ETM5221 Engineering Teaming: Application and Execution

1. ETM5221 Engineering Teaming: Application and Execution Nicholas C. Romano, Jr. Nicholas-Romano@mstm.okstate.eduPaul E. Rossler prossle@okstate.edu

2. Week 3 April 16, 2002Facilitation Skills

3. Agenda • GSWeb Experience Discussion • Group Support Systems • Case studies • Facilitation roles, issues, skills, and problems

4. GSWeb Meeting Discussion

5. Group Support Systems

6. Meetings are difficult Waiting to speak Domination Fear of speaking Misunderstanding Inattention Lack of focus Inadequate criteria Premature decisions Missing information Distractions Digressions Wrong people Groupthink Poor grasp of problem Ignored alternatives Lack of consensus Poor planning Hidden agendas Conflict Inadequate resources Poorly defined goals Poor Meetings Source: Nunamaker, J.F., R.O. Briggs, and D.D. Mittleman, Electronic meeting systems: Ten years of lessons learned, in Groupware: Technology and applications, D. Coleman and R. Khanna, Editors. 1995, Prentice-Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ. p. 149-193.

7. An input-process-output model of teamwork Group Task Process Outcome Context Technology (Source: Doug Vogel)

8. One or more people Embedded in software Source of facilitation lies on a continuum (Source: Doug Vogel)

9. A facilitation model Cognitive Issues Assumptions and Frameworks Rapport/Resourcefulness Group Issues Outcomes Task Issues Skills & Techniques Group Systems Toolbox (Source: Doug Vogel)

10. A variety of problems lead to unproductive meetings • Pace • Poor meeting design • Poor focus • Lack of closure • Poor process Research findings summarized in Bostrom, R.P., R. Anson, and V.K. Clawson, Group facilitation and group support systems, in Group Support Systems, L.M. Jessup and J.S. Valacich, Editors. 1993, MacMillan Publishing: New York. p. 146-168.

11. Interventions that improve group processes and outcomes • Applying Structured Procedures • providing instructions to group members • extending problem formulation • extending idea generation • separating idea generation from evaluation • delaying solution adoption  Research findings summarized in Bostrom, R.P., R. Anson, and V.K. Clawson, Group facilitation and group support systems, in Group Support Systems, L.M. Jessup and J.S. Valacich, Editors. 1993, MacMillan Publishing: New York. p. 146-168.

12. Interventions (cont’d.) • Encouraging Effective Task Behaviors • discussing task procedures • applying explicit criteria • using factual information • maintaining focus on task goals

13. Interventions (cont’d.) • Encouraging Effective Relational Behaviors • encouraging broad participation and influence • managing conflict constructively • emphasizing consensus acceptance over majority votes • applying active listening techniques • discussing interpersonal processes 

14. Interventions (cont’d.) • Training • training group members and/or leaders • training external facilitators

15. The Challenge of Distributed Meetings All slides for this section taken from N. Romano, PowerPoint Presentation titled, “Distributed Meetings.” Undated.

16. Tomorrow’s fragmented, geographically dispersed workplace -- a space, not a place !!

17. Unstructured interactions,discussion & news groups) • Lack of Focus • Disjointed Ideas • Separate often hidden Agendas • Information overload • No Convergence • No Conclusions Nor Decisions • No Business Outcome Results • No Consensus • No Shared Understandings Source: J. Nunamaker and N. Romano PowerPoint Presentation titled,”Distributed Work Environments.” Undated.

18. Advantages of The Virtual WorkSpace • Time independence • Rapid feedback (on routed material) • Integration of local and remote teams • Easy to skip topics of no interest • Ask questions as they occur • Information exchange • Broader participation • Short-notice participation Source: J. Nunamaker and N. Romano PowerPoint Presentation titled,”Distributed Work Environments.” Undated.

19. Drawbacks of The Virtual WorkSpace • Uncharted territory • asynchronous process • Low engagement • observers, not players • Low sense of presence: • Am I alone? Source: J. Nunamaker and N. Romano PowerPoint Presentation titled,”Distributed Work Environments.” Undated.

20. Tradeoffs in Virtual WorkSpace Source: J. Nunamaker and N. Romano PowerPoint Presentation titled,”Distributed Work Environments.” Undated.

21. Extended Group Support Information generated between group-to-group and distributed meetings Different Time Corporate Database Same Time Small Group Large Group External Information Services Virtual Meeting (office) FTF Meeting Room Group to Group Adapted from J. Morrison, 1992, University of Arizonia MIS

22. Audio Technology • Advantages • in place • easy to use • cheap • Disadvantages • low media richness • primarily “same time” • less useful for large groups

23. Video Technology • Advantages • personal • fulfills participant expectations • high media richness • Disadvantages • not universally available • expensive/lacking standards • potential for cultural confusion

24. Data Technology • Advantages • widely available • more time independent • very cheap • Disadvantages • impersonal • low media richness • requires extended support

25. Key to effective team support is integrated audio/video/data

31. GroupSystems • Integration of • Collaborative Technology • Attention Dynamics • Knowledge Management • Customized Repeatable Processes To Dramatically Improve Productivity Slides for this section taken from J. Nunamaker and N. Romano PowerPoint Presentation titled,”Distributed Work Environments.” Undated.

32. Share Information Generate Ideas Organize Ideas Poll Consensus Explore Issues Session Planning Knowledge Management Organizational Memory Enterprise Model Corporate Database Intranet World Wide Web FTP/Gopher WAIS GroupSystems Collaboration

33. Share Information Generate Ideas Organize Ideas Poll Consensus Explore Issues Session Planning Knowledge Management Organizational Memory Enterprise Model Corporate Database Intranet World Wide Web FTP/Gopher WAIS GroupSystems Virtual Collaboration Collaboration DC NY DC Boston LA LA SF Paris PIT HK SYD NY ATL LON DC SF CHI

34. GroupSystems Tools • Electronic Brainstorming • Unstructured idea generation • Categorizer • Refine, rearrange, categorize ideas • Vote • Prioritize, measure consensus, graph results

35. GroupSystems Tools (cont’d.) • Topic Commenter • Structured idea and information sharing • Group Outliner • Build hierarchical process models • Shared Whiteboard • Team graphical illustration • Report Writer • Store results / produce reports

36. More GroupSystems Tools • Alternative Analysis • Evaluate alternatives using multiple criteria. Produce statistical and graphical results. • Survey • Create electronic questionnaires, including subjective and objective items. Collect & tabulate responses. Produce varied reports.

37. More GroupSystems Tools • Activity Modeler • SMEs describe business processes and activities in parallel; system makes the linkages and draws the electronic pictures automatically. • Data Modeler • SMEs describe business data flows and stores in parallel; system makes the relationships and develops data model automatically.

38. Team Processes GSS Tools • Brainstorming • Topic Commenter • Idea Organizer • Categorizer • Group Outliner • Group Matrix • Alternative Evaluator • Vote • Stake Holder analysis • Assumption surfacing • Group Writer • Team Graphics • Screen Prototyper Idea Generation Idea Organization Idea Evaluation and Prioritization Idea Exploration Idea Development and Exposition

39. Case studies Slides taken from N. Romano, PowerPoint Presentation titled, “Benefits.” Undated.

40. Bottom Line Benefits Average Labor Flow Time Total Saved/project Saved Saved IBM 55.2% $2,642 92% $79,272 Boeing 72.0% &7,242 65% $383,841 IBM: 30 projects Mean 8.2 people 5.6 hrs/person Boeing: 53 projects Mean 10.5 people 7.5 hrs/person

41. IBM Owego • Mean participants / session 8.27 • Mean session length 3.37 hours • Mean cost savings / session $1,819 • Mean % hour savings 51% • One EMS hr = 2.32 historical hrs

42. Five IBM Case Studies Case Number 1 2 3 4 5 Participants 7 10 10 10 10 Historical Labor 204.5 47.5 240.0 132.0 94.0 EMS Labor 97.5 20.5 40 36 46 Labor Savings 107 27 200 96 48 Dollars Saved 5350 1350 1000 4800 2400 % of Labor Saved 52% 57% 83% 73% 51%

43. Summary of 64 IBM Case Studies • 490 participants • 199 Session hours • 5527 Projected hours • 2380.70 Actual hours • $ 157,315 Dollars Saved

44. Boeing labor savings • Total flow time saved: 1,773 days (91%) • Labor savings / meeting: $6,754 (71%) • Total Savings: $432,260 • Dollars saved per hour: $1,146

45. Boeing Flowtime Savings Item Savings Total project hours 81% Flowtime (days) 96% Total savings $121,568 15 groups, 11.2 people / group, 6.5 hrs / session

46. Bellcore Experience • Survey results of 4 Quality Teams • 40% more than 3 x as productive • 40% about 3 x as productive • 20 % about 2 x as productive • 40% Task took < 1/3 the time • 60% Task took about 1/3 the time

47. US Army Experience • Major systems development project • Standardizing personnel application • Eight 1-week meetings • $500,000 cost reduction • $500,000 cost avoidance • $1,000,000 Total Savings

48. Intangible Benefits • Increased quality of meeting output • Increased efficiency • Increased satisfaction • Increased cohesion

49. Electronic Meeting Systems Benefits • Full Participation • Parallel Communication • Anonymity • Focus on Content • Reveal Critical Information • Complete Meeting Record • Time Savings

50. Facilitation roles, issues, skills, and problems Source: Doug Vogel PowerPoint Presentation titled, “Facilitation and Managing Group Dynamics.” Undated.