Module J
Although JoAnn has stressed the need for an additional meeting last week, the other members of her team had other commitments. On Monday, Oct. 18, the scheduled day of the meeting, the shoe is on the other foot. This early morning email form JoAnn explains:
Dear Ken and Bob: I have a sick kid at home, can leave him, but prefer to minimize leaving him and am thinking that today's noon meeting might not be needed, or could be at my house? Bob, you're on campus, so you're the one I'm wondering if could come to my house instead or if want to cancel meeting or still meet in Fisher conference room. Ken and Bob, please reply, what do you want to do? Bob I'm near the elementary school in houghton, straight up from hardees, to give idea where to meet if you still want to meet. --JoAnn
Ken responds:
i was going to talk about today my meeting with ben for the controls. our meeting ended with more questions than answers. although he was helpful, i raised a few questions that his team had not discussed. so hes going to meet with his team and Hank and get back to us... hopefully by wednesday in terms of requirements, i have a few from the meeting but i am going to wait until we get the answers. if theres nothing else then i dont think we need to meet today Ken
and JoAnn makes two executive decisions:
At 11:00 am:
Ken: since you think not meet is ok, I say no meet ok, so NO meeting today. Hope Bob checks email before bothering to go to fisher today at noon. Interested to hear more about your Ben meeting, and need to give you the tapes and dvd's of ship and presentations so you can watch BEFORE wednesday. I'll drop at your house?? Let me know please, if should drop at your house. JoAnn
and at noon:
Bob and Ken: we're going to meet on wednesday after the team leader meeting, yes? I'll plan on it. have nice sleep Bob and arthur is disrupting my studying for test, Ken, but he is glad to have mom home. JoAnn
All three CS team members attend the Team Leaders meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 20. (Listen to this meeting of the leaders of all three teams, and the client (Hank) as they discuss Matlab and the project requirements from their unique viewpoints). After the meeting, JoAnn sends this email:
Attached are the draft requirements as we discussed yesterday and the minutes from yesterday's team leader meeting. JoAnn
- This time, it's JoAnn who can't make some of the meetings.
- What happens in her absence?
- What are the advantages/disadvantages of designating a "second-in-command"?
- How would you determine who it should be?
- How does this change dynamic of the team, if it does?
- After the Team Leaders meeting, have the requirements changed? To what effect?
An interesting aspect of this module is the "turnaround". Last week JoAnn was pushing for a meeting, but others couldn't make it . Since Bob and Ken's reasons involved school work --- a common "first priority" among young undergrads. It is likely that (or at least possible, if set up correctly) that the students will further rationalize Bob and Ken's behavior, and discount JoAnn. How will they see HER excuse of a sick kid?
Again we see JoAnn being "accommodating" in both word and deed. Is she becoming a "mother figure?" Note her worries about Ken's email, and wishing Bob a "nice sleep". What is the effect on team dynamics of positioning herself like that? (Possible entry into age/gender issues.)
Provides a good opportunity to talk about "Real World" ethics and responsibilities:
- Home vs. school
- Workplace: boss vs. co-workers
- Kids vs. work or school
Some students may have kids, and could provide interesting insights. Others could think about how their parents worked it out, or how they did with siblings...
Listen to the recorded excerpt from the meeting: Is she as "accomodating" with the other leaders as she is with her own team? What does her tone suggest?
The document she sends (leaders 10-20) resolves some questions about the project - Matlab again! - and gives details about the controller requirements, esp. the "Rider Block". If appropriate to other work in class, or if some students have strong interest, the document can be opened, examined, and analyzed. Has the rider block been a red herring, did it throw them off track? Should it have been dealt with earlier?