Leadership Program

Team

One of the most commonly referenced skills our industry partners seek in our graduates is the ability to work in a team.  The Team domain of leadership development is about identifying individual differences, appreciating diversity, and managing relationships to improve team performance.  This requires the development of social awareness and relationship management tools which comprise two domains of emotional intelligence (EI).  However, building an effective team includes more than emotional intelligence to develop an awareness of others and always see them as individual people with their own complex needs and objectives.  

Objective

Develop the tools to be as concerned about the people you work with as you do the projects you complete as an engineer.

Outcomes

Students who complete the entire program will be able to:

  1. Describe the personality, behaviors, and values of others.
  2. Diagnose team challenges by applying teamwork frameworks
  3. Assess the level of psychological safety within a team
  4. Identify negative Inward Mindsets that can erode team trust
  5. Optimize team strengths and weaknesses to improve team performance.

Supporting Theories or Approaches

Resonant Leadership, Relational Leadership, Authentic Leadership, Servant Leadership, Path-Goal, Transformational Leadership, Leader-Member Exchange (LMX)

Teamwork Challenge Requirements

  • Complete the 5 Stages of Team Formation module (Tuckman)
  • Complete the 5 Functions of a Team module (Lencioni)
  • Complete the Team Charter module
  • Complete 5 cycles of teamwork*

Level 1 Artifacts

  • Submit one (1) charter from a teamwork cycle
  • Submit a written reflection from one (1) teamwork cycle that utilizes the vocabulary of team formation stages and team functions to describe why the team was successful or unsuccessful

  • Complete the Psychological Safety module (Edmondson)
  • Complete the Outward Mindset module (Arbinger Institute)
  • Complete three (3) teamwork cycles.  One of which must be your senior capstone teamwork cycle

Level 2 artifacts

  • Submit a written summary of an anonymous psychological safety assessment from one of your team cycles.  This should also include a discussion on your own mindsets (outward versus inward) toward each member of the team
* A teamwork cycle comprises a team formation process where you work in a group of three or more to accomplish a task over a period of time longer than a week. Examples include Introduction to Engineering design projects, completing laboratory experiments in teams, or and the senior capstone project requirement. Teamwork cycles can also be completed using experiences in student clubs or competition teams. The teamwork cycle must be completed with a Cal Poly Pomona affiliated experience (internships, service opportunities, or sport team experiences outside of Cal Poly Pomona are valuable but do not satisfy the requirements of the CPP Engineering Teamwork Challenge badge).