Donald Heer 10/06/10 Adapted from Terri Fiez, Director, School of EECS Working as a Team Donald Heer 10/06/10 Adapted from Terri Fiez, Director, School of EECS

Overview Team Roles Group Meetings Brainstorming

Team Roles

Individual Roles in a Team Leader/Facilitator Recorder Reporter Reflector

Team Leader/Facilitator Responsibilities Keep meeting focused & moving Open meeting Review agenda & move through agenda Facilitate discussions Manage participation Help team use appropriate discussion methods Close the meeting

Recorder Responsibilities Capture key points for each agenda item Highlight decisions and action items Collect future agenda items Distribute or post minutes

Reporter Responsibilities Capture the key results from discussion Present these results to the group when solicited

Reflector Responsibilities Monitor the process the team is using in activity Present to the group the effectiveness of team activity. Reflect on the process: Areas of strength, rough areas and areas for improvement

Group Meetings

Setting Team Meeting Ground Rules Attendance & Lateness Norms Participation & Information Sharing Interruptions Decision Making Quality of Work Others

Basic Team Issues Goals – What is the team trying to accomplish? Roles – What should each member be doing to help the team accomplish its goals? Interpersonal – How are we going to get along and what are we going to do when we’re not getting along? Synergy – How can we best learn from each other? Sanction – How will we handle situations when people are not following the team charter and/or not fulfilling their obligation to the team, including doing their portion of the project?

Guidelines for Teams Meet at least weekly Meeting should be used to: Share results of individuals Review upcoming activities Check teams’ progress Identify specific roles Prepare, conduct and determine what happens between meetings

Meetings Be prepared Come on time Participate End on time Be prepared to drop a topic Keep records Value diversity Maintain positive group dynamics Listen and have an open mind Summarize decisions and future plans before leaving

Exercise Get into teams Decide who will take what roles in meetings for the next two weeks. Turn in a sheet of paper with who will act in what role. Acting in your team roles: Review the Roles and Responsibilities Contract supplied. Discuss what each item means to ensure mutual understanding of each item.

Brainstorming

Why Brainstorming? Builds interpersonal expertise because all students participate Quiets the loudest talker and prevents quick solutions Develops a skill that is useful in project management

Verbal Brainstorming: Procedure Present a carefully designed problem Appoint a facilitator to safeguard the process and a recorder to capture ideas Recorder copies all suggestions on board/easel as they are named Take a moment to think about the problem before addressing it verbally Ground rules: No discussion, no reaction, no judgment

Non-Verbal Brainstorming: Why Brainwrite? Sometimes called “brainwriting” instead of brainstorming Useful with controversial, emotionally charged topics, or when building upon ideas is more important than creating a wide range of options

Brainwriting: Procedure Pass around sheet of paper with topic to be addressed written at the top. First person WRITES an idea and each other team member builds on, or adds, to ideas noted Done silently Cycle paper 3-4 times around group or until people run out of ideas

References http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/teams/ Benefits of Teamwork | Roles on a Team | Organizing Project Work | Team Meetings | Communicating in Teams | Conflict Resolution Tips | Bad Behaviors - Dealing with Unproductive Team Member http://www.foundationcoalition.org/home/keycomponents/student_teams.html Understanding Conflict and Conflict Management Effective Interpersonal/Intrateam Communication Understanding Small-group Dynamics http://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/pdf/PuzzledAboutTeams.pdf#search=%22puzzled%20about%20teams%22 Puzzled about teams…