Appendix F

Responses and Outcomes for Team Video 4: David, Veronica, and Adam

The following information is based on individual interviews conducted with David, Veronica, and Adam at the end of their team project. In addition to commenting on the project in general, each of them viewed this video. This video was also viewed by a manager with experience in supervising team projects.

What did the students have to say about this project?

Veronica was initially frustrated with the group and had considered asking the instructor to place her in a different group. She explained why she appreciated the instructor’s intervention: “Actually at first I was thinking that I was wrong. I was thinking that maybe I wasn’t understanding her right or maybe I just needed to be quiet. . . . If she hadn’t come over, I think I would have been just isolated.” However, by the end of the project, Veronica felt that “the group began to value [her] opinion” and gave her “a fair say in the finalization of the documents.”

David was initially upset by the instructor’s intervention; he felt that that the instructor, by siding with Veronica, was taking on a “guys against girls” role. However, upon later reflection, he realized that he might have “come on a little too strong.” So for the remainder of the project, he “held back” and tried to let others give their input: “I just didn’t talk as much, that’s the main thing. . . . I sat back sometimes and let other people sit up. . . . And I let other people finish their sentences and tried to give them adequate feedback for what’s said.”

Adam noted that the group was initially pressed for time because teammates’ schedules were incompatible and that the group did not really consider having teammates create drafts independently and then revise one another’s work. He agreed that Veronica was overlooked initially and said that he spoke to David privately after class about trying to include everyone.

What did a professional manager have to say about this team interaction?

Rene Stone, Computer Systems Manager: I thought Veronica did a good job trying in that first segment. David was blowing her off, and she said, “Well, wait a minute. I want to do some part of it. This is supposed to be a team effort.” So she was giving the message, but he wasn’t hearing it from her. He only heard it from the instructor, and even then he kind of rejected it too.

Interviewer: So what would you do if you were a manager of this team?

Stone: I would also counsel them that it was important to me that everybody have skills and everybody contribute in private because I wanted input from all of them and that it was going to make it a better product. And I would try to convince David that it was going to be a better product that way. And another tactic would be to make a blatant suggestion that he let the other two do it and then he revise. And that way he would not be involved until it was his turn, and his turn would be clear.

The second segment is much better. They found a way to get him to share — which is getting him off the keyboard. He’s listening, and they’re being encouraging and saying good things and not just negative. But the Adam guy was left out. They could have asked him more for his opinions and repeat what he said. That would encourage him to speak louder and to be more engaged. He’s sitting physically apart. But they’re vastly improved over the first one.