Collaborative Team Structures

In 1989, Dr. Stephen R. Covey released his revolutionary book entitled The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey, 1990),

in which he shared strategies designed to help improve the efficiency of individuals and teams of people. One of the habits popularized by his book is the concept of “synergy.” To put it simply, synergy means that two heads are better than one, and that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It describes the benefits of creative cooperation where teams of people work together to discover new solutions to old problems. But this doesn’t just happen by itself. Just because people come together to meet doesn’t necessarily mean that they are working collaboratively. Effective collaboration is a process and through this process, people bring all of their experience and expertise to the table to achieve common goals and objectives. This course is designed to assist teams in establishing collaborative structures which will help improve efficiency and productivity as a collaborative unit.

Course Outcomes

By the end of this module, you will:

  • Discover the “why” of collaboration. Why is it important for teams to work together in collaborative units?
  • Consider the “how” of collaboration. What are the teaming structures which make collaboration more focused and effective?
  • Consider the “what” of collaboration. What should collaborative teams focus upon?

Recommended Prerequisites

No prerequisites.

Reflective Questions

What are the adult behaviors of an effective team? What are you doing right now in your collaborative teams?

What challenges or barriers have you faced implementing effective teams in your district/building?

Develop and Consistently Implement Collaborative Team Structures

  • Collaborative team structures are in place and involve all staff.
  • Collaborative teams meet regularly as evidenced by agendas and minutes.
  • Collaborative team meetings use and follow agreed upon norms.
  • Collaborative teams have agreed upon strategies in place for reaching consensus.
  • Collaborative team members’ roles are specifically identified.
  • Collaborative teams use norms of collaboration to ensure teams work together effectively.
  • Collaborative teams use protocols that help to establish transparency and support learning.