Management of Engineering Projects

Teamwork

Prepared by: Eng. Ahmed El Hadidi

Edited by: Dr. L. K. Gaafar

Based on material from: http://lowery.tamu.edu/teaming/morgan1/index.htm

From the book Visualizing Project Management, 2000. By: Forsberg et al.

What is a team?
A team is a small number of people with
complementary skills who are committed to
a common purpose, performance goals, and
approach for which they hold themselves
mutually accountable

Small Number
Complementary Skills
Common Purpose & Performance Goals
Common Approach
Mutual Accountability

Learning
Pyramid
National Training Laboratories
Bethel, Maine 1-800-777-5227

Average Retention
Rate
Lecture

5%

Reading

10%

Audio-Visual

20%

Demonstration

30%

Discussion Group

50%

Practice by Doing

75%

Teach Others / Immediate Use

90%

Dale, Edgar, AudioVisual Methods in

Teaching, third
edition, Holt Rinehart,
Winston, 1969.

Team Composition and

Roles
Right people should be assigned to the team.
Each person should be selected based on his or her knowledge and
expertise.
In addition to selecting the appropriate people, there are also key
roles that are essential to the overall team's success:
- Meeting leader
- Facilitator
- Team member
- Recorder
- Timekeeper
- Encourager/gatekeeper
- Devils advocate.

Five Issues to be Considered

in Team Building
1. Interdependence
2. Goal Specification
3. Cohesiveness
4. Roles and Norms
5. Communication

Stages of Team Development

(adapted from Forsyth, 1990)
Theory on team development predicts that teams, like individuals,
pass through predictable, sequential stages over time. The most well
known of these models is that of Tuckman (1965), who labeled the
stages of team development as forming, storming, norming,
performing, and adjourning.
Forming

Storming

Norming

Performing

Adjourning

Stages of Team Development

(continued)
Stage
1. Forming
(orientation)

2. Storming
(conflict)

3. Norming
(cohesion)

Major Processes

Characteristics

Tentative interactions; polite

Exchange of information;
increased interdependency; discourse; concern over
task exploration;
ambiguity;self-discourse
identification of
commonalties
Disagreement over
procedures; expression of
dissatisfaction; emotional
responses; resistance
Growth of cohesiveness
and unity; establishment of
roles, standards, and
relationships

Criticism of ideas; poor

attendance; hostility;
polarization and
coalition forming
Agreement on procedures;
reduction in role ambiguity;
increased "we-feeling"

Stages of Team Development

(continued)
Stage
4. Performing
(performance)

5. Adjourning
(dissolution)

Major Processes
Goal achievement;
high task orientation;
emphasis on performance
and production

Termination of roles;
completion of tasks;
reduction of
dependency

Characteristics
Decision making; problem
solving; mutual cooperation

Disintegration and withdrawal;

increased independence and
emotionality; regret

Team Leader
The team leader is the person who manages the team: calling
and, if necessary, facilitating meetings, handling or assigning
administrative details, orchestrating all team activities, and
overseeing preparations for reports and presentations.

Team Members

Team members--typically three to four per team--are the rest of the

people involved in the project. Team members are appointed by the
Team leader or the Stakeholders. The nature of the project dictates
who they are.

Other Important Roles

Recorder
The recorder is the team member who is responsible for
making sure that the process(es) being used by the group
is documented. This includes writing down all the
important points of a discussion and preparing the minutes
of a meeting.
Time Keeper
The time keeper has the responsibility of keeping the team
moving so that they finish the task at hand.

Other Important Roles Continued

Encourager/ Gatekeeper
1- The task of giving encouragement to all the other
team members.
2- The responsibility of maintaining a balanced level of
participation for all the members.
3- Ensures all members ideas and thoughts are heard
Devils Advocate
The devils advocate takes a position opposite to that
held by the team to ensure that all sides of an issue are
considered.

Characteristics of a Good Team Leader

Works for consensus on decisions
Shares openly and authentically with others regarding
personal feelings, opinions, thoughts, and perceptions about
problems and conditions
Involves others in the decision-making process
Trusts, supports, and has genuine concern for other team
members.
"Owns" problems rather than blaming them on others
When listening, attempts to hear and interpret communication
from other's points of view
Influences others by involving them in the issue(s)

Characteristics of a Good Team

Member
Encourages the development of other team members
Respects and is tolerant of individual differences
Acknowledges and works through conflict openly
Considers and uses new ideas and suggestions from
others
Encourages feedback on own behavior
Understands and is committed to team objectives.
Does not engage in win/lose activities with other team
members
Has skills in understanding what's going on in the group

Code of Cooperation
Should be developed, adopted, improved or
modified by all team members.
Should always be visible to team members.
Sets a norm for behavior (Code of Ethics for
your team)

Code of Cooperation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

EVERY member is responsible for the team's progress and success.

Attend all team meetings and be on time.
Come prepared.
Carry out assignments on schedule.
Listen to and show respect for the contributions of other members;
be an active listener.
CONSTRUCTIVELY criticize ideas , not persons.
Resolve conflicts constructively.
Pay attention, avoid disruptive behavior.
Avoid disruptive side conversations.
Only one person speaks at a time.
Everyone participates , no one dominates.
Avoid long anecdotes and examples.
No rank in the room.
Respect those not present.
Ask questions when you do not understand.
Attend to your personal comfort needs at any time but minimize team
disruption.
Adapted from the Boeing Airplane Group team Member Training
Manual

An Effective Code of
Cooperation
1. Help each other be right, not wrong.
2. Look for ways to make new ideas work,not for reasons they wont.
3. If in doubt, check it out! Dont make negative assumptions
about each other.
4.

Help each other win, and take pride in each others victories.

5.

Speak positively about each other and about your organization at every
opportunity.

6. Maintain a positive mental attitude no matter what the circumstances

7. Act with initiative and courage, as if it all depends on you.
8. Do everything with enthusiasm; its contagious.
9. Whatever you want; give it away.
10. Dont lose faith.
11. Have fun!

Ford Motor Company

Problems Teams Face

Participation
Organization
Communication
Group Thinking

Common Teaming Problems

Lack of commitment
Dominating participants
Reluctant participants
Unquestioned acceptance of opinions as facts
Rush to accomplishment
Attribution
Wanderlust: (departure from the subject)
Feuding members

From Scholtes, Peter R., The Team Handbook, Joiner Associates (1988)

COMMUNICATION ROADBLOCKS
Directing

Demoralizing

Interrupting

Persuading

Judging

Ridiculing

Name Calling

Warning

COMMUNICATION ROADBLOCKS
Directing

Demoralizing

Interrupting

Persuading

Judging

Ridiculing

Name Calling

Warning

100 %

Face-To-Face
Communication
55%
37%

8%
0%

Non-Verbals

Tone of Voice

Words (Verbal)

Listening Skills

Stop talking.
Engage in one conversation at a time.
Empathize with the person speaking.
Ask questions.
Don't interrupt.
Show interest.
Concentrate on what is being said.
Don't jump to conclusions.
Control your anger.
React to ideas, not to the speaker.
Listen for what is not said. Ask questions.
Share the responsibility for communication.

Listening
Techniques

Critical Listening
Separate fact from opinion.
Sympathetic Listening
Don't talk - listen.
Don't give advice - listen.
Don't judge - listen.
Creative Listening
Exercise an open mind.
Supplement your ideas with another person's
ideas and vice versa.

FIRST Seek the Intersection

Their
Your
Intersection
Position
Position

First, see the problem from the other point

of view ; really seek FIRST to understand!
Second, identify the Intersection ( i.e.,
where the positions clearly overlap ).
Finally, select ONE issue at a time from
outside the Intersection to discuss and
resolve.

Paraphrase for Understanding

Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood *
Often we are either speaking or preparing to speak with
the clear intent to reply, no?
Try listening with the intent to paraphrase what is being
said by the other person.
To improve your understanding and to promote true
consensus, paraphrase what was said by the speaker
until the speaker agrees with your paraphrase !
Then, thoughtfully prepare and deliver your response.
This is often referred to as empathic or reflective listening.
* Covey, Stephen R., The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, (1989), Simon & Schuster, Habits 4 and

Constructive Feedback

is . . .

Communication to a person (or group)

regarding the effect that a person's behavior
has on another person or on the group
Perceptions, feelings, and
message

reactions to the

Constructive Feedback
Starting with the team leader and moving counter

clockwise around the table, each team member

should:

consider the activities and tasks that the team has been involved

in so far this semester

then give POSITIVE constructive feedback to another team
member using the constructive feedback structure of
When You
:
I feel
:
Because
each team member, as they receive the feedback, should listen
reflectively and acknowledge that they have received the
feedback (e.g., say Thank You.)

Repeat the previous process but this time move

clockwise and give constructive feedback

Discuss the feedback and determine what team
norms might be appropriate (i.e., useful or needed)

Constructive Feedback
You ARE expert on
other peoples behavior
your feelings

You are NOT an expert on

your behavior
other peoples feelings

How to Give Constructive

Feedback
1. When you . . .

2. I feel . . .

3. Because I . . .

Start with a When you . . .

statement that describes the
behavior without judgment,
exaggeration, labeling, attribution,
or motives. Just state the facts as
specifically as possible.
Tell how their behavior affects
you. If you need more than a
word or two to describe the
feeling, its probably just some
variation of joy, sorrow, anger, or
fear.

Now say why you are affected

that way. Describe the connection
From Scholtes, Peter R., The Team
Handbook,the
Joiner
Associates
between
facts
you(1988)
observed

How to Give Constructive

Feedback (cont.)
4. (Pause for Discussion)

Let the other person respond.

5. I would like . . .

Describe the change you want the

other person to consider ...

6. Because . . .

... and why you think the change

will alleviate the problem.

7. What do you think . . .

Listen to the other persons

response. Be prepared to discuss
options and reach consensus on a
solution.

How to Give Constructive

Feedback (Example)
1. When you . . .

When you are late for team

meetings,

2. I feel . . .

I get angry ...

3. Because I . . .
4. (Pause for Discussion)
5. I would like . . .
6. Because . . .

... because I think it is wasting the

time of all the other team members
and we are never able to get through
all of the agenda items.
.......
I would like you to consider finding
some way of planning your schedule
that lets you get to these team
meetings on time.
Because that way we can be more
productive at the team meetings and
we can all keep to our tight
schedules.