Dreamwork for Teamwork

Teams don’t just happen—they’re built, created and enabled. With a good leader and a fair wind, this can happen naturally. That said a bit of observation, reflection and intention will go a long way to ensure you and your leaders are doing "Dreamwork" for the team.

Here is what that dreamwork could look like in your organisation.

Dreamwork to Make the Team Work

Clarify Vision

As in a previous post - "Starting with the end in mind" is a great place to begin. If you haven't already done so or haven't done it for a while, get your team together to consider why you are doing what you do. What value does it bring to your team, to your customers to your business, to the world. When every team member understands the “why,” they contribute more meaningfully to the “how”.

Define Roles and Responsibilities

Confusion around responsibilities leads to duplication, dropped tasks, and frustration. Clearly defined roles help each team member understand how they contribute to the whole—and where others are stepping in. The RACI matrix is a good tool to help with this.

Communicate Clearly

One of my favourite book titles is Flock not Clock. It talks about how groups of birds fly in formation, without hitting each other. Somehow, within these groups there is a mechanism for clear and obvious communication.

Where in your organisation is the communication blocked or not aligned to achieving your vision?

Trust

If you have the right team structures in place, why would you not trust the process? And if the process isn't getting the result - change the structure and support the people.

Reflection Wouldn't it be lovely if everything worked to plan all of the time? Unfortunately, as we all know, this just doesn't happen like that. Change is inevitable, and high-functioning teams embrace it with curiosity and resilience. Encourage this by building reflection points into the process. The "Agile" tool of retrospectives to learn and improve is useful. And don’t be afraid to pivot when needed.

Appreciate and Recognise

People want to feel valued. Celebrating wins—big and small—not only boosts morale but reinforces behaviors that lead to success. Recognition fuels motivation and helps people stay engaged.

Excellent teamwork isn’t magic—it’s the result of mindful effort, shared values, and a commitment to building something greater than the sum of its parts. Dreamwork means investing in the foundations that help teams grow, collaborate, and succeed together.

When you do the the dreamwork that makes the team work, productivity soars.