Does Your Team Feel Seen & Heard?

Saturday morning, I joined a dozen focused, committed high achievers in a ministry board meeting. For two hours, we mixed teasing and laughter with planning, problem-solving, and prayer. As we concluded our discussions of the logistics of ministry, our respected board chair asked for prayer concerns, setting the tone by sharing her own deeply personal need.

As we went around the room, voices quivered as stories emerged—parents in hospice, a grandparent lost within 24 hours, memory care issues, divided families, an impending surgery, employment challenges, spouses with cancer, and the weight of caregiving. It was both profoundly sad and deeply engaging. We left closer than we arrived.

Initially, I was stunned that this group carried so much while showing no hint of personal struggle moments earlier. On reflection, I wondered if this is the norm rather than the exception. We were a small group, each carrying immense burdens.

Could this dynamic be common in most ministry teams?

If we can work alongside one another without truly seeing each other in ministry settings, how much more does this happen in typical workplaces?

I recognize we can't turn every meeting into a sharing session. Some people will take advantage, and some sharing can become uncomfortable or even problematic. Yet people need to feel seen and heard to develop a sense of belonging—which leads to productivity, achievement, and collaboration.

No single approach fits every group or situation.

While inviting personal sharing carries risks, don't we risk leaving others feeling invisible if we never show compassion?

And can we truly show compassion without first hearing and seeing needs?

Sometimes questions serve better than answers:

• How might you better see and hear the people in your circle?

• Could doing so enhance your role, build your team, and improve performance?

• If we're following Jesus, isn't this simply the right thing to do?

• Is testing different approaches worth the potential risks?