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\begin{center}
\bf
36-303 TEAM WORKING AGREEMENT (TWA) ASSIGNMENT\\
Due Tuesday Feb 15, 2011, in email and \ul{ON PAPER}
\end{center}

% This assignment is designed to help you have a successful learning
% experience in your team. The assignment is worth 15 project points.
% The point value of each question is in parentheses in front of it.
 
Your team will create a Team Working Agreement (TWA) in item~\ref{twa}
below. This will be a written contract that your team creates to
describe what individual responsibilities will be and how your team
will handle problems. Problems should be handled primarily in your
team.  As a last resort, you may choose to go to someone else, for
example the instructor or the TA for help. Your TWA should specify
when you would do that.

You will be turning in, for credit, your {\bf Team Goals Statement}
(item \ref{goals} below) and {\bf Team Working Agreement} (item
\ref{twa} below), signed by all team members.  In order for this to be
a success, it is crucial that you spend the time needed to work
through the first \ref{few} exercises on your own---and as a team---in
preparation for your goals statement and working agreement.\\

\noindent
Complete the following activities individually:
\begin{enumerate}

\item Think about teams you have been on in all areas of your life:
  sports, clubs, music, drama, church, family, school courses, etc.
  Name one of these teams that you think was successful, and one
  team that you think was unsuccessful.  What differences do you see
  between the successful and unsuccessful teams?  Report on you how
  felt on each of the teams as well as the reasons you think the teams
  were successful or unsuccessful.

\item Throughout the semester in this course you will be working in a
  project team.  Imagine that this team is an ideal team.  What
  characteristics will it possess?

\item What thoughts do you have about working on teams?

\setcounter{bjc}{\arabic{enumi}}

\end{enumerate}

\noindent
Share your responses to Questions 1--3 with your teammates in order to
begin to get to know each other better.  Compile your results.  Then
work through the dilemmas below with your team.

\begin{enumerate}
\setcounter{enumi}{\arabic{bjc}}

\item {\bf Dilemma One:}

You are working in a team of three or four people.  Responsibilities
have been assigned and agreed upon by all.  At your next meeting
everyone is prepared but Stephanie.

\begin{enumerate}

\item  What will you say to Stephanie?

\item Stephanie explains to the team that she was not feeling well the
  night before and was unable to complete her responsibility.  What is
  your response?

\item What does your team do to continue progress on your project?

\item How does your team document this discussion and the actions
  taken?

\setcounter{bjc}{\arabic{enumii}}
\end{enumerate}

The next day Stephanie comes prepared and the team progresses well.  A
week later on the day your team was going to put together your
project, Michael forgets to bring the materials he agreed to bring.

\begin{enumerate}
\setcounter{enumii}{\arabic{bjc}}

\item How does your team respond?

\item Michael had a calculus exam that he had to pass to avoid failing
  the class; does this affect your actions?

\item How will you make the progress you need to make?

\setcounter{bjc}{\arabic{enumii}}
\end{enumerate}

The next day is Friday, Michael brings his materials, but Stephanie is
absent. Your project is due on Monday.

\begin{enumerate}
\setcounter{enumii}{\arabic{bjc}}

\item How does your team respond?

\item Stephanie had to leave Thursday to go home for the weekend.  Her
  home is 7 hours driving and her parents said she had to leave
  Thursday.  Does this affect your decision?

\item What can you do as a team to plan for delays?

\end{enumerate}

\item {\bf Dilemma Two:}

Suppose three of the four of you regularly attend meeting but one
member is always absent, making excuses, or appears to have other
priorities, or does not respond to repeated emails, calls etc.
\begin{enumerate}

\item What do you plan to say if and when you confront the fourth
  member?

\item At what point do you go to someone else for help with your
  dilemma?

\item How will you document these events so that at the end of the
  semester you are not simply accusing each other?

\end{enumerate}

\item {\bf Dilemma Three:}

You are working in a team with John.  He claims to always know what to
do and he is always sure his design will work.  Because he is so sure,
he doesn't listen to other people's suggestions, or he puts others'
suggestions down.  For example, if someone tries to edit a document
for the team, John always edits it back to the way he likes it to
read.

\begin{enumerate}

\item How will you work with John in the team?

\item Under what circumstances will you ask someone else for help?

\item What is your plan to avoid these two pitfalls:
\begin{itemize}
\item Everyone does what John says, ideas are unchallenged and the
confidence proves unfounded.
\item The team breaks into warring camps with some taking John's side,
other standing in opposition.
\end{itemize}
\end{enumerate}

\label{few}

\item {\bf Team Goals Statement}\label{goals}

Create a statement of your team's goals in this project.  {\em The
statement should be three to four sentences and should neither be
simplistic nor facetious.}  For example, ``Get a good grade'' is trite.
Everyone wants to get a ``good grade'' but for some that is an ``A'',
others it is anything above a ``D''.  Everyone wants to achieve the
100-point performance level, but not everyone cares about the
competition. Most partners don't mind ``working on it'' {\em per se},
but some are willing to put in whatever time it takes to achieve
something they are proud of, others have a strict time budget they are
not willing to exceed.

\item {\bf Team Working Agreement}\label{twa}

In light of your responses to the previous questions, write a TWA that
enhances the chances that your team will achieve its mission.  Be sure
your TWA addresses the concerns each of you has about working on a
team, incorporates your strategies for dealing with the dilemmas, and
specifies the circumstances under which each of you will leave the
team and work on your own or with a subset of the original team.

Answer the following questions (\ref{first})--(\ref{last}) in your TWA:
\begin{enumerate}
\let\oitem\item
\def\item{\oitem\setlabel{\alph{enumii}}}

\item What times in the week can you get together as a team, and
  where?\label{first}

\item How will you contact each other about meetings?

\item How much advance notice will you give before cancelling
  meetings?

\item Will you allow future amendments to your TWA? If so, how will
  this be done?

\item What do you expect each member to contribute to your team?

\item What behaviors are acceptable in team meetings?

\item How will team members deal with disagreements?

\item How will the team deal with absences?

\item Under what conditions will your team choose to go to someone
  else for help?

\item What other policies will you establish to address situations
  similar to the dilemmas above?

\setcounter{bjc}{\arabic{enumii}}
\end{enumerate}

Suppose that, in spite of all your planning, worse comes to worst and
it appears that one or more members of the team are not doing their
jobs, or their actions are preventing others from doing their jobs.

\begin{enumerate}
\setcounter{enumii}{\arabic{bjc}}
\let\oitem\item
\def\item{\oitem\setlabel{\alph{enumii}}}

\item Under what conditions will you give up trying to get a team member
to contribute and instead seek to document this non-performance for
submission to the instructor?  How many missed or partially missed
meetings? How long a delay in returning email? How many unilateral
decisions? Etc.

\item What warnings will you give and what mechanism do all agree is
suitable for delivery of a warning? \label{last}

\end{enumerate}

\end{enumerate}

\noindent
Type up your {\bf Team Goals Statement} and your {\bf Team Working
  Agreement}.  Attach all the names of the team members to this final
document, and have each team member sign and date the document above
his/her name.  Turn in:
\begin{itemize}
\item Electronic copy of this final document (missing signatures if need
  be), as a pdf or msword attachment in email to me.
\item Signed paper copy of the final document.  {\em Make sure that
  each team member has a copy of the final document as well.  This is
  your contract with your team, for the rest of the semester.}
\end{itemize}
Both email and hardcopy of this final document is due Tuesday, Feb 15,
2011, by 5:00pm.\\[1em]
%
{\em This will count as one quiz grade (100 pts) in the class.}

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