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This document has been archived because some of the information it contains may be out of date. (Effective June 2009)

What's Working and What's Not for Your Team?

By Jennifer York-Barr, Gail Ghere, and Jenny Sommerness

If collaborative teamwork is an essential ingredient for inclusive education, why isn’t it standard practice in most schools? Teams can be a source of great energy, creativity, and support for educators – resulting in a high quality education for students. Teams can also be a source of great energy drain and frustration. Working on a team has the potential to both enhance and impede practice.

What does it take to work well as a team? The Framework for Analyzing Team Effectiveness (see figure) can be used to reflect on what’s working and what’s not for many different kinds of teams, such as student-specific teams, grade level teams or special education teams. It can also be used to guide the formation of new teams. There are six components in the framework. Following is a description of each component with related questions to guide reflection and planning for team effectiveness.

Purpose: What and Why?

Purpose is the foundation upon which effective teams are built. The purpose is the reason a team exists and is what gives meaning for its members. Meaning drives motivation and effort. A primary motivator for educators is student growth.

Purpose is operationalized by establishing specific outcomes or goals toward which team members can focus their energy and contribute their expertise. Too often, team members are not clear about the purpose or expected outcomes for their work. In reflecting on a team’s purpose, consider the following questions:

• Why was the team formed? What were the intended outcomes or goals?
• What goals require a team effort? What goals could be effectively addressed by individuals?
• Does everyone on the team understand the purpose?
• How is the team’s purpose directly or indirectly related to improving practice and student learning? Which students are likely to benefit from the work of the team?

People: Who?

People are the essence of effective teams. The greatest resource for learning is within and among the individuals who reflect, create, and work together. Involvement increases ownership and a sense of responsibility for outcomes. Joined by common purpose, strong relationships and different strengths among team members create interdependence to enhance goal achievement. In reflecting on the people component of effective teamwork, consider the following questions:

• Is there an existing team that could effectively accomplish the goals? Should an existing team be reconfigured or a new team formed?
• How does each member contribute to the purpose of the team and toward the achievement of its goals?
• Are the members of the team the same individuals who will be responsible for carrying out plans created by the team?
• Are there others who will be expected to carry out plans who should be part of the team or who should serve in an advisory capacity to the team?
• Is there sufficient diversity in perspective, knowledge, and skill regarding the goals to be addressed so as to generate well-informed, effective solutions? Who else might offer a valuable perspective?
• Do team members know one another? Have they developed positive working relationships and a sense of trust within the team?

Strategies and Skills: How?

Strategies and skills are the means by which team members productively learn and work together to accomplish team goals. Strategies are the ways of approaching group process; for example, the steps involved in generating ideas, analyzing problems, understanding conflicts, making decisions, and planning for action. Skills are the ways of thinking and behaving that promote effective communication, such as dialogue, listening, paraphrasing, using nonjudgmental language, asking questions, balancing input, and assuming positive intentions on the part of other team members. Difficulties experienced by teams sometimes result from a lack of opportunity to learn about and practice effective strategies and skills. Consider the following questions:

• Has the team learned about specific processes for working as a group? Do they use these processes?
• Do all team members use effective communication skills?
• What roles do individuals play? Would assigning or rotating specific group roles result in more productive interactions? For example, would a designated facilitator assist in clarifying strategies and ensuring more balanced participation among group members?
• How does the team create continuity from one meeting to the next? For instance, shared minutes, a log of decisions, a listing of follow-up responsibilities.

Structure and Resources: Support?

Structures and resources are the tangible supports for getting the work done. The primary structure required is the opportunity to meet as a team. Related to this are resources such as additional personnel, funds to purchase materials or to attend staff development opportunities, space, and equipment. Reflection questions for analyzing team structure and resources include:

• Is time allocated such that all team members can attend meetings?
• Can team members easily access one another between face-to-face meetings (e.g., physical proximity, voice-mail, e-mail)?
• Is there a budget to support equipment, staff development or other resources necessary to address the team goals?
• Can the team articulate what types of resources would support their work? Do they know who to contact to access or inquire about such resources?

Context: Where?

Context refers to the surrounding conditions that influence team effectiveness. Context is often overlooked because it is viewed as existing outside the boundaries of the team. Realistically, however, it significantly affects what happens within the team and what can be accomplished by a team. Even effective teams can hit a ceiling if their work is not supported in the larger school context. There are two major and inter-related context variables: school culture and leadership. For example, if there is a history of punishing initiation or failed attempts at improvement, a culture of low trust develops and team members are not likely to engage in the creative thinking and risk-taking required to address complex problems. Context can also involve power and politics not readily apparent at the team level. Here are some questions to reflect on context and its potential influence on teams:

• Does the work of the team align or conflict with high profile school or district goals?
• Are administrators supportive of the team’s purpose and goals? How is this support communicated to the team and to the rest of the school?
• Are there key individuals who oppose or block the work of the team?
• Is the school a place where innovation and creativity is encouraged?

Results: So What?

Results are the products and outcomes of the teamwork. Results are what sustains the interest and energy of the team members. Results can be intrinsic and extrinsic and include outcomes for students as well as outcomes related to team effectiveness. Reflecting on the following questions can assist in gauging progress toward results:

• Has the team grown in its capacity to work effectively? Have working relationships improved? Has the team learned to consider a wide range of issues that influence accomplishing goals?
• Have individual team members grown from their participation on the team? Have their communication skills improved? Do they think about students differently? Have their practices changed?
• What are some indicators of progress toward accomplishing team goals?
• How have students and student learning been affected by the work of the team?

Tying It All Together

The absence of any one of these six components inhibits team effectiveness. Without shared purpose and meaning, there is no reason for expending effort. Without key people, expertise and ownership for accomplishing goals are missing. Without process strategies and communication skills, the potential for learning and for addressing issues is lost. Without structure and resources, team members are blocked from doing their work. Without a supportive context, the conditions are insufficient for taking the risks inherent in team learning and trying new ways of doing things. And, without results, team members will eventually disengage from the process – first psychologically and then physically.

Embracing the many opportunities and challenges facing today’s educators requires learning together and coming up with new ways of thinking about and engaging in practice. Teamwork is the key energy source for learning and continuous improvement. High functioning teams, however, do not just happen. They emerge from intentional design and development efforts.

Jennifer York-Barr is Associate Professor of Educational Policy and Administration, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She may be reached at 612/625-6387 or yorkx001@umn.edu. Gail Ghere is a Project Coordinator and Jennifer Sommerness is a Research Assistant at the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota. They may be reached at 612/626-0890.

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