Team Charter

[Magen Jennings]

Hi Team the first step in this process is to create a team charter by  May 15th. 

The function of the Team Charter

•  team goal

•  ground rules

•  norms by which it will run itself

The team charter is produced collaboratively by the team early in its formation. It is the discussion that takes place among team members while producing the charter that is critical for to the charter's success. The process creates the first bonding experience & product for the team.

First Step:

Your first step as a team is to review the following questions.  By Sunday we will hold a 1 hour conference call (details down further) where you, the team, will experience your first exercise together and establish consensus on (and one team member needs to volunteer to take notes on). We need to establish a time to hold this conference call. 

 

Team Purpose

Do we want to win this competition?

Our team has formed to...

 

Team Goals

What do we want to accomplish?

What would success look like?

 

Communication

How will we communicate as a group?

To what norms or expectations will we hold ourselves?

 

Meetings

When and how often will we meet?

What roles do we want to have people play within our meetings?

What expectations will we have for attendance, tardiness and communication with absent members?

 

Decision Making

How will decisions be made by the group?

 

Conflict Resolution

What sorts of conflicts might we anticipate arising?

How do we want to deal with conflicts?

How do we want to deal with conflict in general?

 

Deliverables

What quality of work will we expect from ourselves?

What norms do we expect around timeliness of deliverables?

What roles do we want to have people play for our deliverables?

Team Charter Meeting Agenda 

1. Briefly introduce ourselves. (10 Minutes)

2. I will cover my role as Team Mentor. (<5 Minutes)

3. Cover the above questions in order to assemble a team charter that will become our guidelines and rulebook for a successful competition. (30 Minutes)

4. Take questions about the competition and opening thoughts on how we should approach the consulting case (15 min)

[Hsiu Chang]

Before we can discuss this intelligently, we would need to know the parameter of the consulting case and how the competition is judged.  Is that information available?  Regarding Team Work method, is there anyone who has any past guideline we can use?  I been in Toastmasters before and we focus on the content, not the person.  When we provide feedback, we try to offer two positives and one negative - the sandwich method.  I know the Rotary International also has guideline for meeting.  

[Hsiu Chang]

This is taken from “The Last Lecture” by Prof Randy Pausch, page 142

“Tips for working successfully in a group”

When I have to work with other people, I try to imagine us sitting together with a deck of cards.  My impulse is always to put all my cards on the table, face up, and to say to the group, “OK, what can we collectively make of this hand?”

I’d give (student group) a one page handout.  We’d go over it, line by line.  Some students found my tips to be beneath them. They rolled their eyes.  They assumed they knew how to play well with others: They had learned it in kindergarten… but the most self-aware students embraced the advice.  Hey sensed that I was trying to teach them the fundamentals.

1.       Meet people properly – exchange contact info, make sure you can pronounce everyone’s names

2.       Find things you have in common – it I much easier to address the issues when you have difference.  Sports cut across boundaries of race and wealth.  And if nothing else, we all have the weather.

3.       Try for optimal meeting condition – make sure no one is hungry, cold, or tired.  Meet over a meal if you can; food softens a meeting, that’s why they “do lunch” in Hollywood

4.       Let everyone talk – don’t finish someone’s sentences.  And talking louder or faster doesn’t make your idea any better

5.       Check egos at the door – when you discuss ideas, label them and write them down.  The label should be descriptive of the idea, not the originator: “the bridge story” not “Jane’s story”

6.       Praise each other – find something nice to say, even if it’s a stretch.  The worst ideas can have silver linings if you look hard enough.

7.       Phrase alternatives as questions – instead of “I think we should do A, not B,” try “What if we did A, instead of B?” That allows people to offer comments rather than defend one choice.

[Robert Avakian]

Awesome excerpt... and agreed- We need a framework to work within or else this assignment could become daunting very quickly.

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[Joelle Gamble]

Agreed. Stephanie mentioned having an example from her group last year. We just need to know, from Magen, if it's okay to share that information. I, think it'd be very helpful.

Also, did we settle on a time for this call? Did I miss that information?

Joelle

[Stephanie Austin]

Hi. Yes I'd be happy to share as soon as I get the approval to do so. I'm don't want us to get in trouble.

Also, not sure when we are meeting. :( I won't be free till 7:30pm pst on Monday. Did someone suggest Sunday? When will we be able to have the most folks? I wonder if there is tech to easily record the conversation to share with those who can't make it, to add more context to meeting minutes, yano?

Sorry if this is jumbled. I'm on a boat and lose signal a lot so am typing quickly.

[Hsiu Chang]

Hi All, Google has a good Group Chat that can email the chat transcript to Gmail, we should make sure we all have a Gmail account.

Here is how to use it. 

http://support.google.com/chat/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=161886

[Magen Jennings]

Hi All,

Each team is unique. I do not think seeing an old charter will be helpful. This charter you are creating is based on input from this team and how you work together, not how a team comprised of different members with different personalities and skill sets work together. The case parameters are not given on purpose because the team charter is to establish basic team guidelines for working together. Even if someone turn out to be an expert in some aspect of the case that will not change what the team expectations are, how will you deal with conflict or disagreements. Charters are drawn up without case parameters because someone may turn out to be an expert and that person may assume a leadership role and this case challenge is to help develop leadership skills for all involved. 

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[Alexander Mazin]

Hi Hsiu,

I just completed the survey. Please let me know if it was processed correctly.

best,

Alex

[Alex Mazin]

Are we waiting to address the questions above until we receive the consulting case? 

[Hsiu Chang]

No, we need to create a general framework before we start the institute. 

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[Robert Avakian]

Completed the Survey- I want to see our results!

[Stephanie Austin]

Hi all!

8am here on the west coast! I'll release the results, once everyone completes the survey, to the folks who agreed to create the charter. We can decide as a team if we want to share the raw results on the team conference call. (just in case someone wants their answers kept private).

Thanks to those who've competed it! Almost there! Awesome job, team!

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[Hsiu Chang]

I think going foward, with any of our work, I vote we assume anonymity unless someone specifically want to write "I wrote that".  I also say we are open to share idea in the group, but if someone wants it to be confidential, please specifically mention that.  I will make sure the info is not disclosed, otherise it is fair game