Independent schools are complex environments that require the committed collaboration of faculty, administration, and staff to educate and care for students. It's an important responsibility.

This is an exciting time of year for schools. The school year has just kicked off there’s an energy all over the campus and there is a shared focus on what is possible for this year. Students, faculty, administration, and staff are all starting to get into the rhythm of the school year. Often times, however, that excitement begins to dissipate quickly.

Not too long into the school year I started to hear stories about how challenging it is to get things done across campus. The frustration starts to mount and before you know it you’re in the middle of the school year and you’re extremely frustrated because you don’t feel that you’re getting the support that you need to accomplish what you have committed to. People don’t seem to be working together.

Is this a familiar story?

From the perspective of leadership and teamwork, this is an indicator of a breakdown in collaboration. But, why does that happen? What happens between the start of the school year when there’s so much energy and so much possibility and excitement and midway through the year when frustration is so prevalent?