The Spirit of Fellowship

Socrates was a strong believer in the idea of teamwork.  He called the process "koinonia" - the spirit of fellowship.  Another Mars Hill aficionado, the Apostle Paul, wrote of the same concept in the New Testament of the Bible, asking for those who followed the itinerant rabbi named Christ to strive for authentic community.

Here are Socrates seven steps to achieving this spirit of fellowship:

1. Establish dialogue.  Present your ideas, but don't try to make everybody agree with them.

2. Exchange ideas.  Have everybody present their ideas.

3. Don't argue. While people are presenting ideas, just take notes and focus on the person speaking.

4. Don't interrupt. Let participants say everything that is on their minds. Don't speak up while somebody else is presenting an idea.

5. Listen carefully.  Otherwise, you might not get a full understanding of what a person is saying.

6. Clarify your thinking. Eliminate all your biases against others on the team.  Any biases will cloud your judgment of some one's ideas.

7. Be honest. Say what's on your mind.  The only way to establish trust is through honesty.