Team Planning Sheet

You will work in a team of students to design and build a solar-powered truck that can pull the maximum load. Engineers almost always work in teams to solve problems because a team brings together multiple points of view, multiple ideas, and multiple skills to attack a problem. But an effective team does not just happen, it takes planning and work to form a good team. A fundamental rule for successful teamwork is to listen carefully to each other’s ideas and opinions, and to consider each of them carefully and respectively. This sheet will help you (meaning collectively your group) organize your team, and to determine your approach to the design problem. Your team will need to discuss the various issues and come to consensus; this will take some time and effort.

It is important to keep a team notebook to record your data, to describe your ideas and to sketch trial designs. You will need your data to make calculations, and you certainly don’t want to lose a good idea. Even if you decide an idea or design is not the best one initially, you may change your mind later and want to go back and try it. At the end of your project your team notebook will help you to reflect on and evaluate the entire experience. This will help you learn which approaches worked and which did not so you will be an even better design problem solver on the next project.

Start your notebook by recording your team’s answers to the following issues.

• How does your team plan to approach the project as a whole? Team members may have different expectations for the activity, but you need to agree on a common team goal or approach. Try writing a one sentence statement or motto; pick a team name that describes your approach, and design a logo. • Each team has a number of important management tasks that need to be divided among the members. Describe how you are going to do this. A possible division is Coordinator (organizing work sessions, setting and monitoring milestones, assigning jobs), Scribe (keeping the team notebook up to date, and coordinating and assembling reports), and Quartermaster (organizes and secures supplies, plans breaks and refreshments to lower stress). Your team can have different roles, just describe them, and how you will fill them (permanent assignments or rotating) and who is taking what role when. • If your team members always agree on the best idea, approach, or design, you are probably not generating enough creative, even crazy, ideas. When you don’t agree, you need a method to make decisions that everyone can support. Describe how your team will resolve differences and come to consensus, such as discussion, voting, involving an outside member, etc. Be sure you understand the pros and cons of the various methods.