Driving a Car is like Group Work

A response to the Like Driving a Car Activity
created by Victoria Workman (@Victoria Workman)

Number of views: 195

In many courses I teach in the business stream, group work is a fundamental component.  Students are often asked to form a group, or “team” and then complete a complex assignment working together.  Completing a group assignment at a mastery level is like driving a car.  Team members know to introduce themselves, to confirm how they will communicate, to schedule work sessions, to plan out their deliverables, etc.   A highly cohesive team no longer needs to question some of these obvious steps, they just move ahead with them automatically and then get on with the work of the project.   Similarly, a masterful driver doesn’t think anymore about putting on a seatbelt, checking the rearview mirror or gently applying pressure to the gas pedal as these skills are now automatic.

For group work, one of the key component skills is an understanding of team dynamics.  Learning that teams evolve through several stages of development and that conflict can be one of those stages is enlightening to many students.  One strategy I employ is to teach Tuchman’s Five-Stage Team Development Model.  By learning about each stage, student groups acquire knowledge of how cohesive teams function and can then apply that to their group.  One specific technique to apply this learning is the use of a “team charter” for student group projects.  By discussing, creating and agreeing on the team charter contents, students apply skills of forming, norming and communication which helps build trust within the team.  A sample of the team charter is attached.