Teams are fascinating to me, perhaps because I spent a chunk of my early career dismissing the value of teamwork. Inefficient. Unproductive. Too many voices. Then, as I began to lead teams, from an English department, to a tutor team, to a learning and teaching team, and many others, I began to revise this view.Continue reading “‘The research behind high-performing teams and how to lead them in schools’ – my researchED talk”
Author Archives: Sam Crome
Building trust and rapport with students outside the classroom
Building a thriving culture of excellent behaviour, mutual respect, kindness, and joy, are common aims of school leaders and teachers. We want to go to school every day and focus on what we do best: teaching our subject, using our expertise to help children make progress, and forming healthy relationships in a safe place. EveryoneContinue reading “Building trust and rapport with students outside the classroom”
researchED Surrey 2022 – reflections
On Saturday 8th October 2022, the sun shone gloriously across Surrey, thus enabling both a beautiful day for researchED-ers from across the country, and me the chance to open this blog post in clichéd fashion. The sun merely acted as a symbol for the energy and optimism of the hundreds of people who gathered atContinue reading “researchED Surrey 2022 – reflections”
What Every Teacher Needs to Know, by Jade Pearce
Why I read it I would have bought and read this book regardless, but I was lucky enough to read and give feedback on ‘What Every Teacher Needs to Know’ last autumn. If you have followed Jade, you’ll know that she has spent the last three years on Twitter sharing countless resources. Teaching and LearningContinue reading “What Every Teacher Needs to Know, by Jade Pearce”
Thriving Teams #9: Team Mental Models
Some teams work together in intense, high-pressure situations. Military teams may face perilous situations as part of their day-to-day working life; medical teams have lives in their hands and must treat each one with the same level of care and expertise. For these teams, having a shared knowledge and language of what must be done,Continue reading “Thriving Teams #9: Team Mental Models”
The Practice of Groundedness, by Brad Stulberg
Why I read it Over the course of Pocket Wisdom, it won’t come as a surprise to you that I have researched a lot of books. For reference, here is how I find most of them: books by authors I’ve already read; books recommended by those authors; books I discover on podcasts; personal recommendations; trawlingContinue reading “The Practice of Groundedness, by Brad Stulberg”
The Best Place to Work, by Ron Friedman
Why I read it I read Ron Friedman’s Decoding Greatness a couple of years ago, and found it compelling. I applied many of the principles to my leadership and teaching; for example, the concept of reverse engineering to break down the key components of something successful. Check out my blog for more. I subscribe toContinue reading “The Best Place to Work, by Ron Friedman”
Effective Coaching, by Myles Downey
Why I read it Like teaching, it is important as a coach to keep topping up your knowledge and development. I’ve done coaching courses, but also like to read a few books a year to help me both reflect on my practice, and the experiences and wisdom of others. A few people recommended Myles DowneyContinue reading “Effective Coaching, by Myles Downey”
Thriving Teams #8: Team Diversity
In the build up to the 9/11 attack on New York City, the CIA missed countless clues that may have lead to the detection of the plans to destroy the World Trade Centre. The organisation suffered from perspective blindness, the way in which we can be ignorant to our own blind spots; the Agency hadContinue reading “Thriving Teams #8: Team Diversity”
Coaching the Team at Work, by David Clutterbuck. Part One: Teams
This is a Pocket Wisdom first! I bought this book to learn more about coaching, and team coaching. These topics unite my two professional passions: high-performing teams, and coaching for development. However, the book is so densely packed with research, theory, practical ideas, and Clutterbuck’s wisdom, that I had to split the post in two.Continue reading “Coaching the Team at Work, by David Clutterbuck. Part One: Teams”
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni
Why I read it I really enjoyed Patrick Lencioni’s The Advantage, and have since read some of his other works, and listened to interviews and podcasts featuring his words of wisdom. Since beginning my research project on teams, I had to check out The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – a unique take on teamworkContinue reading “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni”
Thriving Teams #7: Team Conflict
A study from the University of South Wales, quoted in Daniel Coyle’s The Culture Code, revealed the startling impact that a ‘bad apple’ can have on a group. In a team activity, someone was planted, unknown to the rest of the group, with the mission of disrupting the team. The plant would undermine people’s ideas,Continue reading “Thriving Teams #7: Team Conflict”
Belonging, by Owen Eastwood
Why I read it: I recently connected with Rebecca Levett, a brilliant sports psychologist who also happens to be a distant relative, as we put together some thoughts for an event. During the conversation, Rebecca recommended Belonging; 3 minutes later, it was in my basket, and 48 hours later, it was perched atop my readingContinue reading “Belonging, by Owen Eastwood“
Thriving Teams #6: The FA/UEFA Pro Licence and High-Performing Teams
‘Andy, I’m a big palace fan, well done mate’. I’d just arrived at St George’s Park, and got out of my small Hyundai alongside the Range Rover of Andy Johnson, a Crystal Palace legend and one of my all-time favourite players. He politely said ‘Thanks, mate’ in return, got in the car, and left myContinue reading “Thriving Teams #6: The FA/UEFA Pro Licence and High-Performing Teams”
Thriving Teams #5: Team Communication
Mother Theresa once said “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”, and there is a lot to unpack there, both on relational and spiritual levels. The ideal model for a team is just that: doing great things together, and being more than a sumContinue reading “Thriving Teams #5: Team Communication”
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