Intelligent Systems and their Societies

Walter Fritz

Golden rules
for good teamwork

Each member of the team should...

• Try to be punctual, so the other members of the group do not have to repeat what was already said.

• Always keep the objective of the meeting in mind. Avoid talking about unrelated subjects.

• Think about yourself as part of the team and not as an individual. Talk to the group, not only to your neighbor. Be clear and short. Keep in mind that you are using the time of all the members.

• Don't interrupt while another person talks. Listen and try to understand her/him. Do not think about your answer while the other one is still talking, pay attention to what she says. If, what the other person says, is not clear, let her finish what she is saying and then ask for clarification.

• Contribute to reaching the objective, look for solutions and accept work related to the objective. Keep in mind that nobody has complete knowledge about a subject, that each contributes a greater or lesser share. Try to convince by reasons and examples, instead of emotions. The goal is to reach a conclusion agreed to by all, not to "win".

• Do not attack solutions that are impractical, the way they were presented, but try to make them usable by improving them. Do not attack other members, or talk about them. Talk only about the ideas that were presented. The meeting should be relaxed and friendly, in order to get better results.

• Keep in mind, that the conclusions of the group should be consensed. Every member should have expressed her or his opinions, and once convinced, should accept the conclusions. Realize that reaching consensus can not be done in a hurry, accept that it will take the necessary time.

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