Building a case for team learning

The materials are heaped on the ground: pieces of plywood, ropes, PVC pipes, tarps, a saw. Twelve people--physicians and administrative leaders from Presbyterian Healthcare Services in Albuquerque--appraise the pile. Their assignment: Build a structure into which all 12 people will fit; one that will be wind-proof, rain-proof, and sun-proof; and that will house their traveling library (about $500 worth of books). By the time they are finished, this group will have begun to experience the pleasures and problems of team learning. And over the next six months, they will have occasion to reflect back on their common experience as it reverberates through the life of their organization in ways they cannot now foresee.