Innovative curriculum designing for work - based learning

1.2.2. Team management

Building up and motivating a team

Most problems that teams face can be avoided by working hard on who is in the team, the purpose of the team and having a good and realistic idea of the project work and the problems might face during the project work. Therefore, we advise you to take some time for building up the team. Getting it right at the beginning greatly increase the chances that the project team will not only work well together, but work smooth on the project.

When the project team doesn’t work well together it might be because team members have different, incompatible ideas on the project result or work tasks and/or also what each of the team members has to contribute. Therefore, it is important to define a clear project goal with clear responsibilities.

During the project work you should evaluate the work flow of the project team. There are some characteristics for good working team, which you could use as in indicator of how well your students are doing. On the other hand, when the working team of your students is not very well, reflect your impressions and discuss them with the team.

Characteristics of good working team (further information: https://www.uni.edu/dor/sites/default/files/Teamwork%20-%20Heinrichs.doc)

Having team members personally committed to the project gives you and team the greatest chance of achieving the project goal. Therefore, the major task of you as a teacher/trainer and therefore project supervisor is to encourage every team member to be motivated and committed to the success of the project work.

What is motivation?

As a teacher/trainer you should try to address these factors, while working with you students. Try to find a project and a working method, that meets all of these four areas for each project member individually.

One main factor of committing your students to the project is participation of the students in all phases of the project work. Make the students to the owners of the project and sensitize them, that the project, the work, and the results  are in their hands. Once they understand, that they create something that really matters to them, they will be more motivated. Follow this link to know how to motivate team members and some tips to help you motivate your project team: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/project-management-how-to-motivate-team-members.html.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 6: TEAM MANAGEMENT - BUILDING UP AND MOTIVATING A TEAM

Problem and conflict solving

Conflict is pretty much inevitable when people are working with other people. In the work based learning projects, you as the teacher/trainer are responsible for solving these problems or conflicts, so that the project work can continue and the students are back on their learning paths. There are two different kinds of conflicts: a) conflicts on the matter (e.g. the project, the work flow), and b) conflicts on relationships.

To learn how to overcome conflicts follow this link: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_79.htm

LEARNING ACTIVITY 7: TEAM MANAGEMENT - PROBLEM AND CONFLICT SOLVING/TEAM COMMUNICATION