{"id":594,"date":"2024-02-17T07:35:41","date_gmt":"2024-02-17T12:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theleadershipwell\/?p=594"},"modified":"2024-02-17T07:35:41","modified_gmt":"2024-02-17T12:35:41","slug":"how-to-create-an-environment-of-intimacy-as-a-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theleadershipwell\/2024\/02\/how-to-create-an-environment-of-intimacy-as-a-team\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create an Environment of Intimacy as a Team"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

What is a Team?<\/strong><\/h3>\n Many of us would not think of the term intimacy<\/em><\/strong> when we talk about teams.\u00a0 When we think of the term intimacy, we are thinking about those with whom we are in a romantic relationship or a friendship at a minimum.\u00a0 However, if we think about what the purpose of a team is, we would do well to consider how we can develop intimacy even with our working and serving teams.\u00a0 According to Management Study Guide,<\/a> a team<\/em><\/strong> is defined as \u201ca group of individuals, all working together for a common purpose.\u00a0 The individuals comprising a team ideally should have common goals, common objectives and more or less think on the same lines\u201d.\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Becoming a Team<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n*** ** ***Unfortunately, in our production focused culture, we fail to see those on our teams as people.\u00a0 We see them more as a means to an end to get results rather than people with whom we should build relationships.\u00a0 The people on our teams come from various walks of life, have different experiences and life happens to each of them.\u00a0 All of this makes up who they are.\u00a0 For us to work well together, we must be intentional to get to know those with whom we work and serve.<\/p>\n Revelation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nA Lesson in Team Based Intimacy<\/strong><\/h3>\n***** ** *****Recently we celebrated Transfiguration Sunday.\u00a0 It is the Sunday in the Christian Church in which we remember Jesus revealing himself \u2013 the divine self \u2013 on the mountain.\u00a0 Jesus was intentional in whom he invited to be a part of this momentous occasion.\u00a0 He was intentional in where he revealed himself.\u00a0 He was purposeful in making sure they understood the sanctity of the revelation.<\/p>\n**** Peter, James, and John were given the privilege to be invited on a special trip with Jesus for this moment.\u00a0 They were invited to join him away from the crowds and away from their fellow teammates.\u00a0 Mark 9:2<\/a> says \u201cSix days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart, by themselves.\u00a0 And he was transfigured before them.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>\u00a0While everyone else has witnessed Jesus\u2019 humanity, these three would have the distinct honor to witness Jesus\u2019 divinity.<\/p>\n What a tragedy to walk with someone but really have no idea who they really are.\u00a0 You may have seen what they are capable of. You may even have up close and personal access to them, but do you really know who they are?\u00a0 Do our teams know who we are? For relationship to be real, even on a team, it requires a certain level of intimacy.\u00a0 Intimacy<\/a> is defined as \u201ca feeling of closeness and connection in an interpersonal relationship\u201d.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 It requires bonding at various levels. Though Jesus had twelve who he had been called and chosen to walk with him on this journey of ministry, Jesus invites three of the twelve to accompany him up on a high mountain \u2013 away from the crowd, away from the group\/team.<\/p>\n Intimacy as a Team<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTwo Types of Intimacy<\/h3>\n******* ** In this special moment, Jesus demonstrates for us two forms of intimacy we should implement with our teams:<\/p>\n ** Emotional Intimacy<\/strong>:\u00a0 Emotional intimacy is when you are able to share the deepest parts of you with others.\u00a0 They were able to see Jesus as he really was. Jesus was able to reveal himself to these three.<\/p>\n ** *******Experiential Intimacy<\/strong>:\u00a0 They were also able to have experiential intimacy with Jesus and each other.\u00a0 Experiential intimacy is shared experiences, spending time together.\u00a0 In this place, Jesus has pulled them away from the crowd and their team.\u00a0 Only the three of them would be able to talk about this experience with each other and with Jesus.<\/p>\n**** If we want to have stronger, healthier, and more effective teams, we should make building intimacy a priority.\u00a0 Suzann Panch Robins<\/a>, author of Exploring Intimacy: Cultivating Healthy Relationships through Insight and Intuition<\/em><\/strong> says, \u201cWhenever people are working together as a team, the more they can know about each others\u2019 needs, desires and goals, the more productive they can be.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n ******* ** Be Curious<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHow to Build Intimacy with a Team<\/h3>\n ** How can we as leaders be more intentional to foster an environment of intimacy with our teams?<\/p>\n ** \nBe Vulnerable<\/strong>: People respond to the actions of the leaders. If we want people to feel safe to share, we must be willing to demonstrate vulnerability before them. We must remove the invisible wall and allow people to see and get to know us.<\/li>\nCreate Safe Spaces<\/strong>: We must create environments where people feel safe to share their thoughts, ideas, struggles and personality without fear of being ridiculed, shamed, or made to feel inferior.<\/li>\nBe Curious<\/strong>: People share when they feel others are interested. Rather than be focused on the work, we must be interested in who our teammates and colleagues are as people.\u00a0 We must move beyond superficial conversations and interactions, learn to listen, and truly see them.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n ** The list above is only the beginning of creating a workplace, ministry, or environment of intimacy.\u00a0 It is an intentional activity that will take time to develop.\u00a0 To begin the process, we must see the value in having such an environment.\u00a0 We must commit, along with our team, to the work and make it a lifestyle for the betterment of our team environment.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ** *******What is a Team? Many of us would not think of the term intimacy when we talk about teams.\u00a0 When we think of the term intimacy, we are thinking about those with whom we are in a romantic relationship or a friendship at a minimum.\u00a0 However, if we think about what the purpose of a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5270,"featured_media":521,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Create an Environment of Intimacy as a Team<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"However, if we think about what the purpose of a team is, we would do well to consider how we can develop intimacy even with our working team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theleadershipwell\/2024\/02\/how-to-create-an-environment-of-intimacy-as-a-team\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Create an Environment of Intimacy as a Team\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If we think about what the purpose of a team is, we would do well to consider how we can develop intimacy even with our working and serving teams.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theleadershipwell\/2024\/02\/how-to-create-an-environment-of-intimacy-as-a-team\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Leadership Well\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-02-17T12:35:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/2000\/2023\/10\/pexels-fauxels-3184423.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"780\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"585\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rev. 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