How the Pandemic Changed My Perspective on Teamwork

Before stepping into my role as a consultant, I spent a decade as a high school math teacher. With the demands of the classroom, there's limited time for meaningful teamwork with colleagues on a daily basis. Despite knowing and valuing the power of teamwork, it wasn't until we were teaching remotely during the time of the pandemic that truly I experienced the power of effective teams. 

In the fall of 2020, six of us teachers organically formed a team to support each other as we each embarked on the unprecedented task of teaching math to over 100 high school students every single day via Zoom. This experience showed me that powerful teams can transform workplaces and the ripple effect goes far beyond the team itself. 

How did we achieve this? By prioritizing and cultivating the following three components:

1. We knew our purpose. Initially, we were just six colleagues who taught in the same math department, but now we committed to collaborating for the entirety of the school year. Our purpose was clear: to support each other, learn from one another, and find ways to meet the needs of our students during this unique time. We weren't just attending "another meeting" out of obligation, but instead, we made a conscious choice to be invested with a clear, mutual, and relevant purpose. 

2. We trusted each other. We created agreements of how we'd treat and engage with each other, especially during such new and stressful times. Everyone had an equal voice and decisions were made collaboratively. We operated on the understanding that tasks and projects would be completed to meet everyone's expectations, creating a sense of trust and accountability. 

3. We rotated leadership within the team. Across our team, we held a collective responsibility of serving over 600 students every day. Our planning times were crucial, yet the focus was more on the team and less on the individual. We valued each other's voice and we rotated leadership roles weekly. This involved intentional planning of who would lead the team, what topic we'd cover, and how we would get it accomplished. By embracing shared leadership, we honored each other's work styles and approaches while still being able to spread out the workload. 

Now that I have transitioned into consulting, I know these principles are fundamental to building a strong team in any environment.