Teamwork BasicsDr. Will Kurlinkus

1. Assets Inventory

What are each team members’ strengths and weaknesses?

What tasks would you be good at and what tasks do you know you need to avoid or get careful feedback on?

Set up a place and schedule on which to collaborate (I suggest using Google docs and doodle).

2. Structure Your Meetings: PPP

Begin your meeting with showing off your work and reviewing it together.1. Progress: What are your

accomplishments, finished items, and completed tasks.

2. Problems: Challenges. Items that you are stuck and can’t finish alone.

3. Plans: Goals and objectives for the next reporting period. These should become Progress next week.

3. Dividing and Conquering

Always end the meeting with clearly defined objectives for each group member (ideally based in their skills). Make sure these objectives are

broken down sequentially to actually show the labor and process/timeline involved in them. “First, I’ll do this, then I’ll do this.”

At the beginning of the next meeting tick off your objectives list.

Keep this list so you know who’s done what type of work throughout the project. And so you can show your boss/client/professor what stage of the project you’re at.

Kanban Boards

4. Use Your In-Class Time Wisely

Separate work separately, collaborative work collaboratively: Use your time together efficiently. Put things together as a group Make sure you have times that you think collectively and

collaborate Write questions you have for the group down and ask them

5. Giving Feedback

Feedback comes after PPP to make sure it’s goal oriented. Start with compliments Ask the creator to explain what they like and struggled with Position good or bad feedback in terms of the product not the

person Position good or bad feedback in terms of the projects

objectives Praise in public, critique in private Offer specific suggestions Give an opportunity to respond

6. Someone Isn’t Pulling Their Weight

1. Speak Up Early. Don’t let people get away with not doing their work. The more you do, they more they won’t. The sooner you speak, the less mad you’ll be, and the easier the conversation will be.

Don’t accuse, ask them what happened and how they see the situation. They may not have the skill to complete the task or may need further support.

Don’t go one-on-one. Speak with the rest of the team before you speak with this person.

There is no reason to not do work. Even if you have a sick child at home, you still have to do your job.

2. Give an Opportunity for them to make up work or do extra work on the next step.

3. Speak to the Boss: If these first 2 steps don’t work, then speak to the boss (me). Make sure you have ample evidence (your objectives list, for instance, and who was assigned what).

In this class, if I am approached by an anonymous team member(s) that someone is not doing their work and there is proof of this slacking then that person will receive 25 points off their team’s final grade.