Guidelines
for Effective Teams
Dr. Jordan and I have been working this past
year with boards helping them concentrate on establishing a vision while
focusing on continuous improvement. Many of our discussions evolved
around communication, trust, and teamwork. One of our dilemmas has been
the assumption that everyone has experienced or been on a high performing
team at some point in their lives. From our perspective being part of a
team was easy and fun.
Author Peter Senge, in his book, The
Fifth Discipline stated: When you ask people about what is is
like being part of a great team, what is most striking is the meaningfulness of
the experience. People talk about something larger than them themselves,
of being connected, of being generative. It becomes quite clear that, for
many, their experience as part of truly great teams stand out as singular
periods of life lived to the fullest. Some spend the rest of their lives
looking for ways to recapture that spirit. (Senge 1990: 13)
Based on Senge’s insight and our assumption, we
thought it would be good to share some the keys to working as a team. The
following ideas should help you and your board become a more effective team.
- Make sure everyone has a chance to contribute ideas and
solutions.
- Recognize and respect differences in others, everyone
is not going to agree on all issues.
- Value the ideas and contributions of others, which is
how we learn and grow.
- Listen and share information, it does no good to ignore
others and then wonder why they won’t listen to you.
- Ask questions and get clarification, to make good
decisions boards need good data. If you don’t understand the
information it is important you keep asking questions until you do.
- Participate fully and keep your commitments, great
teams can count on each other.
- Be flexible and respect the partnership created by a
team -- strive for the "win-win".
- Have fun and care about the team and the outcomes, it
is an honor to be elected to your board. Enjoy the time you spend
serving the students in your district.
As we mentioned earlier, communication and trust
are critical ingredients for team building. The power of reflection can
help enhance the board's understanding of teamwork. The following
questions should help you and your board reflect on the current practices of
the board.
Do we:
• Conceal
weaknesses and mistakes from each other?
• Hesitate to ask
for help or provide constructive feedback?
• Jump to
conclusions about the intention of others?
• Fail to tap into
one another's skills and experiences?
• Waste time and
energy managing their behaviors for effect?
• Hold grudges?
• Dread meetings
and avoid spending time together?
If the answer is yes to this list of questions,
it is an indicator that troubles are brewing.
When difficulties arise leaders address the issues. The team is
too important to the success of the district to ever “underperform”. High
performing teams understand that conflict is dealt with openly and is
considered important to decision-making and personal growth. All members should
feel their unique personalities are appreciated and well utilized and can
benefit the success of the team. Norms for working together have been
developed and seen as standards for everyone to follow.
In conclusion, it is important that board
members clearly understand when the team has met with success and all should
share in this equally and proudly. The impact of your role on the lives
of the students in your district should never be underestimated. You are
all members of the most important team in any district. The success of
your team determines the success of the district.
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