©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. MODULE 18 Working and Writing in Teams

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Module 18 Skills to Work effectively in a team Lead productively Resolve conflicts constructively Write collaborative documents

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Module 18 Outline What kinds of communication happen in groups? What roles do people play in groups? How should we handle conflict? How can we create the best co-authored documents?

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Informational –Focus on the problem or challenge, data, and possible solutions Procedural –Focus on methods and process Interpersonal –Focus on people, promoting friendliness, cooperation, and group loyalty Types of Group Messages

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Orientation –Members develop social cohesiveness. Formation –Members choose a leader and define the problem. Stages of Group Development

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Stages of Group Development Coordination –Members do most of the work; the longest phase. Formalization –Members seek consensus

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Positive Roles in Groups Seeking information and opinions Giving information and opinions Summarizing Evaluating Coordinating Working and Writing in Teams

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Roles of Positive Maintenance Listening actively Encouraging participation Relieving tensions Checking feelings Solving interpersonal problems Working and Writing in Teams

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Negative Roles in Groups Blocking Dominating Clowning Withdrawing Working and Writing in Teams

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Leadership in Groups Informational leaders generate and evaluate ideas and text Interpersonal leaders monitor the group’s process, check people’s feelings, and resolve conflicts Procedural leaders set the agenda, communicate dates and assignments

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Make responsibilities and ground rules clear at the beginning Acknowledge verbal and non-verbal messages of discomfort, anger, or hostility Discuss problems as they arise Realize that group members are not responsible for each other’s feelings Reduce Group Conflicts

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Steps in Conflict Resolution –Make sure that the people involved actually disagree –Check to see that everyone’s information is correct –Discover the needs each person is trying to meet –Search for alternatives –Repair bad feelings Working and Writing in Teams

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. To Respond to Criticism –Paraphrase –Check for feelings –Check for inferences –Buy time with limited agreement –Use you-attitude to see the other person’s point of view Working and Writing in Teams

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Create Co-Authored Documents Discuss drafts and revisions Plan the work and the document Compose the drafts Revise the document Edit and proofread the document

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Allow time to discuss problems and find solutions Get to know group members Be a responsible group member To Make the Group Process Work

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. To Make the Group Process Work Be aware of differences in seeing things and expressing ideas Remember that oral agreement may not lead to a strong written document