Developing Good Habits for Working in Teams (Part 2)

Summary

James Peterson's video focuses on enhancing team collaboration through effective meeting strategies. He introduces the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) model for continuous improvement in team processes. Peterson emphasizes the importance of brainstorming, nominal group technique for idea generation, and the distinction between debate and discussion for better decision-making. He also highlights consensus as the preferred method for team decisions and provides insights on delegation, responsibility, and celebrating team achievements post-project.

Takeaways

• 😀 Building relationships and discussing objectives and expectations are crucial for the first five minutes of a team meeting.
• 🔄 The PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) model is a continuous improvement cycle that can be applied to team meetings for better process management.
• 🛠 Planning involves generating and organizing ideas, with techniques like brainstorming and the nominal group technique to ensure all voices are heard.
• 🤔 Brainstorming should be followed by a discussion to prioritize and cluster ideas by topic, leading to clear next steps.
• 🗣️ The difference between debate and discussion is important; discussion aims to share knowledge and reach the best solution, not to win an argument.
• 🔑 Decision-making in teams should ideally aim for consensus, which leads to better-informed decisions and higher buy-in from team members.
• ⏰ Delegating responsibilities and creating a schedule with clear deadlines are essential after making decisions to ensure individual tasks are completed on time.
• 👥 Each team member should do what they planned, and it's important to address common issues like over-promising, missing deadlines, and ambiguous language.
• 🔍 Checking the quality of work is a critical part of the PDCA cycle, requiring respect for team members' efforts while also being open to improvement.
• 🏆 Celebrating accomplishments and reflecting on the project's process after completion is important for team morale and professional development.
• 📚 Document storage and team wrap-up reports are essential for preserving project information and learnings for future reference.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the second part of James Peterson's video on developing good habits for working in teams?

The main focus of the second part of the video is on running team meetings, including planning, doing the work, checking the work, and wrapping up the team project.

What are the four things suggested to be done in the first five minutes of each team meeting according to the video?

The four things suggested are to set up the room, build relationships, discuss the objective, and discuss expectations.

Can you explain the PDCA model mentioned in the video and its relevance to team meetings?

The PDCA model, also known as the improvement cycle, stands for Plan, Do, Check, and Act. It is used for continuous improvements in processes and is relevant to team meetings as it provides a structured way to plan work, execute it, check the quality, and take corrective actions if necessary.

What is the importance of brainstorming in the planning stage of a team project?

Brainstorming is important because it allows the team to generate a wide range of ideas without editing them at this stage. It ensures that all ideas are made explicit and visible to everyone, fostering creativity and collaboration.

How does the nominal group technique differ from brainstorming and why might it be used?

The nominal group technique involves each team member writing down ideas individually on sticky notes, which are then posted on the wall. This method ensures that everyone's ideas are heard and considered, preventing any single or few individuals from dominating the discussion.

What is the key difference between a debate and a discussion as per the script?

A debate has opposing sides and aims to persuade others that one's position is correct, with the objective to win. A discussion, on the other hand, is about sharing knowledge, experiences, and opinions with the aim of reaching the best solution, not necessarily winning an argument.

What are the different decision-making methods discussed in the video and which one is recommended for collaborative teams?

The methods discussed are compromise, voting, using individual authority to make a decision, and reaching consensus. The video recommends consensus decision making for collaborative teams as it leads to better-informed decisions and higher buy-in from team members.

Why is it important to delegate responsibilities and create a schedule after making a decision on a team project?

Delegating responsibilities and creating a schedule is important to ensure that each team member knows what they are responsible for and by when it should be completed. This helps in managing the workload and ensuring timely completion of tasks.

What are some common problems that can occur when team members are working independently on a project?

Some common problems include over-promising and under-delivering, missing deadlines, having different understandings of the plan due to ambiguous language, and the need to adapt to new information that arises during the project.

What is the purpose of the check and act stages in the PDCA model during a team project?

The check stage is for evaluating the quality of the work done, while the act stage involves taking actions to improve the work or fix any identified problems. This ensures continuous improvement and quality control in the project.

What should be done after a team project is completed according to the video?

After a team project is completed, the team should celebrate their accomplishments, reflect on what went well and what could be done differently, ensure proper documentation and storage of project documents, and maintain connections within the team for future networking opportunities.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Team Meetings and PDCA Cycle

James Peterson introduces the second part of his video series on developing good habits for working in teams, focusing on the structure and execution of team meetings. He outlines the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) model as a framework for continuous improvement in team processes. The video emphasizes the importance of setting up the meeting room, building relationships, discussing objectives, and managing expectations within the first five minutes of a meeting. Peterson also highlights common issues teams face, such as lack of planning, miscommunication, and non-compliance, and suggests brainstorming and the nominal group technique as methods for idea generation and organization.

05:01

🤝 Decision Making and Team Dynamics

This paragraph delves into the nuances of decision-making within teams, contrasting debate with discussion and emphasizing the value of collaborative discussion over debate for reaching the best solutions. It explores different decision-making methods, including compromise, voting, using individual authority, and reaching consensus, with a recommendation for consensus due to its potential for wise decisions and strong team buy-in. The paragraph also addresses the challenges of delegation, individual responsibility, and the importance of setting clear deadlines. Additionally, it touches on the issues that can arise during the 'do' phase of the PDCA cycle, such as overpromising, missing deadlines, and ambiguity in understanding the plan.

10:01

🔍 Quality Check and Team Wrap-Up

The final paragraph discusses the latter stages of the PDCA cycle, focusing on the importance of checking the quality of work and taking action to address any issues. It acknowledges the emotional attachment team members may have to their work and the potential for conflict during the improvement process. The paragraph stresses the need for good conflict management skills and respect for each team member's contributions. It concludes with advice on team wrap-up, including celebrating accomplishments, reflecting on the project, maintaining professional connections, and documenting storage for future reference. The video wraps up by emphasizing the significance of collaborative teamwork and the continuous improvement of individual teamwork skills.

Keywords

💡Team Meetings

Team meetings are gatherings of team members to discuss, plan, and coordinate work. In the video, the importance of effective team meetings is emphasized, highlighting the need for planning, doing, checking, and acting as part of the PDCA model. The script mentions that the first five minutes of each meeting should be dedicated to setting up the room, building relationships, discussing the objective, and discussing expectations.

💡PDCA Model

The PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) model is a continuous improvement cycle used in business and project management. The video script explains how this model can be applied to team meetings to ensure that work is planned, executed, reviewed, and improved upon. It is a fundamental concept that underpins the video's approach to team project management.

💡Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a creative technique used to generate a multitude of ideas for a project. The script describes it as a method where team members shout out ideas without editing them at the moment, aiming to make all ideas explicit and visible. However, the script also cautions that brainstorming should be followed by a discussion to prioritize and organize ideas effectively.

💡Nominal Group Technique

The Nominal Group Technique is an idea generation method where each team member writes down ideas individually and then posts them for group discussion. The script points out the advantage of this method in ensuring that every voice is heard and all ideas are considered, which is crucial for inclusive team decision-making.

💡Debate vs. Discussion

The script distinguishes between debate and discussion, noting that a debate has opposing sides trying to win an argument, while a discussion aims to share knowledge and reach the best solution. This distinction is important in the context of the video as it encourages collaborative discussions over debates for effective teamwork.

💡Decision-Making Methods

The video outlines various methods for making decisions within a team, including compromise, voting, using individual authority, and reaching consensus. Each method has its pros and cons, and the script suggests that consensus decision-making, despite being time-consuming, often leads to wiser decisions with better team buy-in.

💡Compromise

Compromise is a decision-making method where each party gives up something to reach an agreement. The script mentions that while it can be effective for building trust and balancing decisions over time, it might not be the best method for making important team decisions as it may involve giving up on important aspects.

💡Consensus

Reaching consensus means that all team members have a mutual understanding and agreement on a decision. The script highlights that consensus decision-making can lead to very wise decisions with high implementation motivation, although it can be time-consuming and may require good listening and conflict management skills.

💡Delegation

Delegation involves assigning tasks to specific team members with clear responsibilities. The script emphasizes the importance of asking 'who's going to do what by when' to ensure that each team member knows their role and deadlines, which is essential for the successful execution of the plan.

💡Quality Check

A quality check is the process of reviewing work to ensure it meets the required standards. The script discusses the importance of checking the quality of work done by the team and taking actions to improve it. It also touches on the emotional attachment team members may have to their work and the need for respectful and constructive feedback during this process.

💡Team Wrap-Up

Team wrap-up refers to the process of concluding a team project, which includes celebrating accomplishments, reflecting on the project, and storing documents for future reference. The script suggests having an informal chat to discuss what went well and what could be improved, which is beneficial for professional development and maintaining team connections.

Highlights

Introduction to part two of the video series on developing good habits for working in teams, focusing on running team meetings and the PDCA model.

The first five minutes of a team meeting should be spent on setting up the room, building relationships, discussing the objective, and expectations.

Explanation of the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) model for continuous improvement in team processes.

Importance of having a clear plan and doing exactly what is planned to ensure quality and identify problems.

Brainstorming as a method for generating and organizing ideas in a team, emphasizing no editing at this stage.

The misuse of brainstorming and the need for post-brainstorming discussion to prioritize and cluster ideas.

Introduction of the nominal group technique as an alternative to brainstorming for idea generation.

The distinction between debate and discussion in team meetings, with discussion being more effective for collaborative teamwork.

Different decision-making methods: compromise, vote, use individual authority, and reach consensus.

Reaching consensus as the ideal method for decision-making in teams, leading to wise decisions and easy implementation.

The importance of delegating responsibilities and creating a schedule after making decisions in a team.

Potential problems during the 'do' phase of the PDCA model, such as overpromising, missing deadlines, and misunderstandings.

The need for good conflict management skills when checking the quality of work and taking actions to improve it.

Celebrating team accomplishments and reflecting on what went well and what could be done differently post-project.

Document storage and the importance of keeping all project documents easily accessible for future use.

The potential requirement for a team wrap-up report or a 360-degree feedback form for professional development and team evaluation.

Conclusion emphasizing the importance of collaborative teamwork, mutual respect, and continuous improvement in team projects.

Transcripts

[Music]

hey everyone this is james peterson here

this video is part two of developing

good habits for working in teams this

video focuses on running team meetings

which includes planning doing the work

and checking the work we'll also take a

look at wrapping up the team project

when the project is complete

here are the habits for working in teams

in part one of this video i suggested

that the first five minutes of each team

meeting should be spent doing four

things set up the room build

relationships discuss the objective and

discuss expectations

now in part two of this video our focus

is here doing the work and team wrap up

so let's start doing the work plan do

check act

if you study business or project

management you'll recognize this model

as the improvement cycle or the pdca

model this model is used to make

continuous improvements in a process

such as improving a manufacturing

process

however the improvement cycle is also a

useful way to think about team meetings

so let's go through each part on any

team project the first step is to plan

plan what you are going to do

the next step is to do

do exactly what you planned

after that you need to check check the

quality of what you did

and then you need to act taking counter

measures fixing any quality problems

that need to be fixed

and this model continues it's a cycle

plan what you do

do what you planned check what you did

and fix it this model is useful to

identify problems teams make

some teams start doing work without

having a clear plan

more discussion was needed in the

planning stage or perhaps the team had a

clear plan but some team members didn't

do what was planned this could be

because of a disagreement on the team

miscommunication or simple

non-compliance

some teams don't check the quality of

work for other teams quality is checked

but the team doesn't act and the

problems aren't fixed

so let's take a look at the planning

stage once you understand the objective

of the project you can start planning

planning starts with generating and

organizing ideas to find the best ideas

you need to hear from everyone and one

method of generating ideas is

brainstorming here the team starts with

a specific question and team members

shout out ideas while one person writes

all the ideas down

don't edit ideas at this stage the key

point is to get all the ideas out there

make all ideas explicit and visible to

everyone

now brainstorming is also one of the

most misused techniques the most

important part of brainstorming is what

you do after as a team you need to

discuss all of the ideas cluster ideas

by topic making decisions as part of

this you'll also need to prioritize some

ideas and eliminate ideas that prove

less relevant

the key point is brainstorming should

lead you to your next steps the next

step should be clear

now one of the problems with

brainstorming is that one or two people

might dominate the discussion

so another good technique is this the

nominal group technique here each team

member sits quietly for five to ten

minutes writing down ideas on sticky

notes the notes are then posted on the

wall the advantage of this technique is

everyone's ideas make it on the wall we

hear every voice

but again this method is often misused

the most important part is the

discussion after you need to prioritize

ideas organize ideas cluster ideas by

topics brainstorming and the nominal

group techniques should lead to a clear

plan about next steps

so now you're discussing ideas i think

it's important to note the difference

between debate and discussion the debate

has two opposing sides a discussion

doesn't have opposing sides

in a debate there's an attempt to

persuade others that your position is

correct

in a discussion there's an attempt to

share knowledge experiences and opinions

in a debate the objective is to win

in a discussion the objective is to

reach the best solution

in a debate we listen to find out where

the other side is mistaken

in a discussion we listen to find out

what other people know

in a debate you can use debating

strategies talk over people logical

fallacies flexing your power however in

a discussion there's no point in using

debating strategies what's the benefit

of winning

finally a debate has a conclusion

somebody wins and the debate ends a

discussion doesn't have a conclusion

now this was an extremely simple

overview and deserves much more

discussion than we have time for here

debating's not all bad however for our

purposes collaborative teamwork trying

to learn what other people know trying

to find the best solution

discussion is more effective than debate

so you've discussed the ideas and your

team has achieved a kind of mutual

understanding now you need to make

decisions about what actions you'll take

what is the difference between these

decision-making methods compromise vote

use your individual authority to make a

decision for the team reach consensus

compromise

if you're compromising everyone is

giving up something they may be giving

up something important in relationships

when there's trust that decisions will

balance out over time compromise can be

very effective however for making

important team decisions compromise is

probably not the best method

voting

voting is a useful method for making

fast decisions but it's probably not the

best method for making wise decisions be

weary of calls for a vote five minutes

before the end of the meeting these

votes can help you in the meeting on

time giving the appearance that a

decision was made but there's probably

very little buy-in to the decision the

biggest problem with voting is that

everyone who loses will feel little

motivation to implement the decision

use your individual authority to make a

decision for the team

if you have authority this certainly is

an option often decisions have to be

made and they have to be made by a

certain time ideally the decision would

be informed by listening to the concerns

of the team

using a directive style without

listening to the team can be

demotivating and the team may not

implement the idea fully

a more serious issue though is when

someone who doesn't have authority tries

to make a decision for the team this can

lead to conflict

finally reach consensus to truly reach

consensus you have to have mutual

understanding with your team this means

you have to listen to your team members

and discuss the issues that they see as

important once everyone has this

understanding a decision can be made

considering all of the information

consensus decision making often leads to

very wise decisions and once the

decision is made the decisions can be

implemented very easily there's good

buy-in everyone already agrees the

problem is it can take a very long time

to get consensus

collaborative teams should aim for

consensus decision making to the

greatest extent possible simply the act

of trying to reach consensus will lead

to better decisions the team members

will all be better informed about the

issues and you will have more buy-in of

course decisions will have to be made in

a timely manner and sometimes this might

mean directing voting or even

compromising

so once you've made a decision about

what you're going to do you need to

delegate responsibilities and create a

schedule

in this meeting here an important thing

to ask is

who's going to do what by when

because after this meeting each team

member is going to break off on their

own and work independently and you need

a deadline and the deadline is probably

this next meeting here where you're

going to check your work

hopefully you're beginning to see what i

mean by plan do check and act plan what

you're going to do do what you planned

and check what you did

so let's talk about do

each team member is working

independently the key is to do what you

plant

however several problems often happen

here first some team members over

promise and under deliver

second miss deadlines

third each team member has a different

understanding about the plan language is

ambiguous we all understand different

things

fourth is new information often while

you're working on a project things don't

go as planned and you have to adapt

ironically with this video project the

video you're watching right now i think

i grappled with all of these problems

all of my own doing problems happen

however on some teams there may be more

serious compliance issues it's useful to

pull up the team charter in that case

look at the rules that your team agreed

to the team charter should also speak to

how those rules would be enforced you

may need to enact those rules

so let's turn to the last two parts of

the pdca model check and act

first you need to check the quality of

work and second you need to take actions

to improve the work to fix the problems

here's the problem

most people are emotionally attached to

their work they worked hard it may be

their best effort

on the other hand most work is not

perfect it can be improved however

improving work takes time and does it

really need to be improved team members

may disagree

there's a lot of potential for conflict

at this stage and you need good conflict

management skills at this point i'll

just say remember that another person's

work is important to them try to be

respectful of that work at the same time

you can't ignore problems aim to be a

collaborative leader warm with people

tough with problems so the project is

complete your team has completed and

submitted everything and you've

delivered the final presentation so next

is team wrap up

first i would say celebrate your team

likely had struggles take a moment to

relax and celebrate your accomplishments

while you're celebrating have an

informal chat with the team reflect on

what went well and what you would do

differently this informal discussion

after the project is often really good

for professional development also this

team is now an important part of your

network stay connected

one thing to do after this project is

document storage make sure that you can

easily find all of the documents for

this project you may be able to reuse

information perhaps if you have to do a

similar project in the future

some companies may ask you to write a

team wrap-up report summarizing the

project the results what went well and

what could have been done differently

some companies may have a team

evaluation form a kind of 360 degree

feedback with these forms be truthful

but always be respectful so to conclude

many of the team projects we work on in

our business life are incredibly

important the outcome of the projects

matter collaborative teamwork is

important because collaborative teamwork

can get the best results when you're

working on a team project stay focused

on the objective but also create an

environment of mutual respect of

civility where team members can speak

freely and everyone's contributions are

valued

in this video we took a look at several

ideas for creating this collaborative

team environment setting up the room

building relationships discussing the

objective discussing expectations

planning doing checking and fixing the

work and team wrap up

the ideas in this video are meant as a

starting point a kind of checklist

understand why these ideas are important

but then develop your own style your own

habits

after each team project reflect on your

own teamwork skills and continuously

work to improve

[Music]

do

you