On the QT: Teamwork

On the QT Newsletter, Teamwork
Attachment: Guess the Stage
February 24, 2009

Did You Know? In today’s densely interconnected workplaces, working with others — closely, creatively, globally, and productively — drives organizational and personal effectiveness. Whether working virtually or face-to-face, today’s employees must possess the skills needed to work well on teams. Employers want people who embrace team concepts and can make team results happen. According to a survey reported in How Should Colleges Prepare Students to Succeed in Today’s Global Economy, 82% of employers say colleges and universities should place more emphasis on teamwork skills and the ability to collaborate with others in diverse group settings. Today’s activity will introduce your students to Bruce Tuckman’s developmental phases most teams pass through – forming, storming, norming, and performing. Understanding more about team dynamics will give students an advantage as they set out to find jobs in today’s highly collaborative workplace environment.

Try this:

• Introduce the team development stages of forming, storming, norming, and performing. (You may choose to use this 3-minute video clip or this PP with your class.)
• Distribute the Guess the Stage activity and give students a few minutes to read and complete it.
• Review the answers, 1 P / 2 N / 3 S / 4 F / 5 N / 6 N / 7 P / 8 S / 9 F / 10 P. (Answers could vary depending on interpretation.) Possible responses to questions: Why is storming important? To find good ideas and diverse solutions, people have to have differing points of view. If every one agrees, not many good ideas are developed. Don’t be afraid of conflict. What is best and worst about performing? Team works well and can accomplish a lot, but members may become a little complacent …
• Discuss their personal experiences with these team stages.
• If appropriate, assign the online lesson, What it Takes to Be a Great Team Player.

Add an Experience: Explain to your students that the best way to learn more about teamwork is to talk with a friend or relative who works on teams. To help them with that conversation, give them this March Madness Activity and have them practice with their classmates. Ask them to explain whom they would interview and what they would say. The interview experience will give them more insight and a chance to ask questions about today’s workplace and the importance of collaboration.

Quik Quote: None of us is as smart as all of us. Japanese Proverb