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Chapter 5
Teamwork and Global
Considerations
Technical Communication,
13th Edition
Global Edition
John M. Lannon
Laura J. Gurak
© Pearson Education Limited 2015
Learning Objectives
 Manage a team project and run a successful
meeting
 Help team members overcome personal
differences
 Use listening skills and creative thinking in
group settings
 Brainstorm using face-to-face and digital
methods
 Review and edit the work of your peers
Learning Objectives (continued)
 Avoid unethical behavior as a team member
 Understand how to work productively on a
global team
Teamwork
 Complex documents (especially long reports,
proposals, and manuals) are rarely produced
by one person working alone.
 Traditionally composed of people from one
location, teams are increasingly distributed
across different job sites, time zones, and
countries.
 Whether the team is on-site or distributed,
members have to find ways of working
together.
Guidelines for Teamwork
For a team to work effectively, consider the
following guidelines:
 Appoint a group leader
 Define a clear and definite goal
 Identify the type of document required
 Divide the tasks
 Establish a timetable
 Decide on a meeting schedule
 Establish a procedure for responding to the work of
other members
Guidelines for Teamwork
(continued)
 Develop a file-naming system for various drafts
 Establish procedures for dealing with interpersonal
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problems
Select a group decision-making style
Decide how to evaluate each member’s contribution
Prepare a project management plan
Submit regular progress reports
Virtual Meetings
Some of the technologies available for virtual
meetings include the following:
 email
 blogs
 conference calls
 internet conferencing
 webinars
 digital whiteboards
 collaborative writing software
 project management software
Face-to-Face Meetings
 Despite many digital tools for collaboration,
face-to-face meetings are still a fact of life
because they provide vital personal contact.
 Meetings are usually scheduled for two
purposes: to convey or exchange information,
or to make decisions.
 Taking charge in a meeting doesn’t mean
imposing one’s views or stifling opposing
views. It does mean moving the discussion
along and keeping it centered on the issue.
Guidelines for
Face-to-Face Meetings
To conduct a successful face-to-face meeting,
follow these guidelines:
 Set an agenda
 Ask each person to prepare as needed
 Appoint a different “observer” for each meeting
 Begin by summarizing the minutes of the last meeting
 Give all members a chance to speak
 Stick to the issue
 Keep things moving
 Observe, guide, and listen
Guidelines for Face-to-Face
Meetings (continued)
 Summarize major points before calling for a
vote
 End the meeting on schedule
Sources of Conflict in
Collaborative Groups
Even the most dynamic group setting can
produce conflict because of differences such as
the following.
 Interpersonal differences: People might clash
because of differences in personality, working style,
commitment, standards, or ability to take criticism.
 Gender differences: Gender differences can create
perceptions of inequality.
 Cultural differences: Issues such as the use of
humor, ways of expressing politeness, or cultural
references can cause misunderstandings.
Guidelines for
Managing Group Conflict
To manage group conflict, follow these
guidelines:
 Give everyone a chance to be heard.
 Take everyone’s feelings and opinions seriously.
 Don’t be afraid to disagree.
 Offer and accept constructive criticism.
 Find points of agreement with others who hold different
views.
 When the group does make a decision, support it fully.
Overcoming Differences
by Active Listening
 Effective listening requires active involvement
instead of merely passive reception. In other
words, active listening.
 Some ways to be an active listener include not
dictating, being receptive, keeping an open mind,
being courteous, showing genuine interest,
hearing the speaker out, focusing on the
message, asking for clarification when needed,
and observing the 90/10 rule (listen 90% of the
time, speak 10% of the time).
Thinking Creatively
Use the following techniques to get started:
Brainstorming (by hand or using digital
technologies), Mind-mapping, and Storyboarding.
Reviewing and Editing Others’ Work
Documents produced collaboratively are reviewed
and edited extensively.
Reviewing means evaluating how well a document
connects with its audience and meets its purpose in terms
of accuracy, usefulness, organization, style, and design.
Editing means actually “fixing” the piece—making it
more precise and readable by rephrasing sentences,
choosing better words or phrases, and fixing spelling,
grammar, and mechanical errors.
Guidelines for Reviewing and
Editing Others’ Work
When editing someone else’s work, follow these
guidelines:
 Read the piece at least twice before editing
 Be aware that mere mechanical correctness does not
guarantee effectiveness
 Keep in mind the limits of editing
 Be honest and diplomatic
 Focus first on the big picture
 Explain why something doesn’t work
 Make recommendations
Ethical Abuses in
Workplace Collaboration
Avoid the following ethical abuses when
working with others:
 Intimidating one’s peers
 Claiming credit for others’ work
 Hoarding information
Global Considerations when
Working in Teams
In today’s global environment, teams are often
composed of people all over the world. Keep in
mind the following potential interpersonal
issues.
 Missing social cues in virtual meetings
 Misunderstanding cultural codes
 Misusing humor, slang, and idioms
 Misusing culturally specific references
 Failing to allow for easy translation
 Failing to listen
Review Questions
1. Why is teamwork important in today’s
workplace?
2. What are five technologies that can be used
to facilitate virtual meetings?
3. Why are face-to-face meetings still important
in today’s workplace?
4. What does taking charge mean and not
mean?
5. What are the three main sources of conflict
in collaborative groups?
Review Questions (continued)
6. What is active listening?
7. What are three techniques for thinking
creatively prior to starting a team project?
8. What is the difference between reviewing
and editing?
9. Name three ethical abuses in workplace
collaboration?
10. What are the six interpersonal issues that
can affect global teams negatively?