etm 522 / 622 - communication and team building · the class will help you to develop a conceptual...

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ETM 522 / 622 - Communication and Team Building

Professor: Robert D. Dryden, Ph.D., e-mail: [email protected], Office Hours: by arrangement

Teaching Assistant: Songphon (Sunny) Munkongsujarit, e-mail: [email protected]

1. Overview Work in high-tech industries today is typically organized in teams (or workgroups) that consist of people

with different functional backgrounds and highly specialized expertise. Teams enable organizations to

tackle complex and ill-defined tasks by leveraging the skills and knowledge of individuals and focusing

them towards a common (and oftentimes critical) goal, such as new product development or technology

implementation. Team success is greatly dependent on team members’ ability to collaborate and

communicate effectively. “Communication & Teambuilding” are consequently considered core skills for

engineers and managers.

The class will help you to develop a conceptual framework of teams in technology companies and

present tools for successful team building, communication, and team work. Readings on research

findings and team concepts are provided, but the core of the class is “hands-on” experience, with the

students being center stage: Students will form teams that work together throughout the quarter. Your

team will prepare class exercises, give lectures, lead in-class discussions, and work on a team research

project. The challenges and benefits of working in teams can thus be experience firsthand. To maximize

“learning by doing”, you will apply the concepts and methods discussed in class to continuously monitor

and assess your team’s progress.

Class communication (including submission of assignments, feedback on grades, and access to class

materials) will be supported through Blackboard Learning System. Students need an ODIN account to

use the system.

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2. Contributions and Grading

All documents have to be submitted online on the due date before 17:30. In addition, a hardcopy has

to be submitted in class.

2.1 Individual Contributions

Class Contributions

You are expected to regularly attend the class, be on time and prepared and contribute to class

discussions. You are encouraged to present your views about the readings and personal experience

about the topics. Do not hesitate – learn by being involved and help others learn. For further

information, see Appendix 1: Standards for Class Contribution.

Team player bonus

Being a good team player can earn you bonus points towards your individual grade – we will do a

360°Review of team member contributions at several times throughout the term. Details will be

explained in class.

2.2 Team work

a) Team write-ups

Team write-ups (AKA reading briefs, article reviews) summarize and discuss class readings and put them

“into the bigger picture” by providing context (What other research is done in the field? How can the

reading be applied to new product development?) A 2-page (max), single spaced, reading brief is

required for five of the “selected reading” articles on the reading list. The format for a reading brief is as

follows:

Title: Full article citation, article number, your name, course number, date.

Article Overview: Consider the thesis, goals, findings and conclusions of the work (30% of space)

Key Learning Points: What are the key learning points of the article? Identify, define, and

critically assess (30% of space).

Individual Contributions Grades will be assigned in increments of A, A-, B+, and so on. Typically an average of 925 point or greater equals a grade of “A” 850 points or greater = “A-“ 775 points or greater = “B+” 700 points or greater = “B” 625 points or greater = “B-“

Preparation, in-class contributions, attendance 100

Team player bonus 100

Team Contributions

Team Write-ups (5 @ 20 points each) 100

Team Research Report 200

Team Process Report 200

Team Process Presentation 100

Class Ownership 200

Total 1000

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Follow-On Research: What other work has been done in this area since the publication of the

article? Compare and contrast critically. Include follow-on article(s) citation(s) under

“References” at end of the review. Research the topic on PSU Library online (20% of space).

Implications: What insights from the article apply to the class? (20% of space).

The write-up has to consist of full sentences (not only bullet points). Due dates differ, depending on the

write-up chosen - please refer to the class schedule.

b) Team Research Report

The team research reports results in a research paper. The topic is up to the team – everything that

relates to the content of the class is acceptable and creativity is strongly encouraged. Lectures and class

readings can be used as a starting point. Additional references are required.

If you have trouble finding a topic, consider researching one of the following questions:

How do individuals and teams develop trust? Is the process different for real world and virtual

teams?

What is the not-invented-here syndrome? How do teams avoid or overcome it?

What are X-teams? What can management and team leaders do to create X-teams?

The team research report has a page limit of 7 single-spaced pages (excluding bibliography). It is due

in week 8. For further information, see Appendix 2: Team Research Report

In addition, all teams present their final research project in week 9. Presentations are 30 minutes.

They follow the format of a presentation on an academic conference.

c) Team Process Report

The team process report is the result of the team’s honest self-analysis and assesses how well your team

has been working on the team research report, class presentations, and write-ups. It analyzes the

factors that contributed to or detracted from your team’s performance.

The team process report has a page limit of 7 single-spaced pages (excluding appendix with back-up

material). It is due in week 10. For further information, see Appendix 3: Team Process Report

d) Team Process Presentation

The team process presentation (final presentation) builds upon the self-analysis in your team process

reports and communicates your team’s key learning to the class. The presentation should be

entertaining and educational. Creativity and risk taking are strongly encouraged: Consider unusual

formats, such as skits, TV game shows, role plays, etc. Presentations are limited to up to 30 minutes,

including 10 minutes for questions and answers.

The team process presentation is due in week 10. For further information, see Appendix 5: Team

Process Report Presentation

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e) Class ownership

Every class evening is lead by two student teams (one before the break, one after the break). The

instructor is mainly an observer, but will ask questions and help, if needed. Teams need to prepare the

class, provide all materials, and keep the time.

Every class consists of the same basic teaching modules. Each team will experience every type of

teaching module at least once.

Introduction

The team informs the class about the evening’s topics and objectives and creates interest. The team will use some or all of the following methods:

Introduction of people

Agenda overview

Discussion questions

“Icebreaker” – a short statement that serves as an introduction to the class discussions; teams can use the icebreaker statement that is provided in the lecture slides or any other quote that they consider suitable.

Summary and Discussion of assigned readings

The team facilitates insightful discussions on book chapters, case examples from the book, and journal articles, using the following methods:

Quick summary of key points. The class’s emphasis is on two-way communication, therefore teams should avoid lectures.

Guiding questions – teams can use the questions that are provided in the lecture slides or come up with questions of their own.

Team Toolbox: presentation and application of team tools

The team provides the class with hands-on knowledge on team tools, such as brainstorming, affinity diagrams, nominal group technique, etc. The emphasis is on “learning by seeing/doing” rather than lectures. Methods include:

Short presentation of the tools (when to use it, why, how, limitations)

Demonstration of tool usage through in-class exercise

Demonstration of tool usage through examples – as personal as possible!

Exercise (all-teams)

The team prepares, explains, and facilitates an in-class exercise that is done by all student

teams. Afterwards, all teams present their findings under the guidance of the team in charge.

Wrap-up

The team summarizes the class discussions, emphasizes key learning s, and gives an outlook on

next week’s topics and assignments. Slides are acceptable, but teams should remain flexible and

wrap-up the discussions that have actually taken place and not rely too heavily on prepared

slides.

A session plan with a suggest timeline is provided for every evening. Draft lecture slides (including

references) are available on Blackboard. Teams can add and omit slides at their own discretion. Please

see Appendix 4: Class Ownership and Team Process Presentation for further details.

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3. Reading Materials Since the class is based on discussions rather than lectures, it is important that all students prepare and

read all assigned readings. The following materials are required:

Books All books are available through the PSU bookstore. They are also available at www.amazon.com –

search Listmania! for “ETM 522 Communication and Teambuilding Class” for a booklist.

WT – Wisdom of Teams Jon R. Katzenbach; Douglas K. Smith: The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization, New York, NY 2003 (Collins Business Essentials). (The book was first printed by Harvard Business School Press in 1993 – several paperback editions from different publishers exist – you can use any one of them.)

TH – The Team Handbook Scholtes, Peter R.; Brian L. Joiner; Streibel, Barbara J.: The Team Handbook 3rd edition, Madison, WI 2003 (Oriel Inc.)

TJ – The Team Memory Jogger

GOAL/QPC and Joiner Associates (Editors): The Team Memory Jogger: A Pocket Guide for Team

Members, Madison, WI 1995 (Oriel Inc.)

MJ – The Memory Jogger II Brassard, Michael; Ritter, Diane: The Memory Jogger II: A Pocket Guide of Tools for Continuous Improvement and Effective Planning, Salem, NH 1994 (GOAL/QPC)

Selected Readings 1. Denison, D.R., Stuart, L.H., and Kahn, J.A. "From Chimneys to Cross-Functional Teams: Developing

and Validating A Diagnostic Model,” Academy of Management Journal, 1996, Vol. 39, 4, pp. 1005-

1023.

2. Ancona, D.G. and Cladwell, D.F. “Demography and Design: Predictors of New Product Team

Performance,” Organization Science, August 1992, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 321-341.

3. Meyer, Christopher. “How The Right Measures Help Teams Excel,” Harvard Business Review, May -

June 1994, pp. 95-103.

4. Gersick, S.J. (1988). “Time and Transitioning Work Teams: Toward A New Model of Group

Development,” Academy of Management Journal," 31 (1): 9-41.

5. Milosevic, D.Z. “Echoes of The Silent Language of Project Management,” Project Management

Journal, No. 1, 1999.

6. Maznevski, M.L. and Chudoba, K.M. (2000). “Bridging Space Over Time: Global Virtual Team

Dynamics and Effectiveness,” Organization Science, 11(5): 473-492.

7. Jassawala A..R. and Sashittal, H.C. “Strategies for Effective New Product Team Leaders,” California

Management Review, Winter 2000, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 34-51.

8. Ancona, D.G. and Caldwell, D.F. “Bridging the Boundary: External Activity and Performance in

Organizational Teams,” Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 37, 1992, pp. 634-665.

9. Levy, P. “The Nut Island Effect: When Good Teams Go Wrong,” Harvard Business Review, 2001, Vol

79, pp.51-59.

http://www.amazon.com/

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4. Class Schedule

Date Topic Prepare/hand-in

Week 1

Course Overview / Formation of Project Teams / Team Basics / Research Clinic

Week 2

Why Teams? Pros and Cons of Teams, Team Mission and Goals

Class ownership: Team 1,2 Read:

Syllabus (!!!)

WT Ch. 1 &2

TJ Ch. 1&2

TH 3-13 “Brainstorming”, 3-14 “NGT”, Appendix C-27 “Team Charter”

MJ 19-22 “Brainstorming”

SR 1, SR 2 Hand-in:

Write-up SR 1 (optional)


Week 3

Understanding Teams: What is a (high performance) team?


WT Ch. 3, 4, 5

TJ Ch. 3

TH 3-13, 3-14, Appendix C-27

MJ 12-18 “Affinity”, 156-164 “Tree” Hand-in:

Team Charter Document (all teams)

Week 4

From individual to team performance


WT Ch. 6

MJ 63-65 “Force Field”, MJ 76-84“ID”

SR 3 Hand-in:


Week 5 “Research Clinic” Hand-in:

TOC-style overview & abstract of research (all teams)

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Week 6

Learning to work together


TH pages 6-1 through 6-23

SR 4 Hand-in:


Week 7 Constructive Feedback & Cross-cultural team management


TH pages 6-24-through 6-32; pages 7-1 through 7-13

TJ Ch. 4

SR 5

SR 5a (PICMET Paper, will be available on Blackboard) Hand-in:


Write-up SR 5a (optional)

Week 8

Major Team Problems & Distributed Teams


TH pages 7-14 7-24

MJ 137-140 “Radar”

SR 6

SR 7

SR 8

SR 9 Hand-in:





Team Research Report (all teams)

Week 9

Research Project Presentations & Feedback

Hand-in/Present:

Research Project Presentation (all teams)

Week 10

Team Process Report Presentations (Final Presentations)

Hand-in/ Present:

Final Presentation (all teams)

Team Process Report (all teams)

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Appendix 1: Standards for Class Contribution Here are some ways that you might consider contributing:

Being on time.

Being prepared, so that you know what you are talking about.

Providing recapitulations and summaries.

Making observations that integrate concepts and discussions.

Citing relevant personal examples.

Asking key questions that lead to revealing discussions.

Engaging in devil's advocacy (please be sensitive about this)

Disagreeing with your instructor so that the difference of opinion serves as both counterpoint

and a basis for exploring all sides of a concept, issue, or practice.

The instructor and TA will track your contributions and assess their quality, based on the following

criteria:

Does this comment contribute to class process and your peers’ understanding of the concept

under discussion?

Does this comment enlighten your instructor and / or class members?

Does it provide a new angle on your instructor's presentation of a concept that makes grasping

the point easier?

Does an example provide a good demonstration of a concept and thus assist others to

comprehend the way things work?

Does someone consistently play the role of "recapper" in a way that effectively paraphrases

points?

Do students make key statements that galvanize the class to wrestle with an issue without help

from your instructor?

Consistency in participation levels and quality are more important than the quantity of contributions. Even a shy person who does not like to talk in public is such able to receive a good grade – all it takes are 1 or 2 good comments per class evening.

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Appendix 2: Team Research Report The objective of the team research report is twofold:

1. To give teams the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and new insights into a

Communication and Teambuilding topic of their choice, based on a thorough review of

academic literature and independent research.

2. To give teams a challenging project so that they experience a “real” team process, which they

can analyze in the team process report.

The team research reports results in a research paper of up to 7 single-spaced pages (excluding

bibliography). The topic is up to the team – everything that relates to the content of the class is

acceptable. Lectures and class readings can be used as a starting point. A systematic literature search to

identify additional references is required.

The team research report will be assessed using the table below.

Superior Good Average Below Average

N/A

Content and Structure

Title

Table of Content /Structure

Abstract

Introduction (thesis / research motivation)

Literature Review

Research Questions

Research Design

Model / Framework development

Results & Applications

Discussion

Conclusions

Writing

Use of English language / grammar

Spelling

Paper organization/logic flow structure

Clarity of expression/ figures / tables

Quality and completeness of bibliography

Reference citations in text

Appendices

Overall

Breadth of coverage-completeness

Depth and insight—issue analysis

Overall quality, appearance and form

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The criteria for “Content and Structure” and “Writing” are the same general criteria that are applied any form of academic writing. If you are not yet familiar with library search, referencing, and academic writing, have a look at the following references:

http.//www.lib.pdx.edu/instrucition/survivalguide/index.htm (online tutorial: Portland State University library)

Craswell, Gail: Writing for Academic Success: A Postgraduate Guide, London et al. 2005, SAGE Publications.

The overall criteria are:

Breadth of Coverage and Completeness:

Does the paper address the major points of topic? Are all important aspects of the topic discussed? Are alternative views considered? Are all relevant research streams and important newer references included? Does the coverage of the topic reflect the state-of-the-art?

Depth and insight / Issue analysis:

Do the authors analyze facts and events, rather than merely describing them and their consequences? Does the analysis go beyond the obvious? Are multiple and alternative causes for events discussed? Are the concepts presented in class utilized? Do the authors successfully use them to analyze and explain events, actions, consequences, and support recommendations? Are key terms used properly?


Does the paper demonstrate that the authors have a grasp of academic writing in general and the concepts of the class in particular? Are they thorough? Is the paper logical and congruent?

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Appendix 3: Team Process Report The team process report documents the team’s behavior and its impact on team performance. The report furthermore analyzes the observed behavior with the help of the concepts and tools presented in class. The final outcome is a report of up to 7 pages (single spaced)

The bases of the report are thorough observations of the behavior of the team and its members. It is not acceptable to say “everyone listens to or interrupts everyone else”. Instead, teams must describe specific events.

The analysis of the observed behavior should be guided by the following questions: What is the explanation for the behavior of team members? Was there any change of the behavior over the duration of the term and how can it be explained. What role did the individual team members play in the development of the team? What impact did the team have on individuals’ behavior? Why did people act the way you did? What were the consequences of those actions?

Issues that should be addressed in the analysis include:

The impact of both the formal and informal reward system.

The level of influence exercised; origins and consequences.

Team norms and their influence on behavior and attitudes.

How individual members of the team were perceived by others; the origins and consequences of such perceptions.

Communication patterns and characteristics (including how feelings were handled).

The impact in-class activities had on your team involvement.

The impact prior attitudes and perceptions had on your involvement in your team.

The team process report will be assessed using the table below:

Superior Good Average Below Average

N/A

Content and Structure

Title

Table of Content /Structure

Executive Summary

Observations and Analysis

Discussion: What would you do differently / the same in a new team?

Conclusions

Writing

Use of English language / grammar

Spelling

Paper organization/logic flow structure

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Clarity of expression / figures / tables

Quality and completeness of bibliography

Reference citations in text

Appendices

Overall

Breadth of coverage-completeness

Depth and insight—issue analysis


The bibliography can be limited to class materials and additional relevant materials that you have identified in your team research report – no additional research is required.

The appendices can include any back-up material you have used for your report, such as minutes of your team meetings or team journals.

See Appendix 3: Team Process Report for additional information on the evaluation criteria.

Steps to a good team process report 1. Spend some time thinking about this assignment. Typically, new insights about yourself and

teams in general will emerge, when you give your team process some serious thought.

2. Apply course material to your analysis rigorously.

3. Keep a journal in which you regularly record important interactions in your team and your personal reactions to your team. Without the journal you may have difficulty recalling what was said or how you felt in early sessions of your team. It is easier to edit out irrelevant materials afterwards, than to recall important points weeks later.

4. Describe how you would go about creating a similar team in the future, provided that you feel your team has worked well together. If, on the other hand, you feel your team could have been better, outline a specific action plan for improving its activities.

5. Deal with the significant issues faced by the team. Each team member should read the final paper before it is submitted or at least not be surprised by any of the paper's content.

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Appendix 4: Class Ownership and Team Process Report Presentation

Grading Criteria

Conceptual Understanding

Do you know the material? Do you understand the concepts?

Comprehensiveness

Do you address all major aspects of the assignment? Do you organize your presentation well? Do you manage to not get side tracked by less important aspects?

Richness of Analysis

Do you analyze things, multiple causes, and alternatives?

Recommendations

Do you suggest solutions, based on your analysis? Are your recommendations adequate?

Delivery Quality

Do you explain things with clarity, use examples to clarify points, maintain eye contact, and use body language? Do you have all needed materials at hand and do you keep the time?

Are you responsive to the needs of the class?

Do you limit lecturing (rather than a two-way conversation) to an absolute minimum?

Do you take risks in order to have a more lively and entertaining presentation? (This is especially relevant for team process report presentations).

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