To build a quality information system, your project team will need to function effectively as a group. This training and the ideas presented on this form are designed to help your team function well together. This first training session is designed to acquaint you with important information about how groups function, what you should try to accomplish early in your team's history, and how the roles you have taken on will help your team to function effectively. A major emphasis of this and subsequent training activities will be to encourage you to look for ways to improve how your team functions so that you can generate a quality team project.
1. Build relationships between team members
2. Understand the roles that team members will play in the group meetings
3. Identify the project goals for the team
1. Get to know one another: Whether you like it or not, you will be spending a lot of time together and will need to rely on one another. It is useful to get to know one another's backgrounds, skills, strengths, and preferences so that you can learn how to interact in an effective way
2. Work out a decision-making procedure: Often decisions just happen in a team because members just go along with what the majority wants. Before too long, you should establish a procedure for how you will make decisions.
3. Set meeting ground rules: Over time, all teams develop ground rules (norms) for behavior. It is useful to make this clear from the beginning so that all team members are clear about what is expected of them. These include:
A. Attendance: regular attendance should be expected
B. Promptness: meetings should start and end on time
C. Meeting Place and Time: Agree on a meeting place for the next meeting
D. Participation: Make it clear that everyone's viewpoint is important.
E. Be Courteous: Listen to others, don't interrupt, stick to one conversation at a time
F. Assignments: People should be expected to complete individual assignments
G. Agendas and Minutes: Consider using agendas and minutes to keep the team on track
4. Clarify the team's goals: It is important that the goals for the team and for the each meeting be understood and accepted by all team members. It is useful to start meetings with a review of the goals for the meeting, the agenda, and other information that will help to keep the meeting on track.
5. Clarify member roles: Identify and review what roles each member will have for each meeting and throughout the semester. It is important for all group members to have a role and to carry that role out successfully. A team is much like a chain; it is only as strong as its weakest link. At times, you may not feel like your role is important, but remember that even small tasks can be critical to the success of your team.