Think of a team experience you have had in which the team was effective. Write a description of this team and its tasks, paying particular attention to the behavioral expectations for which the team members held each other accountable (these might have been spoken or unspoken). List the ground rules and describe how the rules helped the team perform and work well together.
Think of an team experience you have had in which the team was not effective. Write a description of this team and its tasks, including the spoken or unspoken ground rules that describe the expectations for behavior on this team.
Examine the possibility that some members held ground rules that others did not. How might this have been a source of tension? Analyze how this difference in what is expected of team members caused conflict and damaged performance. What effect could a dialogue about ground rules as a method of team learning have had for this group?
