Morning Class
I especially enjoyed the first team, Conflict Island. These folks not only did everything they were supposed to do, they went the extra step and did a PowerPoint with photographs of each team member's food item as well as notes on what they learned from our text (Dan Rothwell's excellent but overpriced In Mixed Company).
Pictured above are the table decorations made by one of the team members for their event. The beauty of this table setting is just one example of the time and effort taken by team members to make their "feed" a positive and cohesive experience. During their presentation they made excellent use of photographs of their event. They also used humor in their presentation and talked about humorous aspects of their team members. While only two team members gave the oral presentation, the other members stood quietly on the other side of the screen, smiling and paying attention to their colleagues. The team showed a lot of solidarity.
But then, every other team showed solidarity as well. The other four teams took turns presenting different aspects of the Feed assignment, thus giving each member the opportunity to perform for the class. Team Five shared plenty of laughter with us as they reviewed what they learned at a Feed they called "Breakfast for Dinner." They didn't offer pictures of their Feed itself but instead used borrowed images that symbolized what they learned about their team members. For example, a team member who is an ex-Marine who worked in the Presidential Detail was represented by a picture of the White House. Team Five has six males and one female and they showed an awareness of gender diversity and its lack, calling their one female a "token."
Just Seven used the text thoughtfully as they talked about making "the best fajitas." There was plenty of positivity both on the slide, with its images of a happy team eating, as well as in the language they used to describe each other's food. They described a meeting in which they shared lots of good stories, including a series of anecdotes about broken bones (one team member had broken collar bones four times and another had broken both legs as a child). The two four member teams, The Out-of-Towners, which is all male and Team Thundercat, which is all female, both showed an appreciation for the smallness of their groups, sharing the hope that they would experience excellent cohesiveness. I really enjoyed the pictures of the Thundercats -- they showed a group of four smiling young women who seemed be be having a good time. The four men talked about meeting for a bar-b-que in 12 degrees. I hope the toughness this required carries through into their commitment to their team project.
The imbalance in the team sizes and gender mix makes me think I needed to rethink the way I have people select their teams. But, teaching is about learning from your mistakes, kinda like life.
Afternoon in Redmond
My afternoon class has only three groups because of some early shake-ups in attendance. Each team had to take on a new member when the fourth team imploded. Each group this afternoon showed plenty of solidarity through the use of each other's names and allowing each team member to take a turn presenting information.
My favorite display of cohesiveness, however, was by the Sunshine Posse whose members all wore yellow or orange shirts. The colors themselves expressed positivity. The Posse also showed a lot of cohesiveness in their use of friendly nonverbal cues in their team photographs. (But I will be suggesting to them that they should not have print across the tops of their photographs unless its a contrasting color.) Comm Group had attractive slides and made excellent use of the text. They did a very good job talking about how what happens when a newcomer enters the team. Plenty of positive language was used in describing their activities and the space where the Feed took place. The Dominators had an excellent presentation in which they used a slide show on automatic rotation to provide an account of their experience. Because their extra member appeared after they'd experienced the Feed, they made a special effort to take pictures with him and describe his entrance to the team. Unfortunately, they also lost a team member who chose not to communicate appropriately. This team has a very strict contract in which team members who miss meetings will be asked to leave the group.
I am really pleased with the work done by all of these teams. The Feed is an important event because it helps establish cohesiveness, promotes synergy, and allows them to get to know each other. Although I was worried by the chaos at the the quarter, I now feel good about the teams and expect them to do well through the rest of the quarter.
* This is The Feed assignment from my Small Group Communication Class
Rules for The Feed
1. Don’t go out to eat. You should create the meal together.
2. It may be breakfast, lunch or dinner.
3. Each team member should bring something.
4. The meal should be presented with some ceremony. Don’t just flop down in front of the tv and stare at someone else’s world. Set the table. Have a toast with a legal and appropriate beverage. Make things look nice. TALK with each other.
5. Possible discussion topics: Your team contract, how you will encourage “we” instead of “me” orientation among teammates, and/or what behaviors you think most enhance teamwork.
Graded product: Report on The Feed
Oral report: 2.5% Written Report: 2.5%
Each team should create an oral and written report about The Feed. Your written team report should have all the team members’ signatures on it when it’s turned in. The oral and written report are due on the same day.
What should be included in the written report:
1. A list of the foods people brought, identified by team member.
2. A description of The Feed environment. (Table settings, lighting, where was it, were there other people present, etc.)
3. Something the team learned about each team member. This should be something that the team thinks it’s important for Huck to know and that no member is embarrassed about sharing with Huck.
4. Three references to ideas in Rothwell’s In Mixed Company and an explanation of how each idea was illustrated by your team’s experiences at The Feed. (You might actually have covered these during your Feed discussion.) References must be cited appropriately with a page number. (You need not use MLA or APA style for this report.)
Criteria for Success on the written report (to receive an “A”)
· Report must be keyboarded
· Report must have all four requirements.
· Report must avoid spelling and grammatical errors (with the exception of appropriately used fragment sentences).
Criteria for Success on the oral report (to receive an “A”)
· All team members must be present.
· Team must offer at least one visual aid.
· Report should be between 4 – 8 minutes long.
· The oral report may cover the same material as the written report or it may cover a team concept of your choice.
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