Logan norm.agreement

Activity 4.2.2 – Team Norms

PurposeWhen you walk into a library, how are you supposed to behave? What do you say when you answer a telephone, or end a phone call? If you want to ask the teacher a question in the middle of a lecture, what do you do? All of these scenarios should bring about similar, if not identical, responses from everyone in the class. Each of these scenarios would result in a behavioral response that follows guidelines, protocols, or rules of acceptable behavior, also known as norms. Norms regulate proper and acceptable behavior by and among individuals.

Teams develop and agree upon norms through consensus to ensure efficiency and to avoid potential conflicts. Acceptable and preferred communication protocols, decision-making rules, and methods of conflict resolution are only a few examples of team norms.

Equipment Engineer’s notebook Computer Internet Email Digital Camera or scanner Microsoft Word Skype

ProcedureIn this activity, you and your teammate(s) will formulate team norms that will serve to guide your actions throughout your design challenge. Setting up team norms and protocols is probably the most important part of the entire project.

Using email, instant message, web cam, telephone, or some other means of appropriate communication, you and your virtual teammate will brainstorm ideas for team norms that address the following topics one at a time. Use your engineer’s notebook as a repository for your ideas. Once all of the items below are discussed, please write all of the group norm(s) under each bullet point. There should be a minimum of 2 norms under each bullet point. Be specific.

Code of conduct Standard communication method(s) Frequency of communication

Project Lead The Way, Inc.Copyright 2007

IED – Unit 4 – Lesson 4.2 – Activity 4.2.2 – Team Norms – Page 1

Example: Group agrees to communicate everyday of the project either by email, Skype, text or telephone.

File management structure File revision management Process for making design decisions Process for dealing with differences of opinion and conflict

Analyze the ideas for each topic, and discuss their impact on the team and the overall goal.

Identify key norms that you and your teammate can come to consensus on, and finalize them as formal statements in your engineer’s notebook.

In your engineer’s notebook or an Excel spreadsheet, create a project timeline in the form of a Gantt chart. The Gantt chart will reflect all of the phases of the design process that you are using to guide your efforts in the design challenge.

As discussed by the instructors, we believe that there are four major parts of this project. We believe that one person in the group should be the lead person in each of the four areas. It does not mean that that team member must do all of the work for that section of the project, but be the one to delegate the work evenly to ensure that that section is completed at the highest level. Please put one team member on each of the lines below.

1. Compilation of all documents: Jarrod

2. Drawings and ShopBot files: Lauren and Brian

3. Prototype: Eric

4. Collaboration of Documents: Sai

Using Microsoft Word, recreate the design brief for your design challenge, and construct the Gantt chart using the draw tools. On the second page, list the team norms and violation consequences that you and your teammate have agreed to. At the bottom of the second page, you will include three sentences for teammate and teacher signatures. The first two sentences are to be signed by the teammates.

Read, understood, and agreed to by ______________________ on ___________.





Have one teammate print out the document, sign it in the appropriate spot, and pass the document off to his/her partners for their signature. A digital signature will work.

Project Lead The Way, Inc.Copyright 2007

IED – Unit 4 – Lesson 4.2 – Activity 4.2.2 – Team Norms – Page 2