Teamwork – Building and Leading Effective Teams

Timothy D. Blackburn, MBA, P.E.

Course Outline

Few careers (with the possible exception of sports) rely on the success of teams as much as engineering and architecture.  All of us have experienced the problems that occur when teams don’t perform well, or team members are dysfunctional.

This course reviews characteristics of successful teams, and how you can better build and lead them.  These can be special project teams, or longer standing work teams.  While the principles are applicable in any team environment, the course is written from an engineering perspective.

Would you like to know why some teams work well and others don’t?  Would you like to learn strategies that many have used to ensure success?  Would you like to be better at managing difficult people and situations on teams?  Then this is the course for you.

This course includes a multiple choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

Upon completion of this course, the learner should be able to do the following:

• Describe keys to team success;
• Identify types of teams;
• Identify the type of team in which you are most involved;
• Apply strategies to establish effective teams;
• Describe essential contents of a team charter;
• Develop a team charter for a recent or current team;
• Distinguish a mission and vision statement;
• Define team roles and responsibilities;
• Identify key team leader responsibilities and attributes;
• List leadership styles and describe the most effective style;
• Determine your strengths and weaknesses as a team leader;
• Apply strategies to lead effective team meetings;
• Develop team meeting agendas;
• Facilitate effective team discussions;
• Lead brainstorming sessions;
• Communicate for maximum results;
• Reflect on team common values;
• Describe principles of managing change;
• Define Operational Excellence and compare to MBO;
• List tools and methods to solve problems or make improvements;
• Identify positive team behaviors;
• Identify typical root causes of conflict;
• Apply team conflict resolution techniques and apply effective feedback;
• Identify potential sources of conflict on a recent or current team;
• Describe typical phases of a team;
• Lead teams through the phases;
• Differentiate rewards versus recognition; and
• Apply techniques to resolve common team challenges.
  
  

Intended Audience

Anyone who serves on teams is the intended audience, but specifically Architects, Engineers, and Constructors who are interested in becoming more effective at building and leading teams.

Benefit to Attendees

Learn effective team building and leadership principles that maximize the likelihood of team success.  The course considers why some teams work well and others don’t, and offers proven strategies that increase the likelihood of success.  In addition, these principles make working on a team a more pleasant experience. 

Course Introduction

Teams happen.  These may be project-based or standing teams in which we work everyday.  All are necessary.  We simply cannot accomplish as much apart as together.  Yet, working in and leading teams can be very difficult.  In this course, we will review proven strategies to build and lead successful teams.  We will also discuss ways to identify and resolve common problems that teams face that prevent or minimize success. 

Course Content

The course content is in the following PDF file:

Teamwork – Building and Leading Effective Teams.

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Course Content

1. Keys to Team Success
2. Types of Teams
3. Establishing Teams
4. Team Charter
5. Team Roles and Responsibilities
6. Exercise 1:  Rank yourself as a team leader 
7. Exercise 2:  Develop a team charter 
8. Meetings
9. Communication
10. Values
11. Managing Change
12. Operational Excellence
13. Solving Problems or Making Improvements
14. Positive Team Behaviors
15. Resolving Conflict
16. The Phases of a Team
17. Rewards and Recognition
18. Common Team Challenges

Course Summary

Teams can produce successful results, but it requires careful application of team principles.  Team members and especially the team leader play critical roles essential for success.  In conclusion, we truly can accomplish more together than apart.  Enjoy the journey!

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

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DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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