Assignment:
The purpose of this assignment is to consider the role of ground rules in promoting team effectiveness, or in their absence, team dysfunction. You will consider an example of a team in which you have participated that was effective, and one that that was ineffective. You will describe both teams, and analyze the role of ground rules in their performances, with reference to how ground rules helped your effective team perform and work well together, and how the absence of ground rules and differing expectations contributed to the failure of your ineffective team. The use of ground rules is an essential foundation for dialogue, the usefulness of which in promoting team learning was discussed previously and in this unit.
Instructions:
- Think of a time that you were on a team that was not only effective but was a pleasure in which to participate. Write a description of this team and its tasks, paying particular attention to the behavioral expectations for which the team members held each other accountable-these might be spoken or unspoken. List these ground rules and describe how the rules helped the team perform and work well together.
- Next, think of a time you were on a team that was not effective and was a frustrating experience. Write a description of this team and its tasks, including the spoken or unspoken ground rules that describe the expectations for behavior on this team. Examine the possibility that some members held ground rules that others did not. How was this a source of tension? Analyze how this difference in what is expected of team members caused conflict and damaged performance. What effect could discussion of ground rules as a method of team learning have had for this group?