Team Building Using Functional Action Steps

Going to school each day can be a real joy if effective team building has occurred.

Unfortunately, we sometimes forget that to build that exciting team requires people to work together in deeds as well as words. Listed below are a series of very practical daily events that will help create that teamwork we all desire.

Establish a culture of communication.

• Don’t just sit there, say something
• Start small, walk tall (be confident)

• “Help me understand”
• “There appears to be some confusion”
• “Is this what you’re saying?”

• In our department, Ann established a wonderful tradition of bringing the fudge
• Meet in a comfortable place
• Consider peer consultation on problems
• Do an evolution-creation day at lunch

• Have a math-science off-campus local symposium
• Make a history/science fair
• Conduct “sandwich seminars”

• See you at Starbucks for a morning meeting
• Play golf together
• Dessert at somebody’s house

• Compliment
• Question
• Dialogue
• Suggest

• What you write today can change tomorrow

• “Managing Upside Down”
• “The 80-20 Principle”
• “Radical Excellence”
• “Every Misteak in the Book”

• Let your name be known
• Anonymity makes everyone guilty

• Perception vs. “Who do people say that I am?”

• Bring coffee and chat
• Compliment when deserved
• Have your department invite the boss to lunch

• Share tips, techniques and tidbits

• Build a bank of credibility

Read “Dilbert” and others

Remember… Entropy exists

• Things never get better spontaneously
• Energy expended encourages excellence

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