Module 4 Team Project #1

Ruben Holguin, James Makarzyk, Brandon Nelson, Dawn Pannell

OGL 343: Social Processes in Organization (2022 Spring - A)

Professor Maggie Allen, Ph.D.

February 7, 2022
A. Background:
a. This team was established by the instructor of OGL 343 for the duration of
the Spring 2022 session to collaborate on designated assignments.
B. Purpose/Goals
a. This Team charter clarifies the full scope of projects that this team will
complete throughout the Spring 2022 session. It includes a description of
objectives, roles, timelines, and project team. This team charter provides a
foundation and defines an approach for completing assigned projects in a
timely manner.
b. The goal for this team is to create all assigned deliverables, meet or
exceed the standard criteria, and submit deliverables on time according to
course requirements set by our professor.
C. Projects/Workstreams
a. Project 1
i. Develop Team Charter
ii. Perform Team Member Interview
iii. Debrief/Team Review
b. Project 2
i. Perform Team Member Interview
ii. Debrief/Team Review
D. Members
a. Ruben Holguin
b. James Makarzyk
c. Brandon Nelson
d. Dawn Pannell
E. Duties/expectations:
a. Remain committed to timely and thorough communication
b. Remain open to diverse perspectives
c. Ensure work is completed and submitted on time
d. Participate in editing draft documents for submission
e. Demonstrate active listening skills
F. Approach:
a. Minimize potential for groupthink via “being explicit and direct about
policy preferences allows the team to know immediately where the
leader stands” (Thompson, 2016, p.175).
b. In an effort to build identity, this team collectively decided on a team
name, The Time Zones via vote due to the following theory: “Group identity
is particularly important in virtual teams because it provides a method to
 enhance cohesion in the absence of face-to-face interaction. For these
reasons, leaders of virtual teams should seek to build group identity early
in the formation of virtual teams” (Thompson, 2016, p.315).
c. Weekly meetings via Zoom to discuss necessary tasks, division of work,
and final edits before project submission. Google Docs will be used to
collaborate on written assignments. Documents will be edited by team
members and final edits agreed upon through majority consensus.
Projects will be submitted as .pdfs on Canvas.
G. Metrics
a. Success of submitted team assignments will be measured not solely by
the final letter grade issued by the course instructor, but a peer
assessment that will include an evaluation of individual contributions.
H. Charter Sponsorship:
a. This team has decided on a collective sponsorship model in which all
team members agree to support the timely completion of their role in
assigned projects.
I. Resources:

Thompson, L. L. (2016). Making the Team: A Guide for Managers, 6th edition

II. INTERVIEW:
You will need to make introductions to one another via the Discussion Board (perhaps
using a separate Thread called "Team Introductions," if you wish). Then decide which
member of the team you will all interview via Skype or "Google Hangouts" or a similar
video-conferencing application.

The Life History Interview is about one of the team members. It focuses on the people
and experiences that have been influential in that person's life regarding teamwork,
leadership, and mentoring (positive and negative). Discuss good examples and
experiences as well as bad examples, "bad bosses," and challenges---whether those
challenges were overcome successfully or not. (Don't just write a simple "success
story" but show that this is a real person who has not simply turned everything into a
"step up the ladder." This is not intended as a job-search narrative but instead, as a
nuanced view of a life-history.)

Each team member must download and learn how to use Skype or Firefox "Hello" (or
some other video-conferencing tool). If you prefer not to use Skype, then you should all
use another standard video-conferencing tool. Try to download a free audio-recording
application which you can also use with Skype; this recording is not required (provided
that two or more team members are taking notes during your interview, and that
someone takes at least one screen shot during the interview), but it will help you when
you write your report.

Your team will select one team member to interview over Skype or another video
conferencing tool. (One---and only one---will be interviewed by the other team members.
If all but one team member are available to "meet" over Skype, then go ahead with the
interview but ask the absent team member to do more work on the written report,
including the proofreading.)

During the 45 to 60 minute interview, try to get the subject (interviewee) speaking as
much as possible; other team members should keep their questions brief whenever
possible, but it's okay to "get into the flow" of conversation.

● Ask some questions about their earlier (formative) years---not when or

necessarily where they were born, but who were important early mentors,
coaches, teachers, or other influences on their early life; also, how they got
along with kids and what social role they usually had in groups (leader or
follower, etc.).
● Questions: Where were you born, where did you spend your childhood? Who
were your parents, caretakers, siblings? Did your parents or family have any
particular rules for you during childhood? Did you have lots of friends? Any
special hobbies?
● Then ask about high school and early college years (mentors, leaders,
teamwork, influences, etc.).
● Questions: Where did you go to high school? Any college or trade school? Did
you like or dislike school? Any special influences at that time? Any pivotal
moments at school? Did you work? How did your upbringing influence your
education or work ethic?
● And finally, ask about professional and/or community experiences in terms of
leadership, mentors, teamwork, and other influences. If the interviewee has
had many different jobs, encourage him/her to either go in chronological
order, or (better yet) to organize their thoughts in terms of themes---e.g., good
influences, good team experiences at work, good bosses, bad team
experiences, bad bosses, etc.
● Questions: What jobs did you hold? Where did you live? Any memorable
bosses or work experiences? Where do you live and work now? Do you enjoy
it? Have you had experience leading others? What are your preferences in
working with teams? What is the next step in your career?
 ● The interviewee can speak about family, friends, colleagues at work, and
other influences on their life---and he/she should be encouraged to discuss
challenges and "bad" influences, as well as unsuccessful outcomes---not
merely the good times or the successes. If they describe a failure, ask if
anything was learned from that experience. (But remember, the team's
questions are very important. Just get the interviewee speaking about these
various times in life, and ask questions to get more details or supporting
stories.)

The interview, of 40 minutes to 60 minutes in duration, is to be completed via Skype or

another kind of video-conferencing software.

WHAT TO TURN IN ("Deliverables" to be submitted in this module, and, as a safeguard,

to be included as clearly labeled attachments on your team's Discussion Board):

(1) Notes: At least two different team members must take careful notes during the
interview, and those notes should be either scanned (as an image or pdf) or typed up
afterward to help in writing the final "Life History Interview" report.

(2) Also, (totally, optional) try to make an audio recording of the interview, either using
an app with Skype, or by using a separate digital audio recorder. (Be sure to choose one
that makes standard .wav or MP3 files; some smartphones do not make this easy.) This
file may be too large to upload, but it's good to have as a resource.

(3) Take a few SCREEN SHOTS during the interview. Your report should include one or
two of those screenshots showing everyone's happy (or at least not sleeping) faces.

(4) Using Microsoft Word or Googledocs (with the Spell-check and Grammar-check
features turned on as you write), write a Life History Interview report that is three to six
pages long. Aim for between 1,600 and 2,200 words, with standard font and margins,
but SINGLE-SPACED (as is common in today's professional environments, not double-
spaced as is too common in academia). Rule of thumb: Write clearly, and make the
document easy to read. But don't waste space, and use the "Goldilocks Rule" to make
sure it is neither too brief nor too wordy; don't repeat phrases and sentences.

(5) As you write the Life History Interview report, your team must cite at least 5 different
passages in the MTT textbook that help to explain the events in the Life History---that is,
5 or more short quotes (with page numbers) concerning vocabulary terms or important
concepts should be referenced to help us place several events in this person's life into
the context of our course.

(6) On the first page of the report, include (one paragraph) a brief overview of the
person's life---e.g., the kinds of educational, professional, and personal experiences that
have been most prevalent in their life, or whether they have moved a lot, etc.---and then
use the rest of the report to explain highlights (just a few interesting stories or
experiences) of the major periods in their life. Note: We do not want a "laundry list" of
names and dates, nor a simple "march through history" like a resume might read.
Instead, we want some interesting, illustrative stories about the people and places that
stand out in this person's memory, who have helped to shape him or her, especially in
regards to teamwork, mentoring, and leadership.

(7) Make sure all team members' names are on the cover page of the report (along with
one or two screenshots). Indicate in a footnote the names of any team members who
did not participate in any way (e.g., one may have dropped).

To get started: The team members must arrange a time for a group interview. If one
team member is not available at that time, then he/she should take on additional
responsibilities in the writing of the report. Otherwise, all team members should help
equally with the writing and proofreading of the report on the Life History Interview. At
least two of you should take notes (and a few screenshots) during the interview itself.

Have your team finish the interview several days ahead of time, to allow time to write
the report. That's it! Please email me if you have questions.

WHERE TO TURN IN THE ASSIGNMENT: Attach the final version of your Team Charter
and Interview (with supplemental materials) as one document within "Access your
Group's Area," "Assignments," "Team Project 1." Only one person from each team needs
to turn in the assignment. Make sure that you also include the notes taken in the
interview from two team members in your submission.
Any individual team member who does not support the team effort, or who does not
help until late in the process, will not receive full credit. The Team should note only
active team members on the cover page of the assignment.

Part III: Team Debrief

Effective teamwork---being a team player---does not necessarily equate to instant
success for an individual or the team. Yet it does help everyone around you; it boosts
morale, it raises positive expectations, and it generally increases the chances for a
team's success with short-term and long-term goals. In nearly all professional settings,
effective teamwork also makes you look good to your bosses and your colleagues---
though the rewards may not appear instantly. When you collaborate "in good faith" with
others your social status grows, your reputation takes on a more solid foundation, and
you increase your chances for future advancement.

Team evaluation is an ongoing issue for all organizations. Remember Thompson

indicated the essential conditions for successful team performance included expertise,
engagement, and coordination. Thompson also identified team performance
effectiveness criteria as productivity, cohesion, learning, and integration. The attached
Debrief chart is an example of team effectiveness evaluation (Thompson, 2017, 115-
131).

By "making the team" into a more effective unit, you become more effective as well.
This doesn't mean you have to be perfect but it does mean you should do what you can
to support those around you. Meanwhile, the least effective team members should be
encouraged to change their ways and we can encourage positive, effective team effort
wherever we are.

I am asking each team to rank the effectiveness of your team and to identify elements
of your virtual teamwork that can be improved for the upcoming Team 2 assignment

How should you write this up?

Use the rubric below to:

USING THE SCALE BELOW, EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUR TEAM

1= Strongly Disagree 2= Disagree 3= Agree 4= Strongly

Agree
NAME OF TEAM Team
The Time Zones Performance

PREPARATION 2
Research, reading, and
assignment complete

ATTENDANCE 4
On-time and stayed for
duration

PARTICIPATION 3
Contributed best
academic ability

INTERPERSONAL 4
RELATIONS
Positive and productive

BETWEEN MEETING 3
COMMUNICATION
Initiated and responded
appropriately

EFFECTIVE USE OF 4
TECHNOLOGY
Used multiple forms of
technology for virtual
meetings and
communication

3
OVERALL
PERFORMANCE
SCORE

● Assign a numerical value to the participation characteristics of the team as a

whole and
● Respond (in 400 words minimum) to the following questions in your
Discussion. Please incorporate relevant terms and concepts from the course
readings to explain your experiences.
○ What has the team learned about working virtually from this team
assignment?
■ We, as a team, have taken away numerous positives from this
virtual team assignment. All of us have worked remotely either
currently or in the past, so we understand the importance of
successful collaboration and trust. We have engaged in timely
communication, share task responsibility, and have prioritized our
Zoom sessions without issue. Combined, trust is built within the
team and a high-performance environment becomes developed.
Additionally, a prior development of soft skills required to work
virtually as a team has been established for each of us, which
makes meeting via Zoom and working in Google Docs an
immediate success.

Regarding the virtual assignment itself, Brandon’s interview was

completed and recorded successfully via Zoom. As such, all
interviewers were able to engage in conversation with Brandon as
though we were together in the same room.

○ What does the team need to do to improve our overall

performance? In order to improve our overall performance we need
to plan and prepare more for the next assignment. The team
should write down specific questions, use the exact question in the
interview, and try to keep them in a near chronological order. We
should tailor questions closely to the chapters and topics of the
textbook to make for an easier time when re-writing the notes into
a narrative format. We could also try scheduling a hard start and
end time for interview questions to make best use of the time. We
had a tendency to start on a question, then ask additional,
sometimes unrelated questions. I would try to give each team
member equal time of 20-25 minutes so all members participated
equally.
○ What elements of the Team Debrief evaluation did the team do
well? The team effectively used technology to work on this project.
Everyone had a laptop, webcam, microphone, and headphones to
communicate for this project. We utilized Zoom for video chats as
well as recording our interview. The team then used Google Docs
 to prepare our questions and collaborate on the team charter and
interview. Another element where we did well was our attendance.
Meetings were planned to accommodate each member. Even
though three of the four members are in different time zones, we
were able to deconflict our schedules and find free time to meet for
our course work. Finally, we also scored high on interpersonal
relationships. No personal attacks were had and the team was
friendly and ready to work each time we met.
○ What elements of the Team Debrief evaluation does the team need
to improve and how will that be completed? What is your plan for
improvement?
■ The team developed a solid foundation for the Team Debrief
portion of the assignment by identifying the requirements and
deciding on an approach on the initial Zoom call. While the team
performed to the level of the expectations designated and agreed
upon in the Team Charter, the Team Debrief could further benefit
from more efficiency in identifying potential areas of expertise prior
to working on the assignment. Otherwise, the Team Debrief was
executed effectively and the team has a better understanding of
how to approach evaluating work of team members for future
assignments.

Post the rubric and your team responses and the four assessment questions with your
Team Assignment 1 document.