Perfect Phrases for Virtual Teamwork: Hundreds of Ready-to-Use Phrases for Fostering Collaboration at a Distance

Foreword: The Most Important Person on the Team

Years ago, during a time when I was struggling to manage a dysfunctional team at work, my wife and I took our children to the circus. In one of the circus acts four acrobats balanced on a high wire, while three stood on their shoulders, two atop them, and finally one woman balanced at the very top of the remarkable human pyramid. They maintained their balance in this fragile formation as they walked the length of the wire.

I showed a photo of that performance to my team and asked my quarrelsome team members, “Who is the most important member of the team shown in this photo?” One noted that the woman has the most vulnerable position, another noted the strength of the acrobats forming the base of ...