Becoming a Better Team

I have been working with the best administrative team I have been associated with these past two years.  This year we have had to discuss some big issues that I could tell we had varying concerns and beliefs about.  The problem seemed to be that we were all afraid to discuss our feelings on the subject.  As these concerns and issues seemed to continue and new ones arose, it became apparent that the concerns weren't going to be beaten up and or debated so that the team could see all aspects of the decision to ensure we made the best choice. 

 I decided to talk to my Superintendent about a book I had read and was using with my staff to make sure we were doing a good job of building trust and being an effective team.  She thought I might be on to something and that we should not only read the book but also go through The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team training.  It was a great and somewhat humbling experience.  It is not easy to admit some of your faults  and have your teammates point out what they believe to be your weaknesses as well.  It was a great growth experience.  The best part of it all was that we seem to be a far more effective team now.  Team members that used to mostly sit silently through a meeting have now found their voice and are comfortably arguing their opinions about every major topic raised.  If you work in a team environment at all I highly recommend this book by Patrick Lencioni.