COMMUNICATING IN A TEAMJoanna Wolfe, Ph.D.Director, Global Communication Center

The Global Communication CenterDirector, Joanna Wolfe, Ph.D.

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COMMUNICATING IN A TEAM

Joanna WolfeDirector, Global Communication Centerhttp://www.cmu.edu/gcc

Outline of Session1. Unique challenges of classroom teamwork

2. How poor team structure causes problems

3. What a project manager does- Task schedule- Meeting minutes- Agenda, emails, and other documents

4. Tips for revising with others

5. Troubleshooting “slackers” and other conflicts

Teamwork can be more than the sum of its parts

2 + 2 > 4

There are unique challenges to student teams.

• No clear hierarchy or unique roles• Supervisor’s job not dependent on team outcome

• Assumption that everybody does equal work• Learning should be more important than the final product.

STRUCTURING YOUR PROJECT

There are 3 ways to structure collaboration

Face-to-Face

Divided

Layered

Video 1

Problems?

Video 2

Problems?

Layered collaboration involves building on each others’ unique efforts.

Face-to-Face

Divided

Layered

Task schedules are essential to layered collaboration.

Building review in a task schedule gives you an opportunity to learn.

FROM LEADERSHIP TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Project managers use writing to keep a team on task.

• Project managers document agreements that hold team members accountable.

• They do not need to dominate team meetings.

Basic project management documents include task schedules and minutes

•Task Schedules• Who, What, When

•Meeting Minutes• Accountability. “Even if you don't produce formal minutes, at

the end of the meeting, there should be a page that says you're going to do this, you’re going do this, you’re going do this, and you’re going to do this. The person who is project manager better make sure that’s written down. It’s their responsibility to follow up that things get done.”

• Consensus. “You can say one thing to five people and they will interpret it five different ways. It’s critical to put team decisions in writing because it gives them an opportunity to say ‘That’s not the way I interpreted what we agreed upon.”’

What’s wrong with this task schedule?

Deadline Task Status

9/04 Write topic proposal. Completed9/04 Review and discuss topic proposal. Completed9/06 Turn in revised topic proposal to instructor. Completed9/09 Create template.9/12 Write instructions for installing motor and arms. 9/12 Write instructions for assembling base. 9/14 Test-drive instructions with users at in the library.9/14 Email a list of changes to group.9/17 Revise instructions. 9/19 Edit manual.

Meeting Minutes : Version 1

Meeting Minutes: Version 2

Meeting Minutes: Version 3

Other project management documents

• Meeting Agenda• Email reminders & notifications• Team Charter

A charter helps teams reprioritize in the face of conflict

DEVELOPING A REVISION PLAN

Direct Revision versus Feedback

Direct revision makes changes directly on document.

Feedback asks the original writer to make revisions.

A checklist for revising a group document1. Reread project requirements and goals2. Begin with praise3. Suggest (or add) additional material4. Note (or revise) inaccurate or misleading material5. Suggest (or implement) changes to argument or

organization.• Does the document answer the readers’ questions?• Is the bottom line emphasized so the reader will find it?• Do figures make a clear argument?• Is all of the information where the readers expect it?

TROUBLESHOOTING TEAM PROBLEMS

How do you handle a “weak link”?I am on a team with three other people. Two of my teammates are fine, but the other guy, ugh. We asked him to do the first draft of the project proposal by compiling all of our information. He came up with less than one page that didn’t meet the requirements at all. This is really pitiful since we gave him over four pages of our own work to compile. Also he was supposed to add his own research, and there was no mention of it so I’m assuming he never did anything. This guy has shown up to every meeting, however he hasn’t said anything. In fact, during the last meeting he was chatting on instant messenger on his laptop while we were discussing the project. We still have a bunch of stuff to do, but I don’t think we can trust him with anything.

How do you handle someone who won’t listen?

My group had three people. One of the guys was very alpha male and caused a lot of problems because he kept saying, “Oh, yeah, we should do it this way.” Every time I pointed out problems he was like “Well, I know better. We can use this really expensive steel or aluminum.”

Which is the better response (a) or (b)?One of the guys was very alpha male and caused a lot of problems because he kept saying, “Oh, yeah, we should do it this way.” Every time I pointed out problems he was like “Well, I know better. We can use this really expensive steel or aluminum.”

a) With the other teammate, talk to alpha guy outside of a group meeting and say “You aren’t listening to other people’s ideas. We have some disagreement in the group and you really need to hear what other people are saying.”

b) Say to alpha guy, “It sounds like you are really confident and passionate about this project, but I don’t understand where you are coming from. I need you to explain to me why this is the right solution.” Keep asking questions until he hopefully sees the problems with his approach.

How do you handle poor quality work?We assigned each person on the team a specific area to research and write up and then the idea was we would meet to put the paper together. It was terrible. I couldn’t believe it. My teammates didn’t find any research that was engineering related. There was no quantitative data to back up what they were saying. We were supposed to talk specifically about the bio materials they use to build certain dental implants. They just—I don’t know. They managed to fill out two pages of this just qualitative material, like you can use this material or this one and here are all the different procedures you can do with it. It was nothing like here’s the tension or the force that this material can support. I mean, it was really like an exercise in BS what they presented to me.

a) State “This may just be me, but I think we should include some more quantitative information in this report. I feel it doesn’t sound enough like an engineering report. What do you guys think?”

b) State “I see that you’ve found some good qualitative material, but I really think we’re expected to include more engineering related research and more specific quantitative information about these materials.” Then suggest we meet again in a few days with revised drafts.

Which is the better response (a) or (b)?It was terrible. I couldn’t believe it. My teammates didn’t find any research that was engineering related. There was no quantitative data to back up what they were saying.

How do you handle being excluded from the project?

I was on a three-person team with this guy who was very smart and I had so much respect for him. He knew our capstone professor and he knew the professor wanted to see certain things. So he took those important parts for himself and just divided the work up without asking. And when I asked him about it, he said “Don’t worry about it. We just did it. We went to the lab and just finished it.” He’s really smart so I know he did a good job, but I’m upset about being left out.

a) Tell your teammate “I really appreciate your work, but I need to learn how to do this. Can we go over what you did so I can understand it?”

b) Talk to your teammate one-on-one “I appreciate your work, but I feel excluded from the project. Can we proceed differently next time?”

c) Send an email to the group saying “The work on this part of the project is done, but we didn’t really follow a team process. Next time, we should discuss how we’re going to divide up the work before we get started.”

Which is the better response (a), (b) or (c)?So he took those important parts for himself and just divided the work up without asking. And when I asked him about it, he said “Don’t worry about it. We just did it.

For more information and troubleshooting….

QUESTIONS