COP 3402 meeting -*- Outline -*- * Working in Teams The following is based on Rick Leinecker's talk for COP 4331 which itself is based on the book: Group Dynamics for Teams, 5th ed., by Daniel Levi ** Why work in teams? ------------------------------------------ WHY WORK IN A TEAM? Often used in industry You learn by teaching/helping others Different roles can enhance quality ------------------------------------------ Q: Why would a team do better than an individual? Because a team can use multiple viewpoints, strategies, etc. ** Plan for the course ------------------------------------------ PLAN Same team all semester (4 homeworks) Note: it takes a month or more to encounter and work out problems - an important skill Teams all recieve a single grade for work - Meetings to assess teamwork with staff - Exams are individual You can give positive shout-outs to team members on Yellowdig ------------------------------------------ We are figuring out (in the staff) a mechanism for meeting with groups and helping them. ** Success ------------------------------------------ WHAT MAKES A TEAM SUCCESSFUL? 1. Composition: having the right people for the task 2. Task characteristics: the task must be suitable 3. Process: team must combine resources effectively 4. Organizational Context: larger organization must provide a supportive context ------------------------------------------ Num. 1 is up to you when you form a team Num. 2 is aided by having different roles (not just splitting up the work) Num. 3 is up to you, but you can help that Num. 4 is something the course staff will try to do *** Team composition ------------------------------------------ TEAM COMPOSITION Need members with knowledge, skills, abilities Are these only technical qualities? ------------------------------------------ ... no, also need - interpersonal skills, - problem-solving skills, and - teamwork skills companies will seek people with those extra skills *** Team goals ------------------------------------------ TEAM GOALS Goals can: - Be a standard to evaluate performance - Encourage involvement in a task - Help in making decisions - Help establish relationships in a team ------------------------------------------ *** Team Roles ------------------------------------------ TEAM ROLES def: a *role* is a set of behaviors used in a particular social context types of behaviors: - task behaviors - social behaviors Help teams form and be successful ------------------------------------------ ... e.g., helping meet goal, brainstorming, information sharing ... e.g., recognition, encouragement ------------------------------------------ SUGGESTED TEAM ROLES (from Oakley et al., 2004) - Coordinator: keeps everyone on task makes sure everyone is involved - Recorder: prepares what will be turned in - Monitor: checks that everyone understands solution and strategy for building it - Checker: double checks what is turned in ------------------------------------------ Roles should rotate during the semester, e.g., change for each homework ------------------------------------------ OTHER POSSIBLE ROLES - Encourager: encourages thinking through approaches and ideas - Questioner: makes sure varying views are considered pushes back when group reaches consensus too fast - Stragegy analyst: observes team dynamics guides consensus process ------------------------------------------ *** Some tips from research (at Dartmouth) This is based on material at: https://dcal.dartmouth.edu/resources/teaching-methods/student-group-work ------------------------------------------ TIPS FOR SUCCESS - Have a charter describing roles and responsibilities - Get started right away - Use a diverse group with different kinds of skills, problem solving approaches, etc. - Make sure there is a common block of time to meet ------------------------------------------ Don't pick a group of people the same as you, and don't be passive in a group, *** Communication ------------------------------------------ COMMUNICATION Good communication skills: - foster trust - establish appropriate team norms - develop climate that is collaborative and creative ------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ PITFALLS IN COMMUNICATION - focusing on what everyone already knows (vs. sharing info. known to a few) - ignoring info. that threatens beliefs (confirmation bias) - seeing only extreme viewpoints (not considering all options) ------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ COMMUNICATION PATTERNS Negative vs. Positive ============ =============== Evaluation Description Controlling Problem-oriented Deception Honesty Neutrality Empathy ------------------------------------------ *** Meetings ------------------------------------------ HOW TO HAVE GOOD TEAM MEETINGS - Only meet when there is no alternative - State purpose of meeting in writing - Start and end on time - Minimize disruptive/domineering behaviors - Affirm good behaviors verbally - Write down significant discussions and important decisions ------------------------------------------ *** Conflict ------------------------------------------ MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CONFLICT - All conflict is bad - All conflict is caused by misunderstandings - All conflict can be resolved, making all happy ------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ REALITY ABOUT CONFLICT - Change produces conflict - Conflict is inevitable - Conflict can help a team's success ------------------------------------------ Q: How can conflict help a team? By surfacing problems that would otherwise not get resolved ------------------------------------------ HEALTHY CONFLICTS From: - Focusing on task issues - Legitimate differences of opinion - Differences in values/perspectives - Different expectations of decisions ------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ UNHEALTHY CONFLICTS From: - Competition for power, rewards, etc. - Individual vs. team goals - Poorly run meetings - Personal grudges from the past - Faulty communication ------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ APPROACHES TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION - Collaborating: working together to solve a problem - Compromising: bargaining when a win-win isn't possible - Accommodating: smoothing out conflict by giving up on a position - Forcing: compelling a zero-sum solution in a win-lose situation - Avoiding: withdraw or delay dealing with conflict ------------------------------------------ Q: Each of these approaches has good and bad points: what are they? ------------------------------------------ STEPS FOR RESOLVING A CONFLICT - Separate the people from the problem - Focus on shared interests - Develop many options for solutions - Evaluate options using facts - Keep trying! ------------------------------------------ ** References Daniel Levi, Group Dynamics for Teams, 5th ed. Oakley, Barbara, et al. "Turning Student Groups into Effective Teams." Journal of Student Centered Learning, vol. 2, no. 1, 2004, pp. 9-34. https://www.engr.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/drive/1ofGhdOciEwloA2zofffqkr7jG3SeKRq3/2004-Oakley-paper(JSCL).pdf Fournier, Eric. "Using Roles in Group Work." Washington University in St. Louis Center for Teaching and Learning, https://ctl.wustl.edu/resources/using-roles-in-group-work/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2021. Felder, Richard M., and Rebecca Brent. "Navigating the Bumpy Road to Student-Centered Instruction." College Teaching, vol. 44, no. 2, A