1. Team Assessment In software development, teams are how we accomplish more and better than what can be accomplished by an individual

2. Signs of Trouble - Ineffective Teams 1. You cannot easily describe the team’s mission 2. The meetings are formal, stuffy, or tense 3. There is a great deal of participation but little accomplishment 4. There is talk but not much communication 5. Disagreements are aired in private conversations after the meeting 6. Decisions tend to be made by the formal leader with little meaningful involvement of other team members 7. Members are not open with each other because trust is low 8. There is confusion or disagreement about roles or work assignments 9. People in other parts of the organization who are critical to the success of the team are not cooperating 10. The team is overloaded with people who have the same team-player style 11. The team has been in existence for at least three months and has never assessed its functioning

3. CS 480-81 Team Characteristics High Functioning Teams Creative –Innovative –Project and team focus –Generates many good ideas and picks best Low Functioning Teams Lacks Imagination –Can’t think out of the box –Duplicates previous year’s documents with only minor changes –Picks first idea that satisfices

4. CS 480-81 Team Characteristics High Functioning Teams Hard working –Enthusiastic –Stays on track –Produces work every day –Diligent –Commitment to project –Commitment to quality Low Functioning Teams Lacks Drive –Not interested in project –Fizzled out at end –More talk than work –Slow to implement –Overwhelmed by task –Minimalist effort

5. CS 480-81 Team Characteristics High Functioning Teams Harmonious, works well together –Draws on each other’s strengths –Well balanced –Helped each other –Communicated daily –Worked to improve as a team –Had good leadership –Distributed work fairly Low Functioning Teams Cannot resolve problems –Argues –Conflicts over who’s doing what –Did not bring out the best in each other –Lacked leadership –One or two people did all the work

6. CS 480-81 Team Characteristics High Functioning Teams Mature –Independent –Self-motivated –Disciplined Low Functioning Teams Immature –Procrastinated

7. CS 480-81 Team Characteristics High Functioning Teams Interacted well with client –Met with client at least weekly –Client attended oral presentations –Client viewed and accepted prototype (or iterations) Low Functioning Teams Reluctant to interview client and users –No regularly scheduled client meetings, done on a as-needed basis –Missed client meetings –Reluctant to email or phone client for advice

8. CS 480-81 Team Characteristics High Functioning Teams Interacted well with faculty advisor –Everyone met with advisor at least weekly for 30-50 minutes –Carefully constructed agenda for meeting to get all questions answered –Showed advisor draft documents for feedback Low Functioning Teams Fail to take advantage of faculty advisor –Weekly meetings with advisor not attended by all –Draft documents not ready early enough for review by advisor

9. Common Phases of Team Development Forming - Storming - Norming - Performing Bruce Tuckman, 1965