What is a team? A team is: a small group of people with complementary skills committed to a common purpose as well as sharing performance goals and an approach for which they hold themselves Mutually accountable.

Engineering is teams Professional Success: individuals working alone are usually ineffective in solving current complex engineering problems. Instead, well-trained interdisciplinary teams can address complex problems more productively. Industry Work Environment: Boeing, Cessna, Lockheed, GE, Intel, Motorola, Xerox, Ford, GM, AT&T all publicly state their commitment to a team-based environment ABET Criterion: Graduates must demonstrate “an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams”

Effective Teams Interdependence: team members count on each other Goal Specification: team shares common goals by which to measure its success Cohesiveness: motivation to work in team. Task-cohesion is more important than social cohesion. Role and Norms: a team's internal operating procedures ensure all contribute Communication: effective interpersonal communication is vital to team functioning

Common Problems We don't seem to be very organized One of my teammates never participates Nobody comes to our meetings prepared We seem to lose track of time and/or we get off task Most of my teammates just want to rush to accomplishment

Code of Cooperation Defines your team norms— operating rules, expected behavior, rewards, sanctions modified as needed written and shared, so expectations are clear No “unwritten rules”, which can lead to miscommunication

Code of Co-op Examples English Class (link) Ubuntu (link)

Your Code of Co-op I What are the expectations you have for your team? What would you like to see in a Code of Cooperation? Think: Operating Rules, Expected Behavior? Number of meetings? Time outside of class? Agenda? What is accomplished Organization Physical work Discuss with a partner

Your Code of Co-op II Code of Cooperation Class Discussion Design a Code of Cooperation for your team

Team Skills Participation Effort Interacting with teammates Keeping the team on track Expecting quality Having task-related knowledge / skills / abilities

Team Lifecycle pt. 1 Forming – tentative, polite, but exciting and full of possibility Storming – criticism, conflict, poor attendance; hostility, polarization, coalition forming Norming – agreement on procedures, role definition, revise Code of Cooperation, more “we” Performing – decision making, problem solving, mutual cooperation, task orientation Adjourning – sad goodbyes, leaving a legacy

Team Lifecycle pt. 2 Courtesy of Dr. Matthew Ohland

Roles Role structure helps organize the team Roles for our teams Captain NOT the boss! Encourager / gatekeeper Project Manager: Meeting Coordinator, Timekeeper Recorder Critical Evaluator a.k.a. “Devil’s Advocate”

Start-Stop-Cont. Pt. 1 Practices your team should START Example: email agenda one week before meetings Practices to STOP Example: arriving late to meetings Practices to CONTINUE Example: associating meetings with social events

Start-Stop-Cont. Pt. 2 What should your team Start? Stop? Continue? Think Discuss with a partner

Start-Stop-Cont. Pt. 3 What should your team Start? Stop? Continue? Discuss as class

Effective Meetings: Use agendas Use issue bins Use action lists Value diversity

Solving Team Probs. I We don’t seem to be very organized” Use an agenda to structure time Make sure you have a time keeper Use an issue bin to avoid distraction “One of my teammates never participates” The encourager should be proactive Impose consequences indicated in Code of Cooperation or amend to address this issue Let me know

Solving Team Probs. II “No one comes ready to work” Use an agenda and assign responsibilities. Impose consequences indicated in Code of Cooperation or modify Code to address this. Seek help from me if problem persists. “We lose track of time /get off of task” Make sure you have a time keeper Use an agenda and allocate time to activities.

Solving Team Probs. III “My teammates want to rush to finish” Assume the role of Critical Evaluator Employ open communication to discuss individual and team goals

Questions?