Dr. Susan Codone Mercer University Collaboration on Proposal Teams TCO 341, Dr. Grady With additions by Dr. Codone Sources: Ch 4, Markel; Bellamy & McNeill;

Dr. Susan CodoneMercer University

Collaboration on Proposal Teams

TCO 341, Dr. GradyWith additions by Dr. Codone

Sources: Ch 4, Markel; Bellamy & McNeill; Barnum & Carliner


What we will discuss:

Why collaboration is important

3 Stages of collaborative projects

How to build an effective team

Personality & teaming


Advantages of Collaboration

Draws on a greater knowledge base

Draws on a greater skills base

Improves communication among students

Helps acclimate you to the writing process


Disadvantages of Collaboration

Takes more time

Can lead to groupthink

Can yield a disjointed document

Can lead to inequitable workloads

Can reduce collaborators’ motivation

Can lead to interpersonal conflict


What is:

Groupthink?

A disjointed document?

Scope Creep?

How can group work discourage progress?


Groupthink


1. Initiation: Getting Off to a Good Start

Relationship Level get to know members as individuals

share backgrounds, histories, assumptions

find different competencies

Task Levelagree on team goal and approach

set meeting times, operating agreements

brainstorm, gather background information


Relationships

Shared History:

What does it mean?

How can it help or hurt proposal writing?

How can it hurt or help group writing?


2. Execution: Getting the Job Done

Relationship Levelconflict areas: control, equal workloads,

personality differences, ways to proceed, ideas/goals/values, managing conflicts

Task Leveldifficulty: getting down to actual tasks and

decisions

see “Collaborator’s Checklist” (p 68 Markel)


Execution

How does one handle conflict?

How do extroverts and introverts handle conflict?

How do you manage conflict in a group?

What or who causes conflict?

Is a small amount of conflict good or bad?


3. Presentation: Pulling It All Together

Relationship Levelunited team effort

Task Levelclosure on the document

closure on the presentation

practice, peer reviews


Deciding on the Model for Collaboration

Based on job specialty/interests

Based on the stages of the writing process

Based on the section of the document

Use info from personality styles to help choose model


Establishing Team Roles

Identify and assign responsibilities

Suggestions:project lead

technical lead

documentation lead

Design your own

job roles, writing

down responsibilities


Holding Productive Meetings (Bellamy & Macneill)

Allow for initial social interaction (timed)

Set and follow an agenda (see p. 60 Markel)

Agree on a facilitator (can rotate)

Appoint someone to take minutes or notes to email the whole group (can rotate)

Draft agenda for next meeting

Evaluate this meeting


Interesting Meetings


Building a Strong Team

Expect these stages during a long, difficult process:Forming

Storming

Norming

Performing

Adjourning


Adapting to Personality Types

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) often used in business settings16 types based on C. Jung’s researchFour categories:

• Extrovert or Introvert (E or I)

• Sensing or Intuitive (S or N)

• Thinking or Feeling (T or F)

• Judging or Perceiving (J or P)


Summary

The Collaborative Project on Proposals has 3 goals:

Learn proposals

Learn teamwork

Learn to meet effectively

Pay attention to team processes

as well as to the proposal tasks

and document design

Documents

Dr. Susan Codone Mercer University Collaboration on Proposal Teams TCO 341, Dr. Grady With additions by Dr. Codone Sources: Ch 4, Markel; Bellamy & McNeill;