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Chapter 4 - The Magic of Teamwork for Families

A banner over Disney World read Teamwork: The Greatest Source of Power in the Universe. Perhaps Walt Disney knew more than he realized.

The people who form the human services voluntary sector already know that the greatest source of power and potential for lasting life changes is found in the family unit.

What are some of the sources of this family magic?

• A lifelong continuity of caring.

• An order of priorities and values.

• The potential for unlimited forgiveness.

Teamwork Required

Growth in clients requires and deserves the very best that the voluntary organization can give. Therefore, an organization focuses on the family unit as the shaper of the mission of the organization. Healthy teamwork is a must.

A coordinated service by the organization recognizes the full range of client needs. Every human issue has multiple dimensions. There is no such thing as a solitary family problem. Multidisciplinary teams—working in unison—can achieve the combined assessment and service plan for each individual client and family.

All team members share in the task of working well together. One negative member can catapult the team off its track. Each member carries responsibility for the success of the team. The leader alone cannot assure that teamwork is actually happening. No solo helper can serve the client fully.

There are both magic and peril in teamwork.

The Magic of Teamwork

Synergy yields multiple payoffs. Everybody plays—everybody wins. Teams have the know-how to tackle the complex challenges that exist in most families. When all play, all help decide, and then all share responsibility for positive results for the family. Team members come to understand and support the efforts of others. Team leaders have the luxury and the freedom of not always having to be right!

The Magic of the Team

Teams are strong when they:

• Decide on goals together.

• Get the full picture, and all members are in the picture.

• Enable the coordination of the work of each member.

• Support other team members facing tough tasks.

• Improve the quality of client services.

• Understand and deal with complex situations.

The Perils of Teamwork

When things go well on a team, they go very well indeed. But when things go badly on a team issue, there can be lasting hurt. Time is wasted. Miscommunication and grapevine fever can take over. Trust erodes.

Consider a situation where senior staff members from a children’s mental health center visited the senior school psychologist. New legislation was on its way that encouraged schools to collaborate with mental health organizations for complex child problems. There was pleasant chat. Upon leaving, the guests turned to each other and asked, “Why did we not get anywhere?”

Later, one of the health center staff checked the case files. Ten years earlier, that school psychologist attended a case conference with them, and he was unhappy with the result. He still harbored that resentment. In the process, the school psychologist deprived children of the combined services that they needed.

The Perils of the Team

Each team needs to be alert to the following perils:

• Loss of focus in a team can create chaos.

• Confrontations can be difficult to resolve.

• Personal issues can divert from the mission.

• Time can get wasted in a forum of general discussion that leads nowhere.

• Loss of trust is an ever-present danger.

Teamwork is like playing with fire. It can warm (nice) and it can burn (nasty). Knowing how to work in a team with a teamwork approach can achieve the desired benefits for the family. The whole team serves to limit the perils.

Making Teamwork Real

Let’s see how team-based leadership operates in a children’s mental health center. The center has a number of service programs, including residential, school, counseling, home care and prevention.

Mike, the program manager, and his team report to Anne, the director of the center, and her assistants in the regular quarterly program review of the counseling program. In the hour available, the discussion examines current goal performance, issues arising and new goals.

The discussion could unfold like this:

“We’re pleased we’ve done well on our major goals... with one exception,” begins Mike.

“The report shows how well you have done. Your outcome stats look great,” Anne replies.

Mike points out that, although the report was generally positive, the team missed their goal of serving a target of 60 families. “We only served 45 families,” he explains.

Anne understands, remembering that this was a tough issue the last time they met.

“Our problem is that we want to do everything we can for each family, which means that we’re taking more time with each one than we anticipated,” says Mike.

Anne is pleased with the good intentions of Mike’s staff and volunteers but acknowledges that it does not change the fact that the target number was not reached.

“I was wondering if we could set a three-week goal to examine this and bring a new target for cases served,” asks Mike.

“This sounds good to me,” responds Anne, who then reviews the highlights of the conversation, ensuring they are all on the same page. “So, we are examining some cases that have done well but where we still hope for more gain. This good news is offset by the families on the waiting list who are still waiting for the next opening.”

Mike confirms Anne’s take on the situation and on his report.

Anne wraps the meeting up by saying, “For this review, we’re very pleased with the effectiveness of your services to the kids and their families. You have helped them make great gains. And thanks for coming up with a new goal to deal with the issue of number of cases.”