Student Guide to Group Projects

2011Ashley Cook, Jennifer Sather, Kate Horton

Leeds School of Business

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IntroductionGroup projects will be a large part of your experience at the Leeds School of Business and of course later on throughout your business career. Group projects help teach prioritization, conflict management, presentation skills, writing and editing, time management, collaboration, negotiation, lobbying, and countless other skills that are hard to teach in a traditional classroom. Although a high-quality final deliverable (As defined by whomever is grading your work, and by whom you may show it to in the future) is the ultimate goal of the project—simply learning how to work in teams is also very important. These are the kinds of skills employers are looking for and will try to uncover during the interview process (behavioral interviews).

A group project can be broken into a number of steps, including initiation, planning, executing and completion. This guide will outline what is done during each stage, what pitfalls teams commonly fall victim to, how to address them, and how to be successful at the conclusion of the group project.

Process and Team Development Stages:

I. Initiatinga. Project conceptionb. Beginning of project process

II. Planninga. Team decides on the overarching goal of the projectb. Team decides how to go about achieving that goalc. Routine and requirements are established

III. Executinga. Tasks that build toward project completion are delegatedb. Tasks are completedc. Tasks are critiquedd. Scope and goal are clarified and processes are refined

IV. Completiona. Evaluation is doneb. How the project will be of use in the future is identified

Throughout the guide, the process and team development stages that are being addressed will be outlined. Referring back to the general goals of each stage is recommended.

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How to Pick a ProjectIf you get to pick your project…

Choose one that interests you, challenges you, and is relevant to your goals Estimate the time investment required, can you commit to that amount of time? Consider resource availability

o Will research be easy to find?o Will the company involved be easy to contact?

Find out who else is likely going to be on the project, will they be complementary teammates?

Take off the “blinders”; be open-minded Research what the project will entail and make an informed decision; research

other projects (back-ups) if there is competition for project selection Ask the professor what they think about the project(s) If there’s competition for member selection, differentiate yourself by developing

a “pitch” to the project ownero Showcase your researcho Identify how you can benefit the projecto Clarify the project purpose as you perceive it; don’t ask—tell what you

think & get feedback If it’s an externally-sponsored project (for a client outside of CU), identify with

the company’s mission/culture

A common complaint among students regarding large group projects is their

perceived lack of relevancy to the world outside of the relevant group. When creating or selecting a project, pick something pertinent to your goals that you can make use of in the future, such as a project you can refer to on your resume or in an interview.

If you can’t pick your project, don’t despair. Keep in mind that even if the subject matter seems irrelevant, group work in itself is never irrelevant to the real world. All large group projects entail high-level, ‘real world’ applicable traits such as time management, conflict & communications management, and change management. Most projects also provide an opportunity to sharpen valued ‘real world’ skills, including presentation skills (creation and delivery) and communication skills (to members, to clients, to professors, etc).

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How to Pick TeammatesIf you get to pick teammates…

Communicate with persons in the classo Important in uncovering their qualificationso Important in identifying their people-skills

Check schedule availability of other with regard to your owno Classes, job, etc.o Also consider how willing people are to meet outside of their prior

commitments (weekends, early mornings, late nights, “party” nights) Acknowledge reputations of others (good and bad) Diversify

○ Different majors, emphases, minors, etc.○ Expertise○ Hobbies; technical abilities○ Backgrounds

Identify if anyone has a specific investment or motivation for a certain project (good or bad)

Once project and teammates are established, gather & distribute everyone’s contact information; agree on best form of communication

Take control and assume an active role in selecting your teammates

If you are able to pick your teammates, doing so can greatly aid the efficiency and effectiveness of the project team as a whole. However, if you are not able to do so, finding out where each person’s strengths lay and what they bring to the table can equally aid in the process. The key difference between being able to pick your teammates and not being able to is that if you pick your teammates, you do so based on their expertise—if you are not able to pick them, you must uncover and utilize it.

Project Charter:

A statement outlining the project goals, what the project will entail, and participating team members

Ground Rules: Explicit statement or points about team cooperation and conflict management

Scope:The work required to achieve a desired product or result

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Kick-off MeetingAs the final stage in project initiating…

Hold a kick-off meeting ASAP, even if project is still not clear Brainstorm project objective & build consensus for it

o Go over project charter and find out what it means to each member

Define scope (or at least try), and clarify with professor /See Scope Guidelines and Scope Clarification

Set ground rules Develop the Team Contract and require all members to sign off on it

o Team ruleso Meeting ruleso See Team Contract

Holding an initial kick-off meeting before diving into the project ensures that all group members are on the same page from the start, allowing the proceeding project phases to run smoothly. This is also a good time to start getting to know your teammates and begin building enthusiasm for the project. Define success by reviewing the project charter together; forming a big picture of the overall project objectives will help keep members from getting bogged down in the details of execution and losing sight of the most important high-level goals. Part of this charter evaluation includes determining the scope of the project, if not already given. Refining the scope will be an iterative process, best determined by considering each team member’s inputs to arrive at a scope definition which should then be approved by the professor or project sponsor. The kick-off meeting is also an opportune occasion to begin setting ground rules: what times are appropriate for communications? What communication methods are preferred? What are the expectations pertaining to each member and what will happen if these expectations are not met? Once developed, these are the sorts of elements which are recorded and solidified in the Team Contract.

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Team ContractDepending on how many people have or have not read this document, gathering support for a “Team Contact” may be tricky. Emphasize importance of it (see below).

I. Meeting Plans II. Roles & ResponsibilitiesIII. Establish Ground RulesIV. Communication Clause

I. Meeting Plans

Establish frequency of meetings (weekly, bi-weekly, etc.) Establish length of meeting (1 hour, 2 hours, etc.) Establish whether all persons will be present of if subgroups will be created (e.g.

Ashley, Jordan, and Kate meet Mondays; Kendra and Jennifer meet Wednesdays) Amount of time invested by each party

o Potential conflicts (i.e. job, vacations, etc.)o Other course load and due dates relatives to other classes’ due dates

Establish location of meeting (Starbucks, team room, etc.) Block out this time/ location/ etc. for the duration of the semester Plan resources needed (e.g. books, computers, software, etc.)

II. Roles & Responsibilities Having established an oral or formal contract with group members prior to beginning work on a project can greatly increase group meeting efficiency. By reducing redundancy, miscommunication and task omission, a well-organized group can optimize time utilization. Once a group agreement is established with a general outline of roles and responsibilities, team members will be enabled to closely manage and control the completion of the project in high-quality and timely manner. The roles relevant to the project will differ depending on the type, size and nature of project. However, several core roles can be applied or readily tweaked to fit most projects both at the university level and post-graduate. The following checklist provides an outline of value-adding roles, largely based on the strengths of respective individuals on the team. Many of the roles may be rolled into one individual’s responsibility, but are independently vital for effective collaboration.

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The Team Manager:

o This individual is a strong communicator in terms of reliability: they regularly check their email, phone, or other medium of group communication.

o The manager coordinates the project plan and manages progress and team member performance. Ensures the final product is on schedule to be completed on time and adequately.

o They function as the primary representative of the group to all external parties, such as the professor, faculty/industry advisors and sponsors, and interviewees.

o Sometimes they must be the mouthpiece for other concerned group members to lead conflict resolution should problems arise.

o Consolidates the steps to project completion on a checklist or other organizational tool to ensure that all steps are being performed on time, completely and accurately.

The Team Secretary:○ The secretarial role calls for an individual with strong organizational and

prioritizing skills.○ The secretary is responsible for taking the most detailed and descriptive

notes in class, at team meetings and during research. By compiling all information relevant to the project by a single, organized team member, instructions and information are reliably centralized in one place by a single person. Minute taking and agenda writing and monitoring will be a large part of the secretary’s duties.

○ Backing up notes digitally and copying all team mates ensures that this information is not lost should the secretary be unavailable.

Technology/Systems Expert:o This individual is most confident with Microsoft Office products, online

research or other technology-related project aspects.o Responsible for the formatting the final product and homogenizing the

individually-generated sections into a smooth and standard deliverable.o Tasked with ensuring that all final product formats are compatible with

presentation media and tools, or that online deliverables are compatible with the grader’s systems.

Team Members:○ Responsible for the tasks delineated to them by the group as a whole.○ Check in regularly with the team manager by submitting status updates

and their respective deliverables.○ Aid in conflict resolution by staying flexible and adapting to task and role

modifications throughout the process of project completion.

Many of these roles can overlap or may be irrelevant to certain projects. However, by proactively outlining the specific roles and duties of each team member, a project group will have a stronger foundation and mutual trust that can greatly facilitate the successful completion of the project at hand. Additionally, these roles can be rotated to facilitate learning or they can be static to take advantage of personal expertise.

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III. Ground RulesGround rules should encompass all team interactions. They will be most important in a meeting setting as they will ensure that time is utilized in its most efficient and effective manner.

Interruptionso Decide whether or not they are permittedo Distinguish between interruptions and interjections; decide how to

handle botho Ensure that thoughts and ideas are completely expressed either way

Notificationo Decide on notification methods and guidelines for tardiness or absence

(meetings, class, etc.)o Decide on what needs to be shared with the group as a whole (e.g.

communications with professor, feedback from mentors, etc.) and what does not

Deliverableso Decide on how missed internal due dates will be handledo Outline means for divvying up work, how one can raise concern with a

specific assignment, and a level of quality Topic Relatedness

o Agree on whether or not socializing during team meeting times will be permitted (we recommend that it not be.)

o If a topic begins to deviate from the topic at hand, decide on a means of reeling participants back in.

o If someone would like to add something to the agenda that was previously not thought of, decide on how to go about this (e.g. will it be added to the following meeting, immediately addressed, or addressed at end of meeting if time permits?)

IV. Communication Clause Response time Tie to deliverables (i.e. if deliverable due date is within one week, appropriate

response time goes from 48 hours to 24; within one day, everyone needs to responding hourly—unless previous conflicts have been outlined in the contract)

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Designate who will communicate with whom (professor, clients, each other, etc.; see Kate’s document re: R&Rs)

Potential conflicts (e.g. vacation, jobs, etc.

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Scope

I. Scope GuidelinesII. Scope Clarification

I. Scope GuidelinesProject scope is used throughout the project to continually measure and

guide project work. The team cannot be successful if there is no measurement of success.

Ensure that your project’s scope…

Is determined in advance, before beginning project work Is defined by all project stakeholders Is developed with limitations (e.g. resource availability) and constraints (e.g.

time) in mind Details what is and is not included in the project Contains all deliverables and their criteria Is formally approved by all members and the professor or project sponsor

The first thing to consider is how scope will be defined. Is it already spelled out in the assignment details written by the professor, or were only general guidelines given, leaving it up to the team to fill in the blanks? The tendency for students to dive into dividing work and starting its execution without a defined plan or vision results in scattered deliverables. Formally defining project scope may sound like extra, unnecessary work, but it will save time, stress and effort down the line.

II. Scope Clarification

If your project’s scope is not explicitly pre-determined…

Discuss amongst members what you think the scope should be, THEN clarify the scope with the professor by presenting your idea of the scope and asking whether or not you are on the right track

Avoid scope creep by comparing project results to documented requirements; is the right work being done? Are due dates being met? Do the final products measure up to the agreed-upon quality criteria?

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○ If project work is late, or missing the mark on completeness, assess how far the work is straying from original scope expectations and correct as necessary.

○ Thoughtful and thorough planning at the beginning of the project helps avert problems and changes which are preventable. through early identification

○ Question whether additional work would be logical and beneficial to the project

○ Don’t be afraid to say no to requested changes. An addition to the project may seem like a good way to differentiate, but if it was not planned for at the beginning, you may not have the time and resources available to produce an addition that provides value. Diverting efforts to an unplanned addition may also negatively affect the quality and timeliness of other, essential project work.

Sometimes scope can be re-defined intermittently throughout the project as circumstances change. If the scope does need to be re-defined, first consider the impact this will have on all project aspects. If the changes are manageable, update the affected areas, such as roles and responsibilities, team contract, meeting plans, agendas, etc.

When it comes to clarifying project scope with a professor, do not approach

them without a plan. There are few things that annoy professors more than when students come looking to them for all of the answers without appearing to have put forth any effort to consider the directions on their own. Rather than asking “what are we supposed to do?”, show that you have weighed the information they’ve already provided and ask for clarification in a manner that reflects your thoughtfulness, such as “this is what we think we’re supposed to do, are we on the right track?”. Addressing this issue early on sets up the project for success by eliminating unclear expectations, the most common project problem identified by students.

Although you should avoid approaching a professor for further guidance without being ready to share your initial ideas, if the entire group is completely and utterly clueless about a certain aspect of the project, it is still better to ask without direction than to not ask at all and completely miss the mark.

Sometimes changing the scope during the project reflects incomplete planning, but sometimes it is a necessary evil. For example, if a team member experiences a family emergency, roles and responsibilities may have to be re-allocated. If natural occurrences shut down the campus during a scheduled meeting, the meeting agenda will have to be re-designed to adjust for date and content. When it is apparent that scope must be adjusted, make sure that all resulting implications are identified and planned for.

Agenda:Predetermined meeting items indicating the allotted time,

tasks, task achievement

processes and task discussion

leader

Meeting Minutes:

An organized summary of topics discussed and decisions made during a meeting. Also includes a plan for the next meeting date

Milestone:A tangible

indication of the completion of a critical phase or

task

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Follow Through

I. How to Maintain FocusII. Agenda Guidelines

I. How to Maintain FocusMaintaining focus—not only in meeting, but in the scope of the project and throughout the semester—and following through on all initiatives will be two of the biggest hurdles in successful project completion.

Necessary Toolso Agenda o Time keepero Minute taker

How to hold focuso Hold people accountable; assign at least one person as being

responsible for each initiative, even if it require collaboration by more than just that person.

o Set specific milestones and due dates as far in advance as possible; the further out they are, the higher-level they will be.

o Having a shared vision of what the end result of the project will be will help guide focus and control throughout the semester.

o Post a “team task list” in a common area (e.g. Google docs) (87).

How to know you’ve lost focuso Meetings consistently run over-timeo Milestones are consistently missed; due dates are frequently

changed/ pushedo Not seeing eye to eye with the cliento Focusing on the individual (goals, interests, conflicts, etc.)

rather than the goal of the project/ task at hando Inadequate minutes or other forms of project documentationo Absenteeism/ tardinesso Numerous miscommunicationso Symptoms of Problem Teams

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Chart I. Problem Symptoms and Solutions

Symptom

Definition What is Missing

How to Remedy

Confusion Unsure of what and how to complete tasks

Vision Build consensus for the project charter, objective, and scope

Lack of Integrity

Unprofessional behavior and a lack of accountability

Values Dedicate time to outlining each individual’s values, the values of the team, and how they align with the goal of the project

Diffusion Lack of team strategy leads to disconnection

Strategy Dedicate more time to collaborative efforts with the overarching goal of the project in mind; spend less time on divvied up tasks

Frustration

Dissatisfaction with ability to complete a task or solve a problem

Resources

Work together to develop a strong business or academic case for your project and lobby to the appropriate people; network!

Fatigue Team members appear tired or bored with the project or task

Motivation

Identify the ultimate goal of the project, how it will be useful at an individual level, and explore ways that people’s interests can be better utilized

Doubt Believes that work will be insufficient, incorrect or irrelevant

Feedback Seek out time with your professor or teammates. If this has already been done, seek out a third part (e.g. a trusted teacher, mentor, writing center representative, etc.)

SAMPLE MINUTES: Date___________Present__________Purpose____________Location___________Minute Taker____________

TIME TOPIC PERTINENT NOTES ACTION ITEMS

Diffusion:Everyone doing own thing/ no

team

Fatigue:Everyone appears tired/ bored with the project.

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II. Agenda GuidelinesAn agenda is crucial in guiding meetings and documenting tasks that need to be done for future meeting. Additionally, progress is documented and team members are held accountable. A proper agenda has the following elements: Time

o Total meeting time should be reasonable and frequent enough to accommodate the project

o Estimate the amount of time each task should take; someone monitors this

If time is coming to a close, decide if wrapping up is an option or if more time is needed—if more is needed, move on and come back to the topic if time permits at end; if time does not permit at end, at it to the agenda of next meeting

If tasks that were originally intended to take one meeting time need more than two, consider the impact on other goals and consider throwing out the initiative or refining it—in academia you only have a finite amount of time and a grade is at stake; in the professional world, man hours and budgetary restrictions

List topics and taskso This will be the governing piece of the agendao List what needs to be done, and then assign the times for each (above)

and the overall time.o It is best to keep meetings about the same length each week, day, or

however often it is decided to meet; an amount of tasks and the depth of each should be planned accordingly

o List out topics and tasks for future meetings as far in advance as possible; refine as necessary—this will force you to have goals and milestones throughout the project to help alleviate “crunch time” at the end

o Everyone receives a copy of the agenda-- either electronic or in hard copy format (team manager is responsible for this)

Meeting minuteso Minutes (notes about the meeting, changes, conclusions, etc.) can and

should be kept on the agenda (a copy of the agenda and the minutes on the agenda should be two different documents for record-keeping purposes)

o These minutes will guide the refining of future agendas (see above)o Minute taker should be rotated each meeting

SAMPLE AGENDA:Date___________Project to be Present__________

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Purpose____________Projected Location___________

TOPIC PREVIOUS ACTION ITEM CURRENT STATE DESIRED RESULT

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Team GrowthI. Stages of Team Development II. Trust and Team BuildingIII. Groupthink

I. Trust and Team Buildinga. Forming

i. Occurs simultaneously with the ‘initiating’ process stageii. Formation of the team

iii. Behavior is driven by desire for acceptance and desire to make a good impression

b. Stormingi. Occurs simultaneously with the ‘planning’ and ‘executing’

process stagesii. Tolerance and patience become important

iii. Conflict is resolved and consensus is builtiv. It is important to note that some teams never leave this stage

due to the discomfort associated with addressing conflict; this stage is very important but also needs to be overcome eventually.

c. Normingi. Occurs simultaneously with the ‘executing’ process stage

ii. Trade-offs are made in order to agree on a common goaliii. This common goal is worked toward and not challenged

d. Performingi. Occurs simultaneously with the ‘executing’ process stage

ii. Team members become interdependent yet autonomous e. Adjourning

i. Occurs simultaneously with the ‘completing’ process stageii. Team dissolves

Groupthink:A pattern of

thought characterized

by self-deception,

forced manufacture of consent,

and conformity to group values

and ethics

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II. Trust and Team Building Build Trust (87)

o Be honesto Have integrity (no promises you cannot keep)o Be consistent in what you say & do over timeo Share infoo Manage conflicts

Team Building/ Rewarding Team Efforts (125)o Reward each other

Praise Changing it up; bring coffee etc. Thank people Have patience when people have trouble

o Give credit where credit’s due

III. Groupthink When you’re susceptible(89)

o Highly cohesiveo Avoid different viewpointso Make decisions too easilyo Highly stressed

How to avoid or combat groupthinko Ask the professor or another 3rd party to sit in on a meetingo Assign a devil’s advocateo Six Thinking Hats: the de Bono Hats System. Thinking about a problem

from six different perspectives

Six Thinking Hats De Bono

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Critique Interim WorkCritiquing interim work… Creates accountability, keeping members on track and the project on schedule Ensures quality of project documents through peer appraisal Affirms that members still share the same vision for the project/goals Helps ensure uniformity of work/keeps flow Presents an opportunity to fire a member who is not contributing before it is too

late Prevents stress resulting from waiting until the last minute to try to complete

project work

Regular work critiques scheduled before due dates keep last-minute project

disasters at bay. All too often, members find themselves in a bind after work is divvied up and members meet thereafter to assemble their respective parts only to discover that at least one member has not done the work, and there is not enough time to pick up the slack. Your project’s end user may be sympathetic to the situation, but will ultimately hold the rest of the team accountable for not uncovering the problem earlier.

Work completed on schedule that needs to be pooled and weaved together presents yet another challenge for the team. Combining work from different team members is cited by students as one of the most common frustrations encountered in group projects. Addressing collaborative efforts periodically throughout project duration eases this production process. Assign an editor (can be a rotating responsibility) to oversee the document at hand. Copying and pasting disparate works without any thought given to blending them properly is unprofessional and obvious to those who judge the final product; any carefully developed, thoughtful message will be lost or distorted in a choppy delivery, and you will lose points. Find a way to divide tasks evenly without compromising the quality of your project results.

This repetitive validation process not only keeps deliverables on track and on time, but also provides an opportunity for overall project improvements. Other team member’s work communicates their vision for the project and their expectations regarding quality. Sharing these concrete communications forces comparisons of member visions and allows gaps in understanding to surface and be adjusted.

As valuable as peer feedback is, professor feedback should also be sought. Regularly bringing tedious project input to the professor for approval is considered overkill and indicates a lack of confidence in member’s abilities. Periodic requests for high level feedback and acceptance, however, are beneficial. Even a project undertaken with a strong foundation is susceptible to doubts, and addressing these concerns with a professor helps to maintain teammate confidence in the project’s direction and their own work.

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.

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Conflict ResolutionSee conflict resolution plan from contract; adhere to agreed upon guidelines

I. Identify Source of ProblemII. Methods for Managing ConflictsIII. Self-Directed Team Management

I. Identify Source of ProblemConflicts often arise due to:

Miscommunication Conflict of personalities Perception of unequal work distribution Stress due to time and other pressures

II. Methods for Managing ConflictsGeneral Approaches

Confronting : A collaborate effort with a “win” result for both parties. Direct face-to-face communication

Compromising : A win-win result with some yielding from both parties Accommodating : A more lopsided result than compromising, this tactic is

used when time is a limiting factor Forcing : A “win-lose” situation usually, implemented only when there is a

higher level of desperation associated with very limited time or very high stakes

Avoiding : A temporary tactic used when off problem. Used when you need to stall for time, the problem may go away with time, or a “win” is improbable

Chart II.i

Confronting Compromising Accommodating Forcing AvoidingIndividual Need

to "Win" X XCost X X

High Stakes X X XTime X X X X

Relationship Preservation X X X

Method for Resolution

Lim

iting

Con

ditio

n

X Best SolutionX Adequate Solution

Key:

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Resources for Conflict Management and Resolution Other group members : Present the problem, conflict or pressure to the

group and decide on a collaborative method to reallocate work, amend the project time line or confront an underperforming teammate

Other Groups or Teams : Ask for clarification of project requirements, due dates and expectations. Discuss approaches and methodologies

Professor, Advisor or Industry Consultant : Ask for clarification of project requirements. Appeal for intervention with an underperforming teammate. Ask for more information or references to additional information sources

Last Resort Methods Vote to “fire” an underperforming, non-contributive member of the team Lobby professor for a time extension to accommodate extraordinary issues

or constraints Limit the scope of the project to accommodate time and labor constraints

III. Self-Directed Team ManagementA self-directed team consists of a group of individuals with an equal amount of executive power and mutually shared responsibilities. When there is no clear distinction of leadership, prioritizing and milestone achievement can be fraught with conflict. In order to establish an efficient and focused self-directed team, the following steps can aid in communal management.

Set the Stageo Break the work into relatively equal segments o Distribute work to team members based on their strengths: creative,

technological, research, writing, etc. Assume Responsibilities

o Allow team members to create individual roles, goals, milestones and ground rules

o A personal stake in these items holds the individual accountable Take on More

o Widen the scope of the project if the team dynamic will accommodate it

o Seek a greater depth of analysis Get Over the Hump

o Maintain interest in personal goals, roles, milestones and ground rules set in the first step “Set the Stage” by sharing with team members all successes and detractors in those items

Achieve the Goalo Perform self-reviews during the project and a cumulative self-review

after the project is wrapped up

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o Reflecting on personal achievements and organizational tactics helps: Minimize scope drift throughout the project Increase overall team productivity in the future

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DocumentationInsert definitions for each section, ex: scope, charter, etc.

For purposes of documentation, make sure to… Format correctly; follow the standards required by the project sponsor (typically

MLA) Keep track of the articles, books, websites, etc. that are used. If you do not cite

as you go:o Bookmark them or email them to yourselfo Print and collect them, with all pertinent information includedo Use RefWorks, available campus-wide through the University Librarieso Make them accessible to other group members who may find them

helpful Whatever system works best for you to keep from losing track of research

o Assign one group member to double check all formatting components before project work is turned in.

Save all communications between group members and project stakeholders

One of the primary sources of careless mistakes, many group projects lose

easy points on proper documentation. Although it may represent a less substantial portion of the project’s final grade, those few formatting points may be the difference between letter grades. Proper citations also safeguard your project documents against accidental plagiarism. With plagiarism incidents on the rise, professors are especially prudent in checking for evidence of this in your deliverables. Compare your write ups with your sources to double check for plagiarism problems.

Documents such as member communications or meeting minutes may be included in final deliverables or used to substantiate peer evaluations. These files serve as concrete baselines to measure project performance against expectations, and misplacing them may result in a skewed grade.

Tip:Reserve team

rooms at least a day or two in

advance to ensure availability;

reserve even further in advance

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Resource UseMost useful technological resources as reported by students…

Google Docs/Drop Box Other – email/texting Remote Access University Library Tools (e.g. online reserves) Social networking sites Survey tools (Qualtrics, Survey Monkey, etc) Blackboard Teleconferencing

Once the details of the project are hammered out and agreed upon, it’s up to you and your teammates to follow through and make the final product great by utilizing your resources. In addition to considering the tools rated most useful by students above, seek out applicable templates to help with flow and uniformity, ask to view previous projects (good and bad), and embrace suggested reading for additional insights. Don’t be afraid of using the library – your tuition gives you special access to millions of reserves…use them! Address any questions that crop up with library staff – they are entirely approachable and are there to assist you, whether you’re having trouble locating a text or don’t understand how to use the printers. On-campus libraries also provide individual and collaborative work spaces, many outfitted with the technology (computers, scanners, etc.) needed to get work done efficiently. If a technology need arises, they can also assist through their laptop rental system, which allows students to borrow laptops that run both Windows and Mac operating systems, for two hour increments. Located in the Norlin Library is the Writing Center, which offers free consultative services to students – having your work critiqued by an objective party external to the project may be especially beneficial to a group experiencing interpersonal problems. Preserve the quality of your deliverables despite personal conflicts by turning to expertise you’d be more willing to accept. Appointments can be made in person or online. Although the University supplies a wealth of resources, don’t forget to think outside the box, especially if the project involves external clients. Contacts in the field collected through your own networking efforts may supply advantageous insider insights and vital ‘reality check’ feedback. This is an excellent reason to attend Leeds-sponsored events, where you will have the opportunity to acquire industry contacts and then develop those relationships through project work, simultaneously improving your project and enriching the quality of your professional network.

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Resource Location Contact Information

Leeds Technology Services (LTS)

Koelbel 311 Emailltshelp@colorado.edu

Telephone(303) 492-4474

The Writing Center

Norlin E111, near the

east entrance of

Norlin Library

Emailwrtghelp@colorado.edu

Telephone(303) 735-6906

Leeds School of Business Teamroom Scheduler

Websitehttps://leeds-trs.colorado.edu/

Online Citation Style Guide

Websitehttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Leeds School of Business Events Schedule

Websitehttp://leeds.colorado.edu/events

University Library

Websitehttp://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/

Google docs tutorial/guide

Websitehttp://edutech.msu.edu/online/GoogleDocs/GoogleDocs.html

Dropbox tour Websitehttps://www.dropbox.com/tour

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Completing& Adjourning

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Peer Evaluations and Future Use

Peer Evaluationso Documentationo No emotiono Communicate with teacher throughout project so there’s no surprises

Future Useo Resumeo Interviewso Keep a bound copy

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Works CitedArnold, Kristin J. Team Basics: Practical Strategies for Team Success. Hampton, VA: QPC, 1999. Print.

De Bono, Edward. Six Thinking Hats. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.

Mulcahy, Rita. PMP Exam Prep. 6th ed. Minneapolis, MN: RMC Publications, Inc., 2009. Print.