Five Actions for Collective Work

Some people carry the work. Others ride along. People discuss problems in the hallway after the meeting instead of in it. The same issue returns months after everyone thinks they've fixed it.

If that sounds like your group, a new leader or a new app probably won’t fix it. What works is a small set of behaviors the group runs on purpose, together. This guidebook lays out five of them, with step-by-step exercises for each.

You do not need authority to run these. The five actions work for a project team, a volunteer board, a parent group, or a department that has stopped talking to itself. Start with one exercise and two people. The guide shows you how to grow from there and how to introduce the work to your peers, your department, and your boss.