EE 399 Lecture 7 Group Dynamics and Management Skills

Introduction Competitiveness is largely determined by the performance and effectiveness of team work A group will be more effective if it acquires some skills Two types of skills needed: Individual skills Group skills

Definitions Team: group of people with a leader dedicating their time to a certain task Committee: group of people with a chairman, assigned to do a certain task besides their regular work Task force: a team formed from various entities, associated with the required task Standing committee: committee with continuous task Ad-hoc committee: committee with short-term task

Effective teams and Committees Select suitable leader or chairman in terms Vision Select suitable members in terms Coherence Make task clear in terms Time Procedure

Leader/chairman Duties Choosing members Running meetings Setting up executive plan Distributing sub-tasks Quality assurance Solving internal conflicts Reporting to top management Interfacing with externals

Meeting Important for teams and committees A chance to meet all members in one time and one place So important for committees in particular Its effectiveness is influenced by: Time Agenda Management Minutes Leader/chairman skills

Meeting Time Choose a time suitable for all members It is better to make it fixed Avoid times where members are tired or exhausted Meeting periodicity is based on the executive plan If unexpected or urgent issues come up, call for an EMERGENCY meeting

Meeting Agenda It includes all items to be discussed Sent to all members ahead of the meeting by a reasonable time It is usually the team or committee secretary duty to prepare and distribute the agenda Agenda should match the allocated time of the meeting

Running Effective Meeting Start and finish on time and stick to agenda Avoid reading long documents Give all member a chance to express opinions Encourage positive and creative thinking Postpone unexpected issues to next meetings Avoid arguments during meetings Use brainstorming in some situations Do not enforce your opinion Avoid lobbying, domination, and polarization Motivate members Relate good and important news

Meeting Minutes It is a documentation of the meeting proceedings, attendees, and decisions It is the leader/chairman duty to record them or assign some one to do so Secretary usually does this task It has to be approved by all members A copy is sent to all members soon at the end or shortly after the meeting It should be revised at the beginning of next meeting

Virtual It is done via internet using: - Teleconferencing - Videoconferencing - It is useful if: - The agenda does not need face to face meeting - It is difficult to meet in one place - Members are based in different countries

Other Skills Negotiation of agreements Decision making Problem solving Motivating others Managing conflicts Stress management

Activity (20 minutes) 1. Your instructor will form two groups (7-8 students per group) 2. Each group will be given five minutes to set up an agenda 3. Each group will simulate a meeting based on the agenda, and record minutes.

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