BUILDING COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH TEAMSUCN Office of Research & InnovationSeptember 23, 2013

Outline1. Why is effective collaboration important? What’s at

stake?2. True collaboration – it takes a while to get there!3. Research in partnership with communities and

industry – additional considerations4. Keeping your cool during conflict5. Working together as a team – a tool for documenting:

Participation and administrative issues Authorship credit Research ethics Payments and work arrangements / timelines Leadership Methodological/philosophical considerations

But first, a thank you …

This presentation draws on material prepared byFrances Chandler, PhD UBC/Sauder School of Business; Jennifer Freeman, MSc University of Ontario Institute of

Technology; Michelle McGinn, PhD Brock University/Faculty of Education; Maureen Murphy, LLB University of Fraser

Valley; and Lynne Prout, LLB Brock University.

Material from Frances Chandler is specific to her own PhD research examining leadership and its impact on the

success of SSHRC-funded collaborative research projects.

Content is used with permission.

What’s at stake?

Why is effective collaboration important?

Hypothetical: You decide to apply for aSSHRC Insight Development Grant

2014 competition deadline likely early February 2014 $7,000 up to $75,000 Duration 1 to 2 years For researchers working individually or in teams – for

the purpose of this discussion, we will focus on teams Funding available for emerging scholars or

established scholars Supports research in its initial stages - grants enable

the development of new research questions, as well as experimentation with new methods, theoretical approaches and/or ideas

In your application, you must show how your research would:build knowledge and understanding from disciplinary,

interdisciplinary and/or cross-sector perspectives;demonstrate new approaches to research on complex

and important topics, including those that transcend the capacity of any one scholar, institution or discipline;

provide a high-quality research training experience for students;

relate to societal challenges and opportunities; andmobilize research knowledge, to and from academic

and non-academic audiences, with the potential to lead to intellectual, cultural, social and economic influence, benefit and impact.

Should you receive the grantyou will also have to effectively manage

the grant money, and file reports to SSHRCduring and after the project has wrapped up.

THIS WILL BE DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE IF EVERYONE IS NOT PULLING IN THE SAME

DIRECTION

it takes a while to get there …

True collaboration -

Bradford & Cohen: The Stages ofGroup Development

MembershipSubgrouping

ConflictIndividual Differentiation

Collaboration

Bradford & Cohen: The Stages ofGroup Development

Stage 1: Membership

Individuals are considering the merits of taking part

Question their roles and roles of others, purpose of the group, emerging values relating to leadership, and their own skills and potential contribution

Consider their commitment to a shared leadership model, and to the discussion of items that are safe/noncontroversial

Movement through this stage is usually relatively short

Bradford & Cohen: The Stages ofGroup Development

Stage 2: Subgrouping

Involves scanning for potential allies, based on the desire to feel part of a group quickly

This can be a cause for tension at this point or later on in the process

Ensuring all members feel valued and integral to the group is important at this time

Conflict can begin to surface at this stage

Bradford & Cohen: The Stages ofGroup Development

Stage 3: Conflict

Important issues surface, an organization takes shape, roles emerge and differences are articulated

Commitment and energy are needed to identify potential and actual sources of conflict, and to develop creative solutions to mitigate the possibility that conflict will derail the group

If these efforts are successful, the atmosphere then changes as members realize their contributions are valued

Bradford & Cohen: The Stages ofGroup Development

Stage 4: Individual Differentiation

Group is able to deal with “interpersonal baggage accumulated in earlier periods” (Bradford & Cohen, 1998, p. 150)

Members feel comfortable that their needs will be met, and that they can contribute in a meaningful way

No longer feel a need to create subgroups Feeling of responsibility to other members and

group as a whole

Bradford & Cohen: The Stages of Group Development

Stage 5: Collaboration

Group is now stronger – individual members appreciate the role they will play, niche they will occupy, skills they bring

Formulate a shared commitment to goals, values, norms and a leadership model

Enough trust has been developed to address subjects that may previously have been out of bounds & to tackle tough issues in a timely manner

Additional considerations

Research in partnership with communities and industry

Broadening the scope to include external partners will add new levels of complexity to

your project.

But if managed effectively, potential benefits to your team members and the project overall

could include alternative sources of funding or in-kind donations, internships and jobs for

students, and real-life environments where the research can be tested or participants

recruited.

Additional considerations when working with community or industry partners:

Engage partners early in the process to ensure all feel included

Then identify and clarify roles, responsibilities, rewards and potential costs (e.g. legal, financial, human resource, etc.) – document these in an agreement that all parties sign

Transparency is critical at the outset and during the project regarding control and access to budgets, research protocols, decision-making methods, problem solving, power-sharing and communication

Purposeful and regular meetings are important to ensure ongoing reiteration of task, goals and objectives – this also helps to remind all partners of the others’ norms and operating environments

Check back with partners at regular intervals to ensure there is a shared understanding of leadership, project management, ownership of IP and products

Regularly reviewing the differences between the members respecting their wants and needs is essential

Regularly reviewing attribution of authorship is essential

Develop dissemination strategies that address the unique needs of all members in both applied and academic settings – academic conferences and publications as well as websites, blogs, newsletters, workshops, murals, artistic works, etc.

This will all take time, patience and willingness to admit mistakes –

plus a determination to overcome barriers and a willingness to question

one’s own thoughts and behaviour.

CONFLICT

Back now to Stage 3 of group development …

Conflict is a part of teamwork and the creative process.

Most of us fear conflict so we need to understand its source, and impact.

We should continue to communicate through conflict and seek appropriate help with conflict resolution.

Conflict, if handled appropriately, can generate positive change.

COMMON SOURCES OF CONFLICT IN TEAMS

Differences in expectations Personality conflict Poor communication

Differences in expectationsCAN RESULT FROM: Research styles, scope of

work, division of work, intellectual property, timeframes, roles and responsibilities, and unique circumstances particular to the project

Particularly important to flag differing expectations/norms when partnering with communities or industry

DEAL WITH THEM BY: Clarify up front; stop

and revisit expectations

State your expectations and avoid assumptions

Look for areas of agreement

Get things in writing

Personality conflict

CAN RESULT FROM: Differences in

personality type, leadership and learning styles, world views, etc.

DEAL WITH IT BY: Share information about

yourself, what you need and why you need it – use objective, not subjective benchmarks – refer back to the project goals and relate your needs to those goals

Stay aware of personality differences and changes in personal and professional lives of the group members

Give the benefit of the doubt and seek clarification

Poor communication

CAN RESULT FROM: No time set aside Different communication

styles Leaving things unsaid

(conflict avoidance) Failing to clarify – relying

on assumptions Managing emotions

poorly Missing cues that

tension/conflict is developing

DEAL WITH IT BY: Regular meetings with minutes Use active listening to ensure

shared understanding Use email to follow up and clarify Know your style when in conflict

–adapt for effective communication

Address issues directly and in a timely manner – overcoming fear of conflict

Choose the right time and manner to address conflict

Ensure all perspectives are offered and everyone has a voice

A TOOL FOR DOCUMENTING THE ESSENTIALS

Working together as a team:

Congratulations on your

$75,000 SSHRC Insight

Development Grant!! (hypothetically speaking)

Now is the time to put things in writingDevelop a template (or contact me for one if you wish) that documents the following points, and discuss them as a team. Once consensus is reached, all team members sign off and receive a copy.

Participative and administrative issuesAuthorship creditResearch ethics considerationsPayments and work arrangementsTimelines / schedulesLeadershipMethodological/philosophical considerations

Participative and administrative issues Scheduling regular meetings

When? Where? How often? How long? Means of communication

Email, Skype, other Roles and expectations

All members are expected to fulfill agreed-upon roles Publications and presentations must acknowledge

the granting agency In what formats/venues? When? Major granting agencies

like SSHRC have specific rules that must be followed, but if you are getting money from a smaller entity these kinds of details may have to be determined

Authorship credit If the work is to be published or presented during

or after the collaboration, students, faculty, community members etc. should agree on authorship credits. What kind e.g. none, shared, or partial? Consult UCN policy AC-04-02 Integrity in Research &

Scholarship

Research ethics considerations If data are to be collected that fall within the

guidelines for completion of an ethics application, this application should be done well in advance of any data collection and as part of an overall research plan Contact UCN’s REB for guidance Ensure you are conversant with UCN Policy and

Procedures Governing Ethical Conduct of Research Involving Humans

Ethics applications will also need to be completed at other universities or locations if there are multiple partners When? Who will do it?

Payments and work arrangements Hiring research assistants – must follow policies and

procedures of funders and universities/colleges When? Type e.g. stipend or hourly wage? Time sheet/contract?

Who does what when? Who gets copies? Work with UCN’s HR department on this to determine pay

rate/processes PI and partners/collaborators determine the division of

funds, and which reports will be required on how the funds were spent For SSHRC grants and other big funders, reporting requirements

are detailed and clearly stated Students/RAs and researchers agree on hours of work

during the year and the summer months. How much time? When? Where?

Timelines / schedules Develop mutually agreed-upon milestones

working backwards from final deadline dates How often to be reviewed?

Team members will attend all mutually agreed upon meetings Who arranges them? When?

Leadership What type of leadership is required on this project

– what will decisions on leadership be based on? On being the PI? On knowledge that is needed at the time? Members will

bring different strengths that will be needed at different times – e.g. administrative; project management; technology; research; community engagement; media relations; student recruitment and training

When will leadership change if at all? Who will assume this role and when? How will leaders be

chosen and decisions made e.g. by consensus? Majority?

What role will students or RAs play?

Methodological / philosophical considerations Identify the differences in methodological and

philosophical approaches and how they might derail the collaboration. What are collaborators work requirements? What are their rewards? What motivates them? What do they want from the project? What is their cultural and linguistic background? These questions are particularly important to address when you

are working with partners from outside academia such as communities or industry

What methodologies may be applicable to this project? Who decides on which one and how it will be implemented?

When should team members drop off and when should new members be invited?

Dot the ‘i’s, cross the ‘t’s and sign off

Once there is consensus by all partnerson the document that’s been drafted,

the date of meeting is notedand each team member signs off

individually.

To recap, this presentation touched on … Why effective collaboration is important, and the

kinds of things that can be at stake in managing a research project

True collaboration is a multi-stage process where taking the time to build trust is essential

Some additional considerations to keep in mind when doing research in partnership with communities and industry

Some common sources of conflict, and ways to head them off or mitigate them

The necessity for ironing out tough issues together, as a team, at the start of a project – and for documenting what was agreed on

Thanks for your interest!

Contact me any time if you’d like to talk more about anything in this presentation,

and how it might be applied to the specifics of your research project.

Avery AscherResearch Officer

204 627 8632 / aascher@ucn.ca