Most of the work at ID is done in teams, and for good reason: collaboration delivers better results. Plus, you learn from each other, and develop skills you'll absolutely need to survive the professional design/strategy/innovation world, which also is heavily team-based. But any ID student will tell you that teams don't always run smoothly... and from time to time, you may experience what John Grimes calls a "Toxic Team"--the kind of experience that is frustrating at best, and at worst, leaves you stuck with unnecessary work on a project you think is lame. And that's not even mentioning burned relationships.
ID students and faculty have been working together in the last two years to help teams function better. One outcome of this effort is the Teaming Workshop, taught by Chris Bernard, open by pre-registration to a limited number of students (with plans for expansion in the near future--so plan on signing up for the next one if you missed the one during registration week). Another outcome is a Peer Teamwork Effectiveness lecturette, which I'll be presenting at 11:30 am on the Wednesday of registration week for all incoming students, to equip you with a basic set of tools for good team experiences at ID.
Just to be clear, this is not teamwork cheerleading of the sort you see on inspirational posters. There will be no trust falls, or group hugs. Instead, you'll learn why teams at ID function differently from teams you've been a part of before. (Note to those who think they understand teamwork already: this means you shouldn't skip Wednesday's session!) You will also learn three core principles of teams at ID, which every member of every team is encouraged to leverage whenever things look like they're getting off track. Plus there's lunch, so how can you lose?
Remember: ID teamwork training has been developed by students, for students, specifically to help you get the most out of team projects. If you miss these opportunities, don't come complaining if you're on a team that starts to go south!
Questions or comments in advance of the Peer Teamwork lecturette, Wednesday, August 22 at 11:30 am, please feel free to contact me at davidm@id.iit.edu.
--David McGaw, MDes. 2007
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