that shape the perspective a Storyteller exudes.
A Storyteller engages their two-pronged perspective by:
Consistently pointing to where God is at work. This is to help team members see transformation - profound or subtle - that they aren’t likely to see for themselves.
For example: this person or this part of our community was like this and now they are/it is like this.
Side note: this practice isn’t about using over-the-top spiritual language. Be natural!
Highlighting Assets, Challenges and Transformation happening in specific lives and/or in the broader community. Oftentimes, only challenges are seen by the team members, but a Storyteller knows there are indeed assets available and that powerful transformation is happening. A Storyteller shares a realistic-yet-dignifying picture.
Remembering what it was like when they were unaware and uninformed. Having had that experience gives them the ability to use their expanded knowledge to intentionally help short-term team members see and understand what they couldn't see/understand when they were once in their shoes.
A Storyteller's knowledge can speak to the broader community to aspects like culture, geopolitics, economics, poverty issues, power dynamics, and more.
It can also include details regarding a specific person or family. For example, stories of transformation (i.e. following Jesus now, serving their neighbors they once disliked, starting a business) or obstacles they are facing (i.e. the impact of a recently deceased loved one, health issues, etc.).
Oftentimes, individual/family specifics are simultaneously intertwined with aspects of the broader community.
Using the power of questions to foster the learning process. Proactively asking or even responding with questions challenges team members to think deductively like a global worker has to.
This could look like pointing something out within the community and asking: “Why do you think that is?” Help them think beyond just their senses and/or cultural comfortability.
Weaving host-community Purpose, Priorities and Perspective into their language occasionally. Storytellers point out why and how the ministry team/locals do what they do and how what the short-term team is doing supports long-term efforts.
Utilizing their unique self-attributes while embracing the Storyteller perspective. They are their authentic selves, leveraging their individualized mix of attributes and experience to bring impact in the way only they can.
Lastly, they show team members how they are a part of the Story that is unfolding in the community and invite them with tangible opportunities to go deeper in that Story through prayer, giving, serving mid/long term, sharing expertise, partnership, etc.
Storyteller Activity
To engage the Storyteller perspective in a more integrated way, take a moment to access the resource at the end of this section entitled Storyteller Perspective Activity. In this activity, you will engage a real-life scenario with a potential short-term team and, using the attributes of a Storyteller, respond to a team’s challenging question.
When you’re done, you can return the Actions content below to learn about the third and final aspect of a healthy STT coordinator.
Actions
Now, let’s get a bit more specific and talk about the Actions a coordinator takes with each and every team.
It's one thing to know, care for, and bring your unique self and individual perspective to the role of a short-term team coordinator, along with that of the Storyteller.
But what is needed to make this all come alive? Energy. Motion. Action, of course!
A coordinator will wear many hats in their role throughout the team process, but there are 5 primary actions they need to utilize in any given situation:
Administrate
Communicate
Develop
Host
Lead
Each of these is critical in your ability to mold and shape the short-term team process and the various relationships that are involved during the team but also live on after the team is complete.
Our goal in this section then is to give you some general guideposts to consider with each of these 5 actions.
Administrate:
The Heart
The heart of the Administrate action is planning and execution.
A key practice is to look at what will need to be executed (such as meals, transportation, community engagement projects, etc.). Then, you think backward from its execution about the various steps that are needed to ensure it happens. You then plan those steps that need to be taken, when they should be completed by and communicate with anyone else who may need to be involved.
Break large tasks into smaller steps that you can complete at a pace that helps you finish the larger task on time. Map out deadlines for each task to keep yourself/the process on track.
The Specifics
Know that the specifics - the actual ‘how to’ of planning and execution - will be in Module 3. You can also find a STT Process Checklist on the dashboard of each module, which will encapsulate key tasks to administrate. You are welcome of course to add to this checklist as you gain experience and add additional items unique to your community.
Communicate
The Heart
The heart of the Communicate action is the question: who?
You want to ask yourself: who is affected by what is happening?
And there are typically two ways a person is affected: Administratively and/or Relationally.
The Specifics
Administratively - Who has a role in what is going to happen with the short-term team?
For example, your teammate is going to be the one to pick up the team from the airport or a local is going to lead one of the projects. If so, communicate with the people the role they are going to play and the associated responsibilities.
Relationally - Who is impacted by the presence of the short-term team and could that affect your relationship with them?
For example, you have been building trust with a local and may ask them if it is ok for the team to visit their home. While this could apply administratively also, here you want to check in with them and make sure they are feeling settled about a team coming along with any potential emotional/financial/cultural/etc. impact that might have on them.
Additional specific items on what to communicate and to whom throughout the process are also available in the STT Process Checklist previously referenced.
Develop
The Heart
The heart of Develop is relationship.
While there are many things you can develop (systems, processes, resources, etc.), it’s the relationships that carry the day. As we know, our organizational mission statement is “we bring people together to help the oppressed,” and, as we discussed earlier, our goal is to see sustained relational momentum happening.
The short-term team process offers a space to develop relationships, which means building stronger bonds of trust, mutual dignity and reciprocity.
The Specifics
To keep the Develop action simple, here are the thematic ways you can use this action while interacting with the following people involved in the short-term team process. With experience, you will expand your ability in the way you engage these relationships in the unique aspects of the pre/in/post-community stages.
Quick Tips
Proactively Communicate
How often should you communicate to those involved in the short-term team process? Early and often. Rarely does that approach fail. However, later and infrequently is surefire for issues down the line.
Know Your Audience
Think about who you are communicating to, what they need to know, and how it impacts them.
Set Deadlines
For any action items that need to be completed by others include a date by which you need that action completed. This helps create an actionable timeline to get the ball rolling to reach the goal.
Get Confirmation
Don’t assume because you send an email or text that it was received, read, understood or acted upon. If time has gone by since your last transmission, reach back out and ensure they got it, while answering any questions they may have.
Empower Others
Leverage the power of other people's gifts and abilities so you do not have to be the only one to communicate. Share non-sensitive information with others who can then communicate on your behalf. As an example, a team leader can be a great asset. Discern if the information you want to share makes sense for the situation. If so, share the info with them, freeing them to disperse it to the rest of the team.
Short-Term Teams Department
Our goal - that being you and the STTs Dept together - is for our connection to appear unified and connected to the goer so that, while we play separate roles in the team process - they experience us more as one. For that to happen, communicate early and often with us so we can be your primary support throughout. Not only is the STTs Dept to help guide the entire team process so you can focus on in-community preparations, we also help build strong relationship with the goer so they are ready to come as flexible listener-learners who will hopefully be open to taking additional next steps toward ongoing engagement.
STT Team Leader & Organizational Team Leader
You will learn more about this more in depth in Module 4. For now, foster their strong desire to make a difference, help them see how they will make an impact, and guide them in the places they are uninformed around long-term transformation. In doing so, they’ll be more likely to want to continue to follow you into partnership.
Short-Term Team
Even though short-term team members are visiting your community for a week or two, they have actually been on a much longer journey with Jesus. And that journey will continue after they leave. You have an extremely poignant opportunity then to help team members see Jesus and the vulnerable in a way they may have never before. For many, it will change their perspective and maybe even their lives forever.
You want to literally invite them deeper into the work that is happening there, because for some, they will want to continue their journey connected specifically to you and the community as prayers, givers and returning goers. You never know, some of these remarkable folks just might end up as donors or even teammates!
Field Team
At whatever level you have built trust with your teammates, a short-term team is a way to honor that trust to build even more. They will appreciate your proactive communication, thinking through the details, and looping them in on decisions that impact them. That intentionality will build deeper levels of relationship with them that will live on after the short-term team has left.
Locals
You have labored diligently to create relational inroads with these beautiful people in the community. At a minimum, let those people who are going to be directly impacted by the team’s visit share any fears or concerns they may have, note them, and, as appropriate, use that same Storyteller posture to guide them deeper into how God may be using people different from them to impact their lives and the community.
Host
The heart of the Host action is hospitality.
Have you visited someone's house and immediately felt at home by the way they prepared the space and thought of you in advance? Did you notice they were aware of your needs throughout your stay, such as, having a drink available upon your arrival or giving you space to rest knowing you have had a long journey?
Those moments speak to the heart of hospitality - an intentional consideration of another and their well-being (emotional, physical, hunger, spiritual) and to act in such a way that shows awareness and care toward them.
As we know, Scripture is filled with passages demonstrating hospitality. It’s an underappreciated, but powerful form of service and encouragement.
The Specifics
As you engage with the following groups of people during the short-term team process, here are some ideas on how you can use the Host action. As you read, what others can you think of?
Team Leader and Team Members
Send a welcome email to the team before they arrive. When they get there have water ready for them in the vehicle. Have a meal or two that will bring some comfort. Share a word of encouragement when a team member does something you notice. Pray with/for someone. Send the team home with a simple gift. Send a welcome/welcome home email or personalized video before/after their return.
Field Team
Include them in the team activities when appropriate. Have an extra water or plate of food for them too. Thank them for their involvement verbally or with a hand-written card. Have a meal after the team departs to celebrate the team's efforts.
Locals
Much like the Field Team points above, be mindful of local involvement and needs. Again, you don’t have to take care of everything for every person, but to be mindful of their presence. If it is appropriate for your context since hospitality is different in different cultures, invite them to be involved with the team, have provisions for them as needed and show your gratitude.
Quick Tips
Here are some quick tips to maximize your Host action when engaging short-term teams:
Step Into Their Shoes
Consider what the other person(s) might be experiencing and what might be an appropriate way to respond. For example, is the short-term arriving during the heat of the day or during a meal time? Did a local offer up an extensive meal to you and the team in their home? Is someone a slower walker than the rest of the group? Think of sufficiently hospitable ways you might be able to address their needs or proactively show gratitude/encouragement.
Details Matter
A classic example is the chocolate on the hotel pillow. Everyone appreciates intentionality. While a pillow-chocolate is not necessary, occasionally having the team’s favorite drink available at meal times or getting a vehicle with AC for transportation are some basic ways to say, “We thought of you.” Pay attention to the details if you have the time and energy to do so.
Simple Is Still Sincere
Not every act of hospitality has to be grand. In fact, simple is often more sustainable. A simple thank you card or swapping of seats so someone can be more comfortable still goes a long way.
Know Your Limits
At the end of the day, your role is not to meet everyone’s needs and desires. Find a sufficient limit to using your Host action and then let things be enough so you have room left to care for your unique self and be refreshed for the next day.
Know Their Limits
Some folks, at no fault of their own, have more needs than others. We can all understand and honor that. On the other hand, some folks make things about them all the time. Be kind and considerate as you would to anyone else but reserve the rest of your energy for other matters.
Lead
The heart of the Lead action is influence.
Can we get the elephant out of the room? There is a lot of talk throughout U.S. culture, the world, etc. about who is a leader and who is not. We often have a rigid view of leadership in the sense that most are born-leaders, and the rest of have no ability to lead.
Perhaps one of the simplest and healthiest views on leadership is the oft-quoted John Maxwell who says: leadership is influence.
As a short-term team coordinator, you have the opportunity to influence processes, schedules, team engagement in the community, communication, administration and more. That also includes relationships, including team leaders, team members, your field team, locals, and so on.
Your role as a coordinator - that of a unique Stortyeller with a diverse role - is a role of influence, and, therefore, leadership!
The Specifics
There are plenty of resources out there on leadership, as well as leadership development opportunities within our organization, so your aim in this section is to remember to utilize your Lead skill as a mindset through all three phases of a short-term team -pre-community, in-community, post-community - just like the other skills.
With that in mind, here are some tried-and-true leadership tips directly related to short-term teams:
Be a Storyteller
Did we mention this yet?
Healthy Leadership is Self-Aware Leadership
In other words, how you see yourself is likely how you will project yourself. If you don’t know your strengths, your quirks, and your flaws, its going to be hard to know what it looks like to be at your best or, conversely, when you’ve stepped over someone else in the process.
Reflect What You Expect
If you want a team to arrive as flexible listeners and learners, then you have to show them what this looks like.
Show them how to listen, ask good questions, and extend dignity to locals as they share their stories. Demonstrate how to truly see people beyond just their circumstances. Reflect where you are seeing the Father move and give Him praise.
Communicate Value and Impact
People desire to have purpose and to know they make a difference. Share with the team why what they are doing matters and the impact it will make. This will not only encourage them, but that encouragement, in turn, will inspire intentionality and effort.
Assume Authority
There may be times when you need to use your advanced knowledge of the community to establish healthy boundaries. As a leader, you need to use that knowledge and the decision-making authority that comes with it when it requires such.
Its Ok To Say No
Again, back to healthy boundaries. Say yes when you can. However, there are times to cordially and confidently say no. That may be if a group isn’t the right fit, actions/words that goes against cultural norms or a request that is just not possible. If appropriate, explain why, and if its not, stick with it.
Its Ok To Be Human
Somehow the misnomer has become that leadership equals superhuman. If we take the bait, our leadership begins to erode. It's actually a place of strength to know your limitations and care for them well.
Don’t Sell Yourself Short
You have been put in your role as coordinator for a reason: people believe in you. Just as we don’t want to puff ourselves up, you also don’t need to be small. You are in this role “for such a time as this.” Embrace this vote of confidence and all the magnificent skills, abilities, etc. you have. Lead confidently!
Learn Continually
If we are learning, we are embracing the humble reality that we still have more to learn. Humility is a posture that never gets old. Always be learning about yourself, your goer-groups, your community, your perspectives, your teammates, and so on. There’s a whole world to explore out there!
Wrapping Up
As you can now see, you have no ordinary role as a short-term team coordinator!
You have a role that allows you to bring your unique self and its accompanying perspective to all that you do, letting your light shine for the Father in the way that He fashioned you.
You get the opportunity to be a Storyteller, helping others go deeper into the community and join in the work that God is doing there in the lives of its people.
And you execute influential actions that shape and impact not only the short-term team process, but the lives and relationships of all people involved in that process. Wow!
May you be encouraged about the important work you are driving as a healthy short-term team coordinator!
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Storyteller Perspective Activity
