Building Effective School Teams

I recently read a great article on Edutopia about the characteristics of effective school teams. In “5 Characteristics of an Effective School Team,” Elena Aguilar wrote about her negative experiences on past teams and then talked about what makes her current experience positive. You can read the full article here: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/5-characteristics-effective-school-team-elena-aguilar. 

As I read the article, I couldn’t help but think about the great administrators, teachers, and Lighthouse Teams in Leader in Me Schools throughout the world.

Aguilar shared important characteristics of an effective team that related closely to some of the 7 Habits, including Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind; Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood; and Habit 6: Synergize.

The principles of the 7 Habits provide a great foundation not only for the students, which they can rely on for the rest of their lives, but they also provide a great foundation for the adults in a school to make changes that create positive school culture, foster effective teamwork, and improve their own professional practice.

What are characteristics of effective teams in your school? How has applying the principles of the 7 Habits helped your teams become more effective?