KEY 5: Nurture your team
Nurturing your team goes beyond just investing in your staff and volunteers so that they give you a good return.
Nurturing your team goes beyond just investing in your staff and volunteers so that they give you a good return. Developing your team means having a genuine Christ-like love and concern for them (including your board of trustees) and committing to:
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Praying for them
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Actively listening to their feedback and ideas
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Providing opportunities for them to form their own decisions and take action
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Making them feel valued and cared for
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Showing special consideration for their welfare and ongoing development
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Being prepared to let them go
Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one
another.
John 13v34-35
Learn more about the 10 Keys for impact
To fulfil the list above you need to ensure that:
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You are not consumed by busyness (see Key 6)
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You are allowing time for yourself to be nurtured through God and others (see Keys 1 and 6)
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You develop a culture of nurturing one another within your project or organisation, providing opportunities for team members to meet together to learn, support, have fun and pray for one another within their work.
We want to care for our team as much as we do the families we serve. You
can’t just turn on a smile when you see someone from the community walk
through the door; projects should be built around genuine and good
relationships. 
Amar Lulla, Cipla
You need to get to know your team as individuals so you can truly
support them. If you say you’re going to be there for them you need to
follow through and book time in your diary to go out for coffee and
chat. If you make them feel valued they are in a better position to do
the same for the community you are serving.
Monique Russell, Greenbank
Find fun ways of dealing with stress; we keep skipping ropes in the
office so anyone who is stressed can go outside and do 50 skips!
Tricia McConalogue, Bridging the Gap
We closed down the project for a week three times a year to give
everyone a chance to be refreshed. We gathered everyone together to
recognise their contribution and encourage them. Days included team
building, prayer, stories, celebrating successes and planning for the
future and individual awards.
Catherine Marshall, Signal
Support and empower staff to progress with an annual personal
development plan. Think creatively; if someone wants to get a
scuba-diving qualification and you can see a tangible benefit for them
and the organisation - then why not!
Stuart Ashmore, First Base Walsall
Avoid a blame culture. When things go wrong, help your team put things
right and encourage them it’s OK. At the same time it’s good to hold
people accountable and to tell them the tough stuff to help them
develop.
Mark Russell, Greenbank
‘Turning the Key’ – Additional Tips:
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Encourage everyone to come up with ideas for your work, including the cleaner and temporary workers
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Provide each volunteer with a simple contract detailing your commitment to them and your expectations of them
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Present volunteers with a certificate annually recognising their commitment
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Try to have fun in your staff meetings - tell stories and eat cake as well as addressing work issues
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When giving constructive criticism, try to sandwich it in-between two pieces of positive feedback
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Encourage your team to pray and care for one another
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Send hand-written thank you cards on an annual basis
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Once a year have your paid staff cook a meal for your volunteers
Further resources available to download
Helpful organisations & books