Ground Rules

Case Study: One of Our Team Members Is Missing

Directions:

1. Take fifteen minutes to read and discuss the case study with your team members. Brainstorm, using the affinity diagram, a course of action your team could take to solve the problem.
2. Record your decision and pass it to the Teaching Assistants with your team number.
3. Remember there is not one all-inclusive response to this case. Communication and commitment problems are common when working with other people.

CASE STUDY

Looking up at the lab clock Aaron sighed, "OK, the meeting was to begin at 6:00 P.M. and it’s now 6:20. Jim is late again. Let's start without him."

Not hiding her frustration, Sing Lu asked, "Do you know why Jim isn’t here, again? Has he left any messages with anyone?"

"Professor Singer, has he spoken to you?" Aaron queried.

His question is met with silence. It is now four weeks into the laboratory time. It has been a very busy time for everyone. The professors have high expectations of their students. Teammates also have placed high expectations on themselves. The team members have felt overwhelmed by all the work and team building needed to do the task. Although most of the students are now well acclimated to MIT this last year is the toughest and most time consuming. The team seemed to be coming together. The advisor is responsive to the team’s needs and communication is on an equal footing. Team members have been surprised at how well they are able to communicate and get along. It is not to say that there haven’t been some tense moments over lack of time, and getting to know each other.

Now it appears that the first real problem was emerging. Jim has missed one lab and now appeared to be missing a team meeting. One of the team’s ground rules is to always keep your team members including the faculty advisor informed of any absences or lateness. Since the beginning Jim had been late to most meetings and to lab. Given the frantic pace and hectic schedule that everyone was encountering it was not so surprising team members gathering ten to fifteen minutes late, but this past week the problem had worsened. It was Jim's turn to be team leader and he had missed the lab and now was missing the meeting. The team did not receive an agenda for the meeting the day before. (Jim rarely volunteered an idea during brainstorming sessions, but when asked to give his opinion he usually had much to contribute. Finally breaking the silence Professor Singer asked, "Should I phone him? "

Sing Lu answers hesitantly, "No, I think that last week’s team leader should handle this problem. I think Aaron should talk with him".

Aaron agrees, "Yes, I think I should contact him, but we should decide as a team how I should approach the problem.’"

Sing Lu takes out a notebook and states, "I have been going over the due dates with Aaron and Jim is the next presenter and we haven't put together an action plan for doing the paper or analyzing the data Jim will need to give his presentation. Also, how will he catch up on the lab time?

Aaron sighs and says rather agitatedly, " It is important to me that the data we have been collecting is discussed amongst all of us and be presented by Jim in an organized and clear manner. Time is running out."

Professor Singer comments, "I agree it is important to find out what has happened to Jim before we devise a new action plan.."

Sing Lu answers, "I think we should talk with Jim before worrying about what he is thinking. If needed we will all have to work together to get the job done regardless of what Jim’s problems are."

Aaron responds, "You’re right Sing Lu but the real work is just beginning. I think it is important that we postpone the meeting and track him down to find out what the story is and reconvene once we have a better picture of what changes may need to be made in our action plan. "

Professor Singer lends his support, "You can call on me to help you out if there is a significant problem or if you need me to speak with Jim let me know. In the meantime let's set a date for the next team meeting"

"But what if he doesn’t want to contribute? Shouldn’t we decide what to say to him so he understands how we feel about him not showing up?" Queried Aaron, looking worried and frustrated at having to cancel the meeting.

Professor Singer sees Aaron’s distress and attempts to elicit more information about how Aaron feels, "Are you apprehensive about the extra work and the missed meeting?"

Aaron responds, " I have trouble with change, it makes me feel apprehensive. I like it when things run smoothly."

Professor Singer responds, "Things may still run smoothly. You both seem to be on the right track. Don’t you agree?"

Both Sing Lu and Aaron shake their heads in agreement.

Sing Lu asks, "Do you think Jim is having trouble outside of school? Do you think he feels excluded from the group? Aaron and I live close to each other and have met for dinner several times to discuss the work and Jim has not been asked, although we have kept him informed about what we decide at these meetings."

"Maybe you should ask Jim how he feels about these impromptu meetings your having." Professor Singer states quietly.

"Do you really think we should talk directly about that? He never said anything about it when we gave him the information. I really don’t know what more we could do. We have bent over backwards to make him feel part of the team," Aaron states, showing more frustration. "You know there is a lot of work. "Sing Lu and I seem to do a lot of the work and are happy to do it and we do keep him informed."

Sing Lu shakes her head in agreement but states, "Maybe Jim feels he is not getting enough out of the team experience and would rather work on his presentation alone".

"Besides, aren’t we all adults here. Shouldn’t he be made to keep his appointments or at least let us know when he isn’t attending a meeting." Aaron says heatedly.

Sing Lu states, "Its fine with me because the oral grade is his own and all the other team grades are what I expect "A". But I am concerned that we will need all team members aboard for the collaborative reports."

Professor Singer responds, " It might not be fair to assume that Jim isn’t going to participate, it just appears that the team needs to have a session to air your differences and come to some agreements by reviewing the ground rules. What you are feeling seems perfectly normal for the amount of pressure you are experiencing and the circumstances. What is left to do is to come up with a plan and put it into action, once you have more information."

Sing Lu and Aaron take a collective sigh. "So if there is a real problem, we can decide how we are going to go about addressing it? What plan should we develop?"