Introduce the goal. Create a vision showing why trust among faculty is so important in moving the school forward. Allow faculty to voice some of their concerns leading in to the activity. Setting goals such as resolution of concerns and bettering the school can increase buy-in from the outset.
Perform group exercises. Exercises that develop from key interpersonal skills to norms, and finally to key behaviors of instructors, can help instructors reinforce behaviors with one another based on shared norms. Other exercises can begin with team members defining what the team objective is, then defining factors that have led to success or failure, write a team slogan and, finally, assess their strengths and weaknesses.
Document outcomes. As teachers complete exercises and create a common vision for their activities and outcomes, document the compelling moments and ideas that faculty develop. These outcomes should be shared with senior managers and the board of education.
Reinforce the norms. In future faculty newsletters, meetings and announcements refer to the norms and vision created by faculty. In the day-to-day activities of education, the important work of visioning, trust building and measurable behavior identification can easily get lost, reducing the value of important group work.