Teaming Tools

1. Teaming Tools

2. Issues To Be Considered for Effective Teamwork • The use of roles • The development of a Code of Cooperation • The use of agendas for planning meetings • The use of minutes to keep a record of assigned actions • The use of a process check for continuous improvement • The use of the check for understanding to make sure everybody is “on the same page”

3. Issues to be Considered for Effective Teamwork • The use of contact before work to provide time for non task related discussions • The use of the issue bin to provide time for discussion of items not in the agenda • The definition of decision-making processes to be included in the agenda • Development of effective listening skills • Ability to give and take effective constructive feedback to team members

4. Code of Cooperation • Should be developed, adopted, improved or modified by all team members. • Should always be visible to team members. • Sets a norm for behavior (Code of Ethics for your team)

5. Code of Cooperation (Example) • Come to class having read assignment. • Be on time for class and team meetings. • Contribute to team efforts on quizzes and classes. • Ask questions of our team and profs to increase understanding of material. • Help teammates understand material being covered. • Avoid wonder-lust and procrastination.

6. Code of Cooperation (Example)continuation • Execute team roles to the best of your ability. • Pay attention in class (make sure teammates are awake). • Get to know teammates on a more social level (outside of classroom). • Do not let social activities interfere with class activities (get priorities straight). • Tactfully inform teammates if they are breaking the CoC.

7. Important RolesMeeting Coordinator • Coordinates and prepares the agenda • Coordinates time, date and place of meetings • Make sure all necessary resources are available for the meetings • Keeper of the Code of Cooperation • Monitors the decision making process • Coordinates process check

8. Important RolesRecorder • The recorder is the team member who is responsible for making sure that the KEY decision being made by the team are documented. • This includes writing down all the important points of a discussion and preparing the minutes of a meeting.

9. Important RolesTime Keeper • The time keeper has the responsibility of keeping the team moving so that they finish the task at hand.

10. Important RolesFacilitator-Faculty • Focuses on the team's process more than its product; • is concerned more with how decisions are made than what decisions are reached • Evaluates team task and process performance • Continually develops personal skills in facilitating, group processes, and planning. • Learns a variety of techniques to control digressive, difficult, or dominating participants, to encourage reluctant participants, and to resolve conflict among participants. • Learns when and how to employ these interventions and how to teach such skills to team members • Performs traditional faculty functions

11. Important RolesEncourager/Gatekeeper • The encourager/gatekeeper has the task of giving encouragement to all the other team members. • The encourager/gatekeeper also has the responsibility of maintaining a balanced level of participation for all the members. • They will encourage the silent members and try to hold back the verbose, dominate members.

12. Rules About Roles • Rotate all roles until everybody has played each role • At this time decide if the Meeting Coordinator role could be effectively rotated • All other roles should be rotated

13. Agendas • Must be prepared by Meeting Coordinator • Team must be involved in the planning of the agenda • Must include roles assignment

14. AGENDAS Issued at least 48 hours before the meeting • Pre-assigned meeting roles • List of important dates and deadlines • Review minutes from previous meeting • Agenda topics (including a time guideline) • WHAT is the topic to be discussed • OBJECTIVE of discussion • PROCESS for discussion • TIME allocation and LEADER of discussion • Issue Bin • Schedule next meeting • Process Check

15. Action-Driven Minutes • Issued to team members within 24 hours • Minutes should include: • Roll Call • Action Items Generated (What, Who, When) • Result of Process Check • Plan for next meeting including items for the agenda • Minutes should also include a list of important dates and “old” actions

16. Decision-DiscussionProcess • Team must have a process for working homework, study for exams, work on design projects, etc. • This process should be defined early in the semester. • All team members should agree with the process. • Modifications to the process could be made during the semester.

17. Consensus an agreed upon decision by all team members that reflects full exploration of a decision issue and does not compromise any strong convictions or needs ... often becomes new policy Adapted from Boeing Commercial Airplane Group Training Materials

18. Listening Skills • Stop talking. • Engage in one conversation at a time. • Empathize with the person speaking. • Ask questions. • Don't interrupt. • Show interest. • Concentrate on what is being said. • Don't jump to conclusions. • Control your anger. • React to ideas, not to the speaker. • Listen for what is not said. Ask questions. • Share the responsibility for communication.

19. Constructive Feedback is . . . • Communication to a person (or group) regarding the effect that a person's behavior has on another person or on the group • Perceptions, feelings, and reactions to the message

20. How to Give Constructive Feedback Start with a “When you . . .” statement that describes the behavior without judgment, exaggeration, labeling, attribution, or motives. Just state the facts as specifically as possible. Tell how their behavior affects you. If you need more than a word or two to describe the feeling, it’s probably just some variation of joy, sorrow, anger, or fear. Now say why you are affected that way. Describe the connection between the facts you observed and the feelings they provoke in you. 1. “When you . . .” 2. “I feel . . .” 3. “Because I . . .”

21. How to Give Constructive Feedback (cont.) 4. (Pause for Discussion) 5. “I would like . . .” 6. “Because . . .” 7. “What do you think . . .” Let the other person respond. Describe the change you want the other person to consider ... ... and why you think the change will alleviate the problem. Listen to the other person’s response. Be prepared to discuss options and reach consensus on a solution.

22. How to Give Constructive Feedback Example “When you are late for team meetings, I get angry ... ... because I think it is wasting the time of all the other team members and we are never able to get through all of the agenda items.” ....... “I would like you to consider finding some way of planning your schedule that lets you get to these team meetings on time. “ “Because that way we can be more productive at the team meetings and we can all keep to our tight schedules.” 1. “When you . . .” 2. “I feel . . .” 3. “Because I . . .” 4. (Pause for Discussion) 5. “I would like . . .” 6. “Because . . .”

23. The Effective Team Meetings Model Task Learning Meeting Decisions Actions

24. Stages of Team Development • There are four basic stages in the development of an effective team • These are all recurring stages • Awareness by team members is necessary for the maintenance of good teamwork

25. Stages of Team Development Forming • This is an ORIENTATION stage • Major Processes: Exchange of information; increased interdependency; task exploration; identification of commonalties. • Characteristics: Tentative interactions; polite discourse; concern over ambiguity; self-discourse.

26. Stages of Team Development Storming • This is CONFLICT stage • Major Processes: Disagreement over procedures; expression of dissatisfaction; emotional responses; resistance. • Characteristics: Criticism of people; poor attendance; hostility; polarization; coalition forming.

27. Stages of Team Development Norming • This is a COHESION phase • Major Processes: Growth of cohesiveness and unity; establishment of roles, standards, and relationships. • Characteristics: Agreement on procedures; reduction in role ambiguity; increased “we-feeling”.

28. Stages of Team Development Performing • This is a PERFORMANCE stage • Major Processes: Goal achievement; high task orientation; emphasis on performance and production. • Characteristics: Effective decision making; mutual cooperation.

29. Ten Common Team Problems • 1. Floundering • 2. Overbearing participants • 3. Dominating participants • 4. Reluctant participants • 5. Unquestioned acceptance of opinions as facts • 6. Rush to accomplishment • 7. Attribution • 8. Discounts and "plops" • 9. Wanderlust: digression and tangents • 10. Feuding members From Scholtes, Peter R., The Team Handbook, Joiner Associates (1988)