When the author became principal of Acton Elementary School in Acton, Maine, in 2003, he spent the summer interviewing staff members. Staff in this small, rural elementary school overwhelmingly expressed a desire for opportunities to learn collaboratively. The teachers described a school culture where staff did not work together but instead worked…

In an interview, business professor Jane Dutton talks about her book, "Energize Your Workplace: How to Create and Sustain High-Quality Connections at Work" (Jossey-Bass, 2003). She organized her book around what she describes as a "deceptively simple" premise: "The energy and vitality of individuals and organizations alike depends on the quality…