< Leadership < Team Leader Directory < Team Leader Table of Contents

Guidelines for Team Action

All team leaders and their team members are responsible, in concert with their Board Liaison, for the development of the annual Team Work Plan. The following offers a set of guidelines for the development of the plan.

1. All ATRA Team Leaders should familiarize themselves with the mission and vision of ATRA. ATRA was established to address the needs of recreational therapists in the delivery of services as a treatment modality. All committee activities should be consistent with this orientation.

2. The committee's mission and goals should be consistent with the ATRA Strategic Plan. ATRA, as a "grassroots" organization develops services based upon a combination of feedback from the membership, yearly activity projections, and environmental influences to name a few. As a committee chair, you are responsible for ensuring that your annual workplan addresses the needs of the membership and the organization. Note that just because your committee may not be among the top ten priorities as identified by the membership does not mean that you cannot address critical needs.

3. Goals should be realistic and address tangible needs. The committee goals should reflect the board direction statements provided at the beginning of the year. These statements are not to limit committee mission or purpose but to provide direction and board expectations. Please fill free to create additional goals, tasks or targeted accomplishments.

4. It is important to remember that ATRA is a service organization. In turn, your committee should also address service oriented products to the membership. Few committees are unable to produce products that can assist the membership in their quest for the delivery of quality services. For example: Quality Improvement has produced two books on QA and QM; Advocacy and ATRF produced the RT/TR Week materials. Any specialty product or management aid that will offer a service to the membership is a valuable tool to improve services and will offer ATRA an avenue to meet the needs of the membership and profession.

5. Most ATRA committees would benefit from consumer representation on their committee. All committee chairs should evaluate the ramifications of consumer involvement and take actions to allow for consumer representation on their committee.

6. It is very important to maintain monthly contact with your board liaison to keep them apprised of committee efforts, progress toward goals and action necessary by the Board of Directors. This monthly contact will help the board understand committee needs and priorities.