Why Look at Teams?

1. Why Look at Teams? • In Industry/Business • Management teams (Team Xerox, San Diego Zoo • Continuous Quality Improvement teams (CQI) • Design/Build teams (Chrysler H-car, Boeing 777) Uses of Teams “If you can’t operate as a team player, no matter how valuable you’ve been, you really don’t belong at GE” John F. Welch, CEO General Electric (1993)

2. Uses of Teams • In Academe: • Cooperative learning • Short-term groups • Long-term groups • Base Groups • Project-based courses • Single-discipline teams • Multi-disciplinary teams • Design Courses • Technical multi-disciplinary teams • Cross-functional teams (marketing, engineering, law, etc

3. What Employers Want:A Summary • Learning to Learn • Listening and Oral Communication • Competence in Reading, Writing, and Computation • Adaptability: Creative Thinking and Problem Solving • Personal Management: Self-Esteem, Goal Setting/Motivation and Personal/Career Development • Group Effectiveness: Interpersonal Skills, Negotiation, and Teamwork • Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership • Source: Workplace Basics: The Skills Employers Want

4. Importance of Teams • Teams are vital because all the following are divisible, optimizing, conjunctive tasks: • Effective meetings • Strategic planning • Implementing innovation • Designing continuous improvement projects

5. Meetings Most Teamwork Occurs through Face-to-Face Interaction in Meetings • Over 19 million meetings take place every day in the U.S. • People spend over 1/2 their working life conducting, attending, preparing for and following up on meetings! • Almost 1/2 of all meetings are considered unnecessary by the people who attend

6. Elements of an Effective Meeting Roles of the Meeting Participants Structure Interpersonal Skills

7. Team Roles & Responsibilities Team Leader • Leads team through problem solving process • Invests appropriate amount of time on project • Maintains accurate records (with recorder) of team activities and results • Prepares for each team meeting • Provides structure and guidance to allow maximum participation • Influences team decisions equally with team members

8. Team Roles & Responsibilities Team Member • Invests appropriate time on the project • Is committed and fully involved in project • Participates equally in: • Defining problems • Investigating problems • Defining solutions • Documenting solutions • Represents his/her organization’s interest

9. Team Roles & Responsibilities Team Facilitator • Assists team leaders in training team members • Suggests alternative methods and procedures • Functions as a coach/consultant to the team • Assures understanding of the team process • Remains neutral • Monitors the process rather than the task • Attends team meetings and provides feedback on team’s process and progress

10. Team Roles & Responsibilities Additional Team Member Roles • Team Recorder • Writes down all the ideas and material generated during the working meeting • Team Timer • Makes sure the tem stays on its time budget for the various tasks • Team Gatekeeper • Makes sure that all members of the team are participating • Team Devil’s Advocate • Makes sure that opposing ideas are brought up and discussed • Team Encourager • Makes sure that everyone on the team is getting positive recognition for their contributions • Team Resource Holder • Holds team resources (notebooks, models, etc)

11. Code of Cooperation • EVERY member is responsible for the team’s progress and success. • Attend all sessions and be on time. • Listen to and show respect for the contributions of other members; be an active listener. • Criticize ideas, not persons. • Resolve conflicts constructively. • Pay attention - avoid disruptive behavior. • Avoid disruptive side conversations. • Only one person speaks at a time. • Everyone participates --- no one dominates. • Be succinct, avoid long anecdotes and examples. • No rank in the room. • Attend to your personal comfort needs at any time but minimize team disruption. • HAVE FUN.