Building spirited multidisciplinary teams

Managing multidisciplinary teams in complex settings such as the perianesthesia setting is a leadership challenge. With the addition of work redesign and cross-training initiatives, the task of helping people form healthy working relationships is substantial. The Team Spirit model (The Expanded Learning Institute, Del Mar, CA) demonstrates how employing the phases of Initiating, Visioning, Claiming, Celebrating, and Letting Go will build team spirit and more effective teams. The model and the phases are described with examples given of how getting to know each other, addressing differences, developing a shared vision, doing the work through effective communication, and celebrating will lead to spirited multidisciplinary teams.