Building A Successful Team

Principles of facilitation:

Consider all members of the team

Never embarrass a team member

When in doubt, ask the team

The family has the final decision

Building Blocks:

Ask the family who the team members should be

Prepare the family member(s) and each team member for the first team meeting

Build and bring an agenda; bring each step to positive closure

Send written information out ahead of time. Send a copy of the plan out within 48 hours

Build good working relationships with team members (visit, call, share)

Orient each new team member

Be a coach, cheerleader and social director for your team

Invest in team prep time and reflection/feedback time—it pays off

If team members are protective of ‘turf’:

Observe carefully what messages are really being sent

Build relationships—visit/learn about the other ‘system’: work to discover fears, concerns, needs of that system

Recognize all for their contributions to the team

After getting agreement ahead of time, put ‘turf’ on a meeting agenda for problem-solving

Create questions that invite team members to look at things a new way

Decide to learn from the past and start over

Team meeting agenda:

Make introductions; clarify good ground rules and expectations

Facilitate discussion of family/child; led by family or initiated by facilitator

Build a collaborative description of the child—non categorical, conversational style all team members contributing (make a visible list of the child’s stengths/concerns).

Determine what are priority issues for the child/family

Invite follow-up questions and clarification

Develop outcomes based on desired changes

Create a visible record of services and natural interventions—be sure to note who, will do what, by when.

Summarize the discussion, next steps, and set next meeting date

Celebrate success!

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