Honesty

I read this on Shawn's blog yesterday and it resonated with me. I have the same desire for our church, our team and our Hub Groups.

One of the other most important Ministry Team Values at [Hub City Church] is honesty. We practice and expect honesty from each other as a team. If loyalty brings leverage in a relationship, honesty brings loyalty--in the long run. However, the right kind of honesty on a team often brings SHORT TERM conflict. REAL honesty often rocks the boat. Total honesty can create awkward moments.
As some of you know, I believe one of the most damaging things that can happen on a team is when people are 90% honest with each other. I fact, I believe that most of the time, people share about 10% of their total honest feelings in conversations BECAUSE they don't want to to rock the boat. On our team, however, we practice and expect our team tell tell each other our "last ten percent." Let me know what you REALLY think. Tell me when I made you mad. Tell me when I hurt your feelings. Tell me what you REALLY think about my idea. Tell me how you REALLY think the service went this past Sunday. Tell me what you REALLY think about my preaching. Notice I said: "Tell ME". Not everyone else. That's where total honesty builds loyalty! If anyone on my team can be totally honest with me, they shouldn't have to go "vent" to anyone else! "Venting" is not Biblical and we don't allow it on ou team!
I'll grant you, not every team wants to practice the "last ten percent". Not everyone one wants to hear the last ten percent. However, I think that's because we're not used to practicing it anywhere else in our lives! Even in our own families! Here's the cool part, though: Total honesty fosters excellence. Total honesty helps me improve. Total honesty helps me make the best decisions possible. Total honesty helps keep a clean slate in our relationship. Loyalty and honesty: values of a great team! Our team!