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Chapter 3Chapter 3

Defining The Problem: Defining The Problem:

Project and People SkillsProject and People Skills

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Today’s Menu!Today’s Menu!

Project Management: Project Management: making sure making sure goals are met with goals are met with qualityquality, on, on time time and within and within budgetbudget

Communications: Communications: both both writtenwritten and and oraloral betweenbetween team members, and team members, and between the team and the between the team and the externalexternal worldworld

.. during the problem definition phase, .. during the problem definition phase, and beyond .. and beyond ..

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3.1 Project Management3.1 Project Management3.1.1 Discussing and Defining Project 3.1.1 Discussing and Defining Project ExpectationsExpectations A team’s future success relies on:A team’s future success relies on:

Sharing a common and clear visionSharing a common and clear vision Learning about each other’s skillsLearning about each other’s skills Following a reliable design processFollowing a reliable design process Careful planning and management of resourcesCareful planning and management of resources

General expectations: General expectations: To work hard & productivelyTo work hard & productively For all to participateFor all to participate To produce quality workTo produce quality work To meet deadlinesTo meet deadlines To apply acquired engineering skillsTo apply acquired engineering skills To learn about technical aspects of the design topicTo learn about technical aspects of the design topic

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3.1.2 Coordinating Schedules and 3.1.2 Coordinating Schedules and Planning Meetings Planning Meetings

Plan when & where you’ll have your meetingsPlan when & where you’ll have your meetings

Take the time to find your team’s limitsTake the time to find your team’s limits

When planning for meetings:When planning for meetings:

Suitability of times & places for everyone (café)Suitability of times & places for everyone (café) Create additional incentives for coming (coffee!)Create additional incentives for coming (coffee!) Avoid distractive places (not café)Avoid distractive places (not café) Establish specific starting and ending times Establish specific starting and ending times Specify objectives of meetings (agenda)Specify objectives of meetings (agenda) Establish ground rules for meetings (part Establish ground rules for meetings (part

of the of the working agreementworking agreement))

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3.1.3 Establishing a Working Agreement3.1.3 Establishing a Working Agreement

The Norms of behavior are related to “what” and The Norms of behavior are related to “what” and “how”“how”

They could be formed either implicitly or They could be formed either implicitly or explicitlyexplicitly

Defining a working agreement specifies how a Defining a working agreement specifies how a team will work togetherteam will work together

A working agreement should cover A working agreement should cover aspectsaspects of: of: CommunicationsCommunications: Means & protocols : Means & protocols ParticipationParticipation: working together to achieve common : working together to achieve common

goalsgoals Decision makingDecision making & conflict resolution & conflict resolution Roles & Roles & responsibilitiesresponsibilities for each member for each member Ground Ground rules for meetingsrules for meetings Professional & ethical conductProfessional & ethical conduct between meetings between meetings

Must be Must be signedsigned by all members by all members

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3.1.4 Adhering to Your Working 3.1.4 Adhering to Your Working Agreement Agreement

Invest the time to establish meeting’s Invest the time to establish meeting’s structure (e.g. structure (e.g. timekeeper-facilitatortimekeeper-facilitator, , note note takertaker))

All team members should be encouraged to All team members should be encouraged to serve as secondary facilitators (i.e. be serve as secondary facilitators (i.e. be inclusiveinclusive))

The team must The team must assessassess itself based on the itself based on the work agreement previously setwork agreement previously set

The team must The team must buildbuild its interpersonal skills its interpersonal skills (especially those that require improvement)(especially those that require improvement)

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3.2 Communications3.2 Communications

3.2.1 Active Listening and Probing Skills3.2.1 Active Listening and Probing Skills

Being an active listener means:Being an active listener means:

Paying Paying attentionattention

Focusing on Focusing on understandingunderstanding not on responding not on responding

Attempting to move a conversation Attempting to move a conversation forwardforward by by showing understandingshowing understanding

HelpingHelping others clarify and expand their ideas others clarify and expand their ideas

Showing Showing supportsupport

ProbingProbing for more information for more information

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3.2.1 Active Listening and Probing 3.2.1 Active Listening and Probing Skills (cont’d) Skills (cont’d)

Types of responses:

Evaluative responses – Evaluative responses – this’ll never work..this’ll never work..

Reflective responses – Reflective responses – feel some apprehension..feel some apprehension..

Supportive responses – Supportive responses – interesting idea!interesting idea!

Probing responses – Probing responses – and you mean by this what?and you mean by this what?

Summarizing responses Summarizing responses – we’ve all agreed on..– we’ve all agreed on..

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In Summary,In Summary, The golden triangle of project management The golden triangle of project management

outcomes: on time, within budget and with qualityoutcomes: on time, within budget and with quality

To achieve that: a common vision, mutual To achieve that: a common vision, mutual understanding and effective management of understanding and effective management of resources helpsresources helps

Meetings must be needed, have an agenda, Meetings must be needed, have an agenda, facilitated and minute-d, conclude within time and facilitated and minute-d, conclude within time and with new action points (R)with new action points (R)

A written working agreement that covers various A written working agreement that covers various aspects of project management (e.g. meeting rules) aspects of project management (e.g. meeting rules) must be signed and actually executedmust be signed and actually executed

Active listening: how to help it happenActive listening: how to help it happen Different types of responses and how some could Different types of responses and how some could

be more constructive than others!be more constructive than others!

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Today’s MenuToday’s Menu

Communication: Communication: both both writtenwritten and and oraloral betweenbetween team members, and between the team members, and between the team and the team and the externalexternal world world

Collaboration: Collaboration: gradualgradual development of development of smooth cooperation resulting in smooth cooperation resulting in effective effective and efficient team performanceand efficient team performance

.. during the problem definition phase, and .. during the problem definition phase, and beyond .. beyond ..

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3.2.2 The Laboratory Record Book3.2.2 The Laboratory Record Book

usually, it is a preprinted laboratory noteusually, it is a preprinted laboratory note

with consecutive page numberswith consecutive page numbers

designed to prevent tamperingdesigned to prevent tampering

can serve as legal evidence in a court of lawcan serve as legal evidence in a court of law

but may be a three-ring binder that designers but may be a three-ring binder that designers can add materials to, at any timecan add materials to, at any time

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3.2.3 Composition Skills3.2.3 Composition Skills

Why does it matter? Why does it matter? Engineers are responsible for educating society Engineers are responsible for educating society

about the technologies of the future.about the technologies of the future.

Other reasons: ??Other reasons: ??

Three broad categories (Three broad categories (definedefine))• Grammar, spelling and punctuationGrammar, spelling and punctuation• Structure, organization and developmentStructure, organization and development• Style, syntax and dictionStyle, syntax and diction

Make sure toMake sure to Develop your own unique styleDevelop your own unique style Keep sentences short and clearKeep sentences short and clear Select the right (simpler) wordSelect the right (simpler) word If possible, tell a storyIf possible, tell a story

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3.3 Collaboration3.3 Collaboration

Teams always take time to matureTeams always take time to mature

Typical phases of team development Typical phases of team development include:include:

• FormingForming

• ChallengingChallenging

• AcceptingAccepting

• Collaborating.Collaborating.

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3.3.1 Overview of the 3.3.1 Overview of the Four Stages of Team DevelopmentFour Stages of Team Development Forming;Forming; Getting to know each other and starting to Getting to know each other and starting to

think as part of a teamthink as part of a team Challenging;Challenging; Rubbing against each other leading to Rubbing against each other leading to

conflicts that can be kept constructive conflicts that can be kept constructive Accepting;Accepting; Accepting differences and forming a unifying Accepting differences and forming a unifying

vision and a commitment to realizing it (a.k.a. vision and a commitment to realizing it (a.k.a. a “working agreement”)a “working agreement”)

Collaborating;Collaborating; Working harmoniously, each according to Working harmoniously, each according to

his/her strengths for the benefit of the teamhis/her strengths for the benefit of the team

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.. And finally, collaboration.. And finally, collaboration

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In Summary,In Summary,

Work towards the drawing of a Work towards the drawing of a written written Working AgreementWorking Agreement to to manage team resources effectively & manage team resources effectively & efficiently (as well as pleasantly!)efficiently (as well as pleasantly!)

Keep a record (lab book) of all Keep a record (lab book) of all materials necessary for the ultimate materials necessary for the ultimate creation of the (required) creation of the (required) Project Project FolderFolder

Work through your team’s forming Work through your team’s forming phases- don’t avoid conflicts; phases- don’t avoid conflicts; manage them constructively, the aim manage them constructively, the aim being being Integrative HarmonyIntegrative Harmony