Team Work...

As I reflect on the many conversations I've had this past year, I come back to reflect on a very simple book we studied as a team, Price Pritchett's book called TeamWork. It's an easy, quick read, only 65 pages long, but it's packed full of real examples of how successful teams accomplish their goals. His table of contents seems like a good road map.

• Push for High Quality Communication.
• Bring Talent to the Team.
• Play Your Position.
• Turn Diversity to the Team's Advantage.
• Back Up Others Who Need Help.
• Practice.
• Be Prepared to Sacrifice for the Team.
• Help New Teammates Make Entry.
• Play Down Yourself and Build Up Others.
• Spend Time With Your Teammates.
• Help Drive Discipline Into the Group.
• Make Sure You Make a Difference.
• Give Attention to Group Process.
• Help Create a Climate of Trust.
• Strengthen the Leader Through Good Followership.
• Be a Good Sport.

I am also reminded of this quote from "The Power of Full Engagement"

We can derive as much value from studying and understanding our failures as we can from celebrating and reinforcing our successes.

And Peter Senge who writes about a harmonization of our thinking and moving into action that can be a foundation.

It's this coming together to think together because we know only then can we act together.

I leave you with this question from Henry Jenkins work at MIT, he asks:

What has to change with our academic institutions in order for them to capitalize on the strengths that the current cultural changes/opportunities are creating?