BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership Course Syllabus. Course Description. Course Textbook. Course Learning Outcomes. Credits.

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1 BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership Course Syllabus Course Description A study of high performance skills, innovation, management, and effective development of cross-cultural teams in relation to leadership. Analysis of leadership styles in both social and professional situations, the importance of making wise business decisions within a team-based environment, and overcoming unhealthy agreements. Examination of leaders' communication styles, leadership power, situational leadership, creativity and leadership, resolving conflict, teamwork, motivation, coaching skills, emotional intelligence, and the impact of leaders on organizational decision making. Course Textbook Dyer, W. G., Dyer, W. G., Jr., & Dyer, J. H. (2013). Team building: Proven strategies for improving team performance (5th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Course Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Summarize the determinants of high-performance teams. 2. Construct a team member skills motivation matrix. 3. Examine the impact of shared leadership on team competencies. 4. Explain the importance of teamwork in an organization. 5. Describe team-building activities leaders can incorporate for better managing internal teams and interorganizational alliances. 6. Distinguish between the coaching and facilitating roles of a team leader. 7. Identify problem-solving approaches to resolving conflict between and within teams. 8. Predict major challenges teams will face in the future. Credits Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit. Course Structure 1. Study Guide: Each unit contains a Study Guide that provides students with the learning outcomes, unit lesson, required reading assignments, and supplemental resources. 2. Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit. 3. Unit Lessons: Each unit contains a Unit Lesson, which discusses lesson material. 4. Reading Assignments: Each unit contains Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook and/or outside resources. 5. Suggested Reading: Suggested Readings are listed in the Unit V, VII, and VIII Study Guides. Students are encouraged to read the resources listed if the opportunity arises, but they will not be tested on their knowledge of the Suggested Readings. 6. Unit Assessments: This course contains four Unit Assessments, one to be completed at the end of Units I, IV, VI, and VII. Assessments are composed of multiple-choice questions and/or written response questions. 7. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments in Units II, III, V, and VIII. Specific information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with each assignment. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below. BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership 1

2 8. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content related questions. 9. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. CSU Online Library The CSU Online Library is available to support your courses and programs. The online library includes databases, journals, e-books, and research guides. These resources are always accessible and can be reached through the library webpage. To access the library, log into the mycsu Student Portal, and click on CSU Online Library. You can also access the CSU Online Library from the My Library button on the course menu for each course in Blackboard. The CSU Online Library offers several reference services. and telephone ( ) assistance is available Monday Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm and Friday from 8 am to 3 pm. The library s chat reference service, Ask a Librarian, is available 24/7; look for the chat box on the online library page. Librarians can help you develop your research plan or assist you in finding relevant, appropriate, and timely information. Reference requests can include customized keyword search strategies, links to articles, database help, and other services. Unit Assignments Unit II Assignment You have been recently promoted to lead a new division of Company XYZ. This company is known for its team-oriented atmosphere, and your boss has raved about some of your natural leadership qualities. Your first task is to assemble the best team possible from the potential candidates found below. An explanation of the skills motivation matrix can be found on p. 39 in your textbook. Read each description, and provide the following information in a two- to three-page doublespaced document (not including the title and references pages): 1. Classify each team member into one of the four matrix areas. 2. Discuss the recommended action for each employee depending on his/her classification. 3. Distinguish if your role as the leader will be a facilitator, coach, or a combination of the two. 4. Examine which team competencies would benefit from shared leadership. Click here to access the descriptions. Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below. Unit III PowerPoint Presentation Ultimately, a manager or supervisor within an organization should be responsible for team development. Inevitably, however, differences among team members will arise. Based on the team-building checklist found on page 89 of the textbook, design a PowerPoint presentation that illustrates your understanding of how team-building activities can be utilized to diagnose and solve problems within a team. In addition, provide examples of how these problems can serve as detriments to team success. Also, outline the phases of the team-building cycle and how it can be used to develop activities to improve team performance. At least two additional resources should be used in addition to your textbook, and each should be cited and referenced properly using APA formatting. The presentation should consist of a title slide, a minimum of eight slides of content, and a reference slide. Click here to view PowerPoint Best Practices. This tutorial from the Success Center can assist you in making a quality presentation. Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below. BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership 2

3 Unit V Case Study In any team, problems will arise and team members will have questions about the conflict and how to resolve it. Members across departments must collaborate and contribute to the resolution of any unhealthy form of team conflict. Based on Case One: ElectriGov (found on page 177 in your textbook), answer the following questions: 1. Why is it important for an organization to have a mission? 2. Why is it important for team members to know their roles on a team? 3. Is competition within a team a good or bad thing? Explain your response. 4. Why is it important to set short- and long-term goals when planning a meeting regarding conflicts? Provide examples. 5. What is an unhealthy agreement? Why is it significant for leaders to understand how to resolve conflict and avoid unhealthy agreements? Your case study should be in APA style with a minimum of two pages (not including the title and references pages). Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below. Unit VIII Article Critique Select a current, professional journal article that is at least three pages in length. You must write a critical assessment of this article for this assignment. Keep in mind, the research databases found in the CSU Online Library are a great source for quick exploration of thousands of articles. In preparation, follow the guidelines established below: Find an article (that is less than five years old) that pertains to the important issues leaders or consultants will face when working with various types of teams, and discuss what methods are best to use for developing better teams for the future. Be sure to annotate the author's main points and thesis statement in your own words. The critique should be approximately three pages in length (not counting the title and reference pages). The assignment is due at the completion of Unit VIII. Plan early to avoid missing the deadline. Part I: Introduction Start the critique with the following information: the author's name, the article title, and the author's thesis statement. Part II: Summary Summarize the author's purpose and main points, providing examples for clarity of understanding the author s intended implications. Share key topics that support the author s focus for this article. Provide ample details to enlighten the reader as to what the article is implying for audiences who are seeking research data in regards to team building and/or the different types of teams (e.g., virtual, temporary, traditional, or innovative). Part III: Review and Evaluate To critically review the article, ask the following questions: What are the credentials/areas of expertise of the author? Did the author use appropriate methods to gather the evidence? Did the author use accurate evidence? Does the author's use and interpretation of this evidence lead the reader to the same conclusion? Did the author build a logical argument? Is there other evidence that would support a counterargument? Was the author successful in making his/her point? Part IV: Conclusion State whether you agree with the author or not. Back up your decisions by stating your reasons. Give a general opinion of the work. Explain what you learned from reading the article and if you would recommend it to a friend/coworker. Part V: Application Predict some of the major challenges that teams will face in the future, and explain why the need for teamwork will remain high as it relates to the article. Identify a team-building activity that may be useful for managing teams in the future, and explain why. BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership 3

4 Format your paper using APA style. Refer to the resources provided in the Student Portal. Use your own words and expressions to write the critique. Include citations and references as needed to avoid plagiarism. The paper should consist of three pages of body paragraphs, one title page, and one reference page (as the final page). Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below. APA Guidelines The application of the APA writing style shall be practical, functional, and appropriate to each academic level, with the primary purpose being the documentation (citation) of sources. CSU requires that students use APA style for certain papers and projects. Students should always carefully read and follow assignment directions and review the associated grading rubric when available. Students can find CSU s Citation Guide by clicking here. This document includes examples and sample papers and provides information on how to contact the CSU Success Center. Grading Rubrics This course utilizes analytic grading rubrics as tools for your professor in assigning grades for all learning activities. Each rubric serves as a guide that communicates the expectations of the learning activity and describes the criteria for each level of achievement. In addition, a rubric is a reference tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of that learning activity. It is imperative for you to familiarize yourself with these rubrics because these are the primary tools your professor uses for assessing learning activities. Rubric categories include: (1) Assessment (Written Response) and (2) Assignment. However, it is possible that not all of the listed rubric types will be used in a single course (e.g., some courses may not have Assessments). The Assessment (Written Response) rubric can be found embedded in a link within the directions for each Unit Assessment. However, these rubrics will only be used when written-response questions appear within the Assessment. Each Assignment type (e.g., article critique, case study, research paper) will have its own rubric. The Assignment rubrics are built into Blackboard, allowing students to review them prior to beginning the Assignment and again once the Assignment has been scored. This rubric can be accessed via the Assignment link located within the unit where it is to be submitted. Students may also access the rubric through the course menu by selecting Tools and then My Grades. Again, it is vitally important for you to become familiar with these rubrics because their application to your Assessments and Assignments is the method by which your instructor assigns all grades. Communication Forums These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu. Instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing to these forums are provided below. Once you have completed Unit VIII, you MUST unsubscribe from the forum; otherwise, you will continue to receive updates from the forum. You will not be able to unsubscribe after your course end date. Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums. Ask the Professor This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students. Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a nonpublic nature, please feel free to your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or ed by the professor within 48 hours. BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership 4

5 Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information. Student Break Room This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers. Grading Assessments 8%) = 32% Unit II Assignment = 18% Unit III PowerPoint Presentation = 18% Unit V Case Study = 17% Unit VIII Article Critique = 15% Total = 100% Course Schedule/Checklist (PLEASE PRINT) The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership 5

6 BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership Course Schedule By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. Please keep this schedule for reference as you progress through your course. Unit I The Foundation for Team Success Chapter 1: The Search for the High-Performing Team Chapter 2: Context: Laying the Foundation for Team Success Assessment Unit II Developing the Right People for High Performance Teams Chapter 3: Composition: Getting the Right People on the Bus Chapter 4: Competencies: Developing Team Skills for High Performance Assignment Unit III Solving Team Problems Using Team Building Activities Chapter 5: Change: Devising More Effective Ways of Working Together PowerPoint Presentation BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership 6

7 BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership Course Schedule Unit IV Managing Conflict While Enhancing Team Development Chapter 6: Bringing the Four Cs Together: Designing a Team-Building Program Chapter 7: Managing Conflict in the Team Assessment Unit V Reducing Conflict to Form Healthy Teams Chapter 8: Overcoming Unhealthy Agreement Chapter 9: Reducing Conflict Between Teams Suggested Reading: See Study Guide Case Study Unit VI Mastering the Leadership of Innovative and Temporary Teams Chapter 10: Leading Innovative Teams Chapter 11: Managing the Temporary Team Assessment Unit VII Creating and Managing Cross-Cultural and High Performing Virtual Teams Chapter 12: Creating Effective Cross-Cultural Teams Chapter 13: High-Performing Virtual Teams Suggested Reading: See Study Guide Assessment BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership 7

8 BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership Course Schedule Unit VIII Managing Inter-Organizational Alliance Teams More Effectively for the Future Chapter 14: Managing Interorganizational Alliance Teams Chapter 15: Challenges for Building Effective Teams Suggested Reading: See Study Guide Article Critique BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership 8