What a Great Friday Afternoon!

Dean,

Great post!  Doing some research for a book project, I picked up "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni.  In this leadership fable, the new boss initiates a mandatory "off site" protocol as her first management change.  The team grudgingly embarks on what they believe to be a most unproductive venture.  What results is productivity beyond their expectations.

At the end of the book, the author lays out an alternative plan for managing a team, which includes "approximately eight days each quarter in regularly scheduled meetings...most management teams balk at spending this much time together, preferring to do 'real work' instead."  His contention is that "a strong team spends considerable time together, and that by doing so, they actually save time by eliminating confusion and minimizing redundant effort and communication."

We've got to rethink what productive looks like and how our time is truly best utilized.  I'm putting together some blogs to share some of the author's ideas in hopes of challenging our concept of what teamwork and productivity look like.

Thanks for this great reminder of how important it is to take time to connect with research and colleagues!

Totally agree with you!  I would love to have a few hours every month to review literature and read through some of my PT magazines, but the productivity pressure is so high.  Great opportunity for you!