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"A team
is a group organized to work together to accomplish a set of
objectives that cannot be achieved effectively by
individuals." |
- A key to successful planning and
implementation is the development of teams. The table below
provides a description of three types of teams and their relative
advantages and disadvantages:
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Executive Model
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- Small teams of 3-8
- All district managers
- No constituent or
stakeholder involvement
Advantages: quick,
focused, consensus among leaders Disadvantages: isolated,
no district-side ownership |
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District
Model |
- Mid-size team of 15-20
- Representatives from each
key stakeholder group within the 'boundaries' of district
staff
- Advantages: key
representatives are involved, sense of district-wide ownership
- Disadvantages:
representatives can take the narrow view, no community-side
ownership
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Community
Model |
- Large team of 25-30
- Mix of district staff and
community leaders (50:50 preferred)
- Advantages: key
district community leaders involved, sense of community-wide
ownership
- Disadvantages: slow
process, everyone needs to be heard, steep learning curve as
citizens become knowledgeable about issues and practices
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Characteristics of a Team
- There must be an awareness of
unity on the part of all its members.
- There must be interpersonal
relationship. Members must have a chance to contribute, learn from
and work with others.
- The member must have the ability
to act together toward a common goal.
Ten characteristics of
well-functioning teams:
- Purpose: Members proudly share a
sense of why the team exists and are invested in accomplishing its
mission and goals.
- Priorities: Members know what
needs to be done next, by whom, and by when to achieve team goals.
- Roles: Members know their roles
in getting tasks done and when to allow a more skillful member to
do a certain task.
- Decisions: Authority and
decision-making lines are clearly understood.
- Conflict: Conflict is dealt with
openly and is considered important to decision-making and personal
growth.
- Personal traits: members feel
their unique personalities are appreciated and well utilized.
- Norms: Group norms for working
together are set and seen as standards for every one in the
groups.
- Effectiveness: Members find team
meetings efficient and productive and look forward to this time
together.
- Success: Members know clearly
when the team has met with success and share in this equally and
proudly.
- Training: Opportunities for
feedback and updating skills are provided and taken advantage of
by team members.
Guidelines for effective team
membership:
- Contribute ideas and solutions
- Recognize and respect
differences in others
- Value the ideas and
contributions of others
- Listen and share information
- Ask questions and get
clarification
- Participate fully and keep your
commitments
- 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.
Characteristics of a
high-performance team:
- Participative leadership -
creating an interdependence by empowering, freeing up and serving
others.
- Shared responsibility -
establishing an environment in which all team members feel
responsibility as the manager for the performance team.
- Aligned on purpose - having a
sense of common purpose about why the team exists and the function
it serves.
- High communication - creating a
climate of trust and open, honest communication.
- Future focused - seeing change
as an opportunity for growth.
- Focused on task - keeping
meetings and interactions focused on results.
- Creative talents - applying
individual talents and creativity.
- Rapid response - identifying and
acting on opportunities.
Who is Part of Your Team and
What Does The Team Do?
- Management Team (Superintendent
and Administration) plus Governance Team (School Board)
- Vision (Planning)
- School Board - creates,
reviews and approves
- Administration - recommends
process, develop and plans (decides what), and implements plans
(decides how)
- Structure (policy)
- School Board - creates reviews
and adopts
- Administration - recommends
and implements
- Advocacy (communication)
- School Board - represents
public interest, seeks public input
- Administration - acts in
public interest, seeks and provides public information
- Accountability (Evaluation)
- School Board - monitors
progress toward goals, evaluates the board standards and
personnel in accordance
- Administration - implements
evaluation of programs
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