Frontline Initiative Teamwork

Teamwork Tips

Provide and accept coworker support.
Seek feedback from participants, coworkers, and supervisors regarding your performance.
Incorporate the feedback received from peers, supervisors and participants into changing your practice and approach.
Adapt communication to individual needs, including paraphrasing and translating.
Ask for clarification when needed.

Respect and learn about cultural and individual differences in communication styles, and adapt your communication appropriately.
Respect interdisciplinary differences among team members.
Take into consideration another person’s point of view when managing conflict.

Participate in the hiring and peer review process.
Provide input into budget priorities, identifying ways to provide services in a more cost-beneficial manner.
Understand the organizational structure of the agency and attend agency related meetings as appropriate.
Participate in quality improvement activities.
Attend support team meetings when appropriate.
Work with other staff to review the organizational mission, develop organizational priorities, and discuss quality indicators for participant support.

Identified by Human Services Research Institute, (“An Introduction to Teamwork in Community Health and Human Services” Saur, et al., 1997, p 8)

Ability and commitment to identify strengths in people and groups.
Genuine respect for diverse perspectives and life styles. • A capacity to listen and reflect.
An ability to subordinate one’s own ego (to put one’s self aside in the interest of the group).
Skill and creativity in helping people become more aware and confident of their own abilities.
Appreciation of when to step back and the ability to help the individual or group assume decision-making and action (Taylor, et al., yr., p. 7).