Team Communication and Leadership Project Report #3

Names:Zachary Bain, Jermaine Streeter, Andrew Large, Anna Bell, Audrey Anderson
Summary of Project
The group consisting of students Zachary Bain, Jermaine Streeter, Andrew Large, Anna
Bell, and Audrey Anderson began by discussing possible service projects we could perform in
order to satisfy the requirements of class as well as help the community in a meaningful and
substantial way. There were a series of brainstorming sessions, followed by analyzing what
qualities group members were looking for, and brainstorming again with those qualities in mind.
Once the project idea had been agreed upon, the group went about developing norms,
expectations, and procedures to follow to ensure quick, efficient, and accurate communication. It
was then discussed how future meetings would be organized and take place, and the group began
to realize how much the available technology could help with group meetings. From that point
on, almost every aspect of the project was done online, usually with members being remote from
each other. The Service project was completed on May 29th and 30th.
Project Garden Tour was a huge success. The volunteer coordinator raved about how well
everything turned out. The Garden Tour brought in more guests than the prior years and raised a
lot of money for the Gilbert House outdoor play scape. The guests left in amazement of the
beautiful gardens and how friendly the house owners and volunteers were. Gardeners from all
over Salem were able to gather and appreciate what they love most. In addition homeowners
were able to show off their hard work to the community. Outside of the Garden Tour itself our
group completed all the tasks/work required and even had fun doing so. The group left with a
sense of group synergy where not only did the group complete the project but enjoyed the
process. Andrew manned the website and did a great job. The rest of us ( Audrey, Jermaine,
Anna, and Zack) learned a lot from his expertise. The group got practice using Google Docs as
an online meeting workplace. It was not only a good technological lesson, but it also taught us
valuable group skills, organization skills, and time management. We all left better group
members than we were when we first began our project.
The oral presentation was successful, with a grade of A-. Places to improve were; a more
thorough examination of the groups rubric and self assessment, more pictures of group members,
and elaborating on the portfolio. All in all, the group met the criteria established, and secured an
A (if only a low one). After the oral presentation was complete, the group focused entirely on the
portfolio, ensuring every piece of information was easy to access and well presented. Upon
portfolio completion, the group deemed the project complete.
Critical Assessment
Score

Characteristic

participation at
event

Work Quality

High Quality (5)

Everyone
participates at
least one full shift
at Garden Tour
A quality work:
complete project

Average (3)
Everyone
Participates at least
one half shift at
Garden Tour
B quality work:
Complete project

Low (1)
No participation
from group
members
B and lower:
not all parts of

Website

Dependability

Comprehension

with all parts done

on time
Pictures included
colorful design,
easy to use.

with almost all parts

done
Hard to navigate,
not very nice to look
at.

project completed
on time
Barely works,
slow, hard to use.

Excels in actions
when
needed/asked.
Shows up on time
or early.
Able to clearly
understand whats
asked of them and
execute it.

Mediocre actions,
shows up late.

Barely works, and

may show up
extremely late if at
all.

Able to understand
but not clearly
enough for a clean
execution.

Unable to
understand the
task or execute it
properly.

Using Technology
Our group has learned a lot about effectively using technology. We were fortunate enough
to have two very technologically savvy members ( Zack and Andrew), who headed the group
website and google docs. Through google docs we learned how to set up a calender that would
help keep all of the group members on track with projects. The calender also allows easy access
to see our group meeting times. We found that this was more efficient than text messaging or
emailing each other dates and times. The group also learned how to set up a group chat on google
docs that allows us to work on the project at the same time even if we are not even near each
other. This was really helpful for our group because we all work and have conflicting schedules
but google docs allows all of us to work on the same document and see what the other group
members have added or done.
The group also utilized Presentation Aids that were useful for our powerpoint. In the
book Working in Groups by Engleberg and Wynn it describes how to gain attention and
interest, this means using photographs or compelling aids to gain audience attention.
Zack and Andrew were utilized because of their knowledge of technology they set up the
groups website and in the process taught us all how to make the website for our presentation. In
contrast to all the upsides of technology we also found the value in having a face to face meeting.
We worked a lot more efficiently if we were all brainstorming in person where we could throw
out substantially more ideas. We would not recommend working on a group project solely
through the use of technology, but a mix of online meetings and face-to-face group interactions
worked well for us.
Planning Meetings
Planning a group meeting can be challenging. Even with a relatively small group our
conflicting schedules made planning a time where we could all meet together a difficult task. We
really had to learn how to improvise with a smaller amount of time. Thankfully, we were able to

use technology to meet even when we were not all in the same room. This meant we had to work
more efficiently with our time. Conducting the actual meeting was less challenging once we got
a routine down. We found that planning an agenda and focusing on main ideas, the group was
able to get more accomplished in the meetings to follow. The group put together a tangible goals
list that covered main topics that needed to be achieved. Once each goal had been completed it
would be marked as accomplished and the group would move on to the next task. Also, in
conducting the meetings our group focused on being task oriented to achieve our goals. This
made our group more time efficient. Each member was flexible within our roles so that if we
needed to accommodate for another member it wouldnt cause any strain on the group.
Leadership Style
The group took on a Functional Leadership Style, where the role of leader isnt just
one person. The leader is any and all members that will focus on what a leader does to help the
group achieve its common goals(Engleberg, and Wynn 113). Depending on the task at hand each
member took on a different role. This theory worked well because everyone in the group had
leadership potential. Instead of giving leadership to one person and suppressing it in others, we
shared the role. This made our group time more efficient and eliminated conflict. It also allowed
for a positive group interaction. The Functional Leadership Style allowed the group to grow
and share ideas with confidence. This helped the group achieve better outcomes when working
online. Whoever was on first laid out the agenda and what was going to happen and they tended
to take the role as leader eg: If the task at hand was working on the website, Andrew would lead
the group because he had the most expertise on the subject.

Avoiding Conflict
The group was very fortunate to not encounter much if any conflict during meetings. The
instructor did a good job of paring individuals(Andrew, Anna, Audrey, Jermaine, and Zack) in a
group that worked well together. The group had unspoken norms to not interrupt each other or
disrespect each others ideas. The norms also included seeking opinions of each other and
including all members. These norms helped the group avoid most Destructive Conflict.
Destructive conflict means when group members behaviors create a hostile environment
(Engleberg, and Wynn 176) The group understands that if conflict were to arise each member
would confront it and come to an understanding. The group created a casual environment that
allowed for friendships to be formed. The group is able to have a fun time while still staying
focused on the task at hand, while sharing similar ideas and goals that were established in the
beginning.
Skills Learned
The group began with an agenda and goals, while establishing titles such as Facilitator,
time keeper, follow up, and record keeper. The time keeper really helped to keep the group
focused which the group tended to stray off topic. The group utilized the method storming,
norming, and performing. This provided structure for the group and gave much needed sense to
stay on task. Once structure was established each group member presented skills to help achieve

the goals of the first project. The group has grown to trust each member and can rely on one
another for help and guidance. This is a great example of a well working small group that is
willing to do work in a friendly environment. This small group had Synergy meaning the end
product wasnt as important, long as the group was doing it together and having fun. While
setting times for meetings the group developed skills such as accountability, time management,
and trust. These skills helped improve synergy within the group and will establish a great
foundation for later groups. The most important skills that are needed in small group work are
listening, opinion seeking, and understanding of all members. These skills are important to small
group work.

ZackBain
AnnaBell

JermaineStreeter

Andrew Large
R Anderson

Audrey