Navigating The Hub: Next-Level Collaboration
“Teams aligned around major objectives, come together, make decisions and deliver best-in-class results. Because of the trust and influence, they function collaboratively, organically communicate and prioritize, they naturally function interdependently,” Rowland, 2019.
In our Grade 4 hub, we’ve been exploring the concept of teamwork beyond mere collaboration. We’re encouraged by research from Project Aristotle, Amy Edmondson, and Stanley McChrystal to understand the nuances of effective teamwork in a complex, dynamic environment.
What Does Effective Teamwork Look Like, Sound Like, and Feel Like?
According to Project Aristotle, one of the key factors in high-performing teams is psychological safety. This means that team members feel comfortable taking risks, sharing ideas, and learning from mistakes. In our hub, we‘re building capacity in what this looks like, sounds like, and feels like:
- Psychological Safety looks like active listening: We are trying to truly listen to each other, valuing each person’s unique perspective.
- Psychological safety sounds like constructive feedback: We are trying to offer feedback with kindness and respect; hard on content, soft on people. We try to say, ‘I like…, It would be even better if…’
- Psychological safety feels like mutual respect: We implicitly trust each other to do a great job and we treat each other with dignity and appreciation.
Another crucial element of effective teamwork is shared purpose. As Amy Edmondson highlights, teams that have a clear and compelling mission are more likely to succeed. One of the very first things we did as a team was to create a team vision statement:
We belong here in Grade 4; our unique personalities are appreciated and reflected in the spaces. We build upon our strengths by REACHing for our goals. We LEAN IN to and smile at challenges by actively owning our learning. Encouraging productive struggle through feedback is a careful balance of perseverance and scaffolding. And, our learning journey is visible (goal achieved or not) because the space is another teacher. We take care of the small stuff (ie. personal organisation) so that we can achieve the big stuff. We’re communicators who share, question and reflect. We LISTEN to each other because we need everyone’s ideas. Learning happens here, between us, and it happens anywhere.
To keep us on track with our team vision, we also have the following:
- Essential Agreements:
- Co-Created Action Plan for Innovation: We work together to set ambitious yet achievable goals for our practice.
- Shared Accountability: We hold each other accountable for our commitments, ensuring that everyone contributes to the team’s success.
We all know that schools are places of VUCA. Stanley McChrystal emphasizes the importance of teamwork in complex, adaptive systems. In our hub, we navigate the complexities of modern education by:
- Embracing Adaptability: We are flexible and responsive to the changing needs of our students… which happens everyday.
- Leveraging Diverse Perspectives: We know that we need everybody and that our team is better through leverging our diversity.
- Continuous Learning: We are committed to ongoing professional development and improvement through our Wednesday Research Moments.
Effective teamwork in our hub is more than just working together. It’s about building trust, sharing a common purpose, and embracing complexity. By applying the insights from research, we are creating a collaborative and supportive environment where everyone can thrive and, most importantly, our students can get the most out of school.
How do you foster psychological safety, shared purpose, and adaptability in your team?
