Working Collaboratively

An issue paper by the North Central Regional Education Laboratory (NCREL) (1995) points out that, in many schools, teachers work in isolation, administrators try to accomplish tasks alone and the responsibility for implementing new ideas falls to individuals. However, working collaboratively has many advantages over working alone. Teams can be better at solving problems, have a higher level of commitment, better implement an idea and better generate energy and interest (p. 1).

However, NCREL admits that building effective teams does not happen by accident - it takes time, skills and knowledge. The NCREL paper draws upon work by Senge (1990) to argue that transformational leadership skills can help in developing high-performing teams. Such leaders can inspire, motivate and support thriving learning organisations where colleagues support each other in learning, risk-taking, innovation and change (p. 1).

Possibilities for action for implementing collaborative teamwork structures include:

obtaining support, training and information on shared decision making
learning about the importance of teams through reading
discussing how the team is functioning
learning about the functions of teams through reading
participating in training for effective team-building
learning from other effective teams
learning how collaboration and a shared culture can support teamwork
learning about the stages of team development, the positive and negative roles that can exist in teams, team problem finding and problem solving, and methods for avoiding and resolving conflict.

(Condensed from NCREL, 1995, p. 2)

Challenges facing the development of effective teams include defining clear and specific goals, time trade-offs for group decision making, pressure to conform, and the potential for increased conflict.

NCREL states that to be effective, teams must:

be small enough
have adequate levels of complementary skills
have a truly meaningful purpose
have a specific goal or goals
establish a clear approach to the team's work
have mutual accountability
have team, as opposed to top-down, leadership.

(NCREL, 1995, p. 3)

School staff may not have the skills, knowledge and capacities for effective teamwork, and may therefore need training and/or coaching. Coombs-Richardson and Rivers (1998) propose that successful collaboration among teachers is essential to enhance student learning. Collaboration requires willingness, parity, mutual goals, shared decision-making, shared resources, accountability, self-awareness, awareness of others, openness in communication, and strong non-verbal, verbal and written communication skills.

The authors suggest that developing self-awareness and then being willing to flex one's style can improve collaboration. There are available various scales, based upon Jung's theory of psychological types, that can be used as tools to investigate personality types. These include the Myers Briggs Type Inventory, the Richardson Inventory of Personality Types, and the Kiersey Temperament Sorter (Coombs-Richardson & Rivers, 1998, p. 4).

Read more about this topic at The school Learning Community

References
Coombs-Richardson, R. & Rivers, E. S. (1998). Collaborating for change: Building partnerships among teachers. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, San Antonio, TX, 21-24 March, ED 460 938.

NCREL (1995). Building a committed team. Retrieved on 19/11/04 from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/educatrs/leadrshp/le200.htm

Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organisation. New York: Doubleday.