Through years of ministry with Teen Challenge I have lived with an unspoken myth—excellent training in Teen Challenge will produce excellent results in your ministry. A few months ago, that myth was exposed by a comment made by Karissa McCarter, the director of corporate training at Teen Challenge of the Southeast Region. She pointed out that if there is not organizational health at the local level, then staff training has limited long term benefit.
It took me about 30 seconds to realize how on target she was with her assessment of training.

This is not a call to abandon systematic staff training. But an even higher priority for leaders of Teen Challenge is the need to create an organization that is healthy.

At a recent staff training event in Chattanooga, TN, we asked those attending how they would describe organizational health in their local center. They listed 47 traits of healthy organizations and 27 traits of dysfunctional organizations. Here are some of their assessments of organizational health:

• Good communication
• Teamwork
• Clearly defined boundaries
• Accountability
• Commitment to change
• Consistency
• Conflict promptly and directly confronted
• Humility
• Love
• Balance
• Respect
• Servant Leadership

As leaders at all levels in Teen Challenge ministry, we must do our best to foster organizational health. But before we can do that, we must understand what organizational health looks like, and how we can grow our ministry that way. Perhaps a good question to ask your staff is, “What would need to change for our local ministry to be more healthy?” Or, “What are the areas of dysfunction that you see within our organization?”

If you are going to ask these questions, then your staff must have an assurance that they will not be shot down for sharing their ideas. You need to welcome their ideas and then prioritize them into action steps. Be clear in communicating how highly you value organizational health, and then begin to recognize and praise staff as you see them demonstrating these traits.

Ask your staff to hold you accountable to how you can help foster a better working environment. This will provide an atmosphere where ongoing staff training will bear excellent fruit for eternity in the lives of people who desperately need hope and help.