Teamwork
Introduction to Engineering Design © 2012 Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Teamwork
“When you're part of a team, you stand
up for your teammates. Your loyalty is
to them. You protect them through good
and bad, because they'd do the same
for you.”
- Yogi Berra
What Is a Team?
• A team is a collection of individuals, each
with his/her own expertise, brought
together to benefit a common goal
• Teams are often comprised of people who
do not know each other and who must
work hard to develop productive working
relationships despite personal differences
and cultural practices
Benefits of a Team
• Shared workloads and responsibility
• Broader diversity in knowledge and skill
• More productive brainstorming
• Chances for leadership and personal
satisfaction
• Sense of belonging to a successful
process
• Ability to accomplish more than if work is
done independently
Developing a Team
• Step #1: Team members identify the
team’s mission
– What does the team have to do?
– How will the team accomplish the task?
– What information is needed?
– What resources are available?
The Team’s Mission
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This design process was developed based on the
University of Maryland - College Park - IRB
Research Project
Developing a Team
• Step #2: Team members establish group
norms
– Develop guidelines, protocols, or rules
– Establish norms as a team through
consensus
– Regulate proper and acceptable behavior by
and between team members
– Commit to follow these rules
“No design decision will be acted on before discussion
with and consensus from all the team members.”
Establishing Group Norms
• Create a list of norms by brainstorming
with teammates
• Analyze each norm and discuss its impact
on the team and the overall goal
• Identify key norms that everyone can
come to consensus on
• Establish consequences if norms are
broken
Typical Group Norms
• Input from all team members
• Team meeting schedule and project
timeline
• Communication protocols
• Conflict resolution protocols
• Note: A copy of the established norms
must be provided to each team member
Developing a Team
• Step #3: Identify team members’ strengths
and weaknesses
– Team members list individual talents, skills,
and limitations
– Team members identify job responsibilities
– Each team member’s strengths are a support
mechanism for the other team
member’s/members’ weaknesses
