We have just about reached the end of the project and I feel our team has gelled really well. After the initial disruptions caused by absence there is a real sense of productive team work
Salas et al. (2005) suggested that there are 5 key factors:
- team leadership
- mutual performance monitoring
- back-up behaviour
- adaptability
- team orientation.
How do we rate?
- we did not appoint a leader or any other specific roles. That was just as well given the absence of 2 team members for substantial periods
- using only the discussion forums and weekly Skype meetings we kept tabs on what was happening quite effectively
- the team helped and advised colleagues when extra support and input were needed
- there was a constant willingness to change and go back on decisions. No one dug their heels in.
- the discussion forum (over 100 posts) was the secret to our knowing what was happening
Salas et al. mention 3 further factors:
- shared mental models
- mutual trust
- closed-loop communication.
If 'shared mental models' means 'singing from the same hymn sheet', I think we were, by about half way through.
There was no element of competition or the feeling that another team member was trying to score extra brownie points.
I'm not sure what 'closed loop communication' might be, but we certainly had good and regular communication, individually via the forum and as a team via Skype.
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John, I always appreciate your open and honest musings. I find them very entertaining and a pleasure to read. I can relate to your struggle with absence of team members. Although personality wise I was in a chatty and harmonious group, one of our members was also unable to contribute very often and ended up dropping out of our team as he wanted to pursue his own learning path. Also to be commended, but it meant that some phases didn't run as smoothly as they could have and are prototype is not as developed as it could have been. Nevertheless, having made the journey we have, has perhaps been more valuable from a learning aspect than being in a team that runs perfecty (if that exists). My experience has been very positive overall and I'm pleased that members just jumped in and did things and each of us supported the other well.
As you say the roles didn't really have much of an influence. If anything I think poor Dave as teamleader was always being presented with extensive to do lists from me, which he accepted and completed promptly. Not even an 'aww Trish not again!'
Only evaluations and the TMA to tackle now.
Good luck
Trish
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John this is a constructive way to consider your process and experience, with clear criteria to frame this. The point about shared mental models was, I would suggest, very clearly illustrated by the experience of your group, as you have documented here in your blog and in forum postings (so lots of 'evidence' to quote...). That is, did you all have the same understanding of the vision from the first session in which the topic was defined?
PS - Closed loop communication is when the receiver of a communication always confirms that they have received it.