ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst

Leading in teams has become the norm in modern academia. For health science educators who are in leadership roles or aspiring for one to be, it is imperative to be familiar with the latest evidence on how to lead teams and how to function within a team. There are distinguishing characteristics of effective teams compared to those that are ineffective and inefficient. It is important to have a shared vision, explicit goals and outcomes, and defined channels for communication and collaboration. When deciding the composition of teams, ensuring diversity of demographics, thought, experiences, and expertise leads to success. One framework for high performing teams is Hawkins’ 5C’s model based on Clarifying, Commissioning, Co-creating, Connecting, and Core Learning to explain the key activities a team can employ to consistently raise their performance. Once a team is created, a project management tool such as RASCI (Responsible, Accountable, Supportive, Consulted, and Informed) can be used to assign responsibilities to its members. This tool outlines who is responsible, accountable, supportive, and consults or receives information. Effective team leaders are great mentors, seek opportunities for professional development, promote opportunities for others, prioritize communication, and maintain a high standard of ethics. It is natural for teams to have conflicts. It is important to identify productive conflicts that lead to growth and innovation, and to quickly resolve conflicts that will undermine the team’s work. Ineffective teams can lead to poor employee morale, apathy, and sometimes even counter-productive behavior. These behaviors need to be identified and addressed early. The fatal mistakes seen in ineffective teams are absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results. Leading a team in the health sciences can be both exciting and rewarding, and result in personal growth as well as career advancement for team members, while contributing positively to the institutional mission.