- For early-stream courses
- For mid-stream courses
- For late-stream courses鈥�
- For all stages of the program
Recommended for 鈥痚arly-stream courses
Exploring Personal Values
In this session, students will examine the connections between their personal values and their behaviour within a team. Using the Barrett Values Indicator, students will have the opportunity to investigate their own strengths and challenges as a team member and begin thinking about what kind of leader they hope to be. The session can be anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes and includes group discussions and a personal reflection assignment.
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Power, Privilege, and Bias in Team Dynamics (Part 1)
Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are increasingly recognized as pivotal concepts in Engineering; however, students rarely have the opportunity to see it applied in action. In this session, students are introduced to the core concepts of EDI to use as a lens through which they can view their team experience. With a focus on understanding existing power structures and the nuances of intersectionality, students are asked to individually reflect on their own levels of privilege and, as a group, discuss a case study directly from the field of engineering.
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Collaboration and Communication
The Collaboration and Communication workshop is designed to teach students the fundamentals of working collaboratively. The ability to work in a team is essential to success, both in group projects and in the workforce, yet we often forget that it is not a natural ability; it is a skillset that needs to be learned and practiced. This interactive session examines the key components of collaboration, offers practical strategies to work together effectively, and provides an opportunity to practice these skills with peers. Students will work in their project teams and submit a graded assignment following the session.
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Recommended for mid-stream courses
Effective Meeting Skills
Meetings are a crucial part of teamwork, but often wind up feeling like a waste of time due to limited interaction, a lack of direction, and low productivity. A good meeting is like a good conversation; the key is communication. In this workshop, students learn both the interpersonal and technical skills required to ensure meetings are effective, including agendas, roles, and minute-taking. They will also get to practice these skills in a follow-up team assignment that ties in directly with their coursework.
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Giving and Receiving Feedback
The鈥疓iving and Receiving Feedback workshop is designed to teach students how to give positive and constructive feedback to their teammates. Helpful feedback allows a team to evolve and thrive; harmful feedback can cause members to withdraw. This interactive workshop will coach students in giving feedback that encourages teammates to step up instead of shutting down, as well as receive feedback without defensiveness. We will identify the differences between helpful and harmful feedback, learn an effective formula to give鈥痟igh-quality feedback, and use role-play exercises to practice these skills. Students will work in their project teams and submit a graded assignment following the workshop.
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Managing Conflict in Groups鈥�听
All groups will inevitably engage in conflict. Ideally, it鈥檚 constructive, leading to healthy debate and exciting ideas; however, it can turn destructive, ending in hurt feelings and fractured groups. The direction a conflict takes will depend on the team鈥檚 ability to manage it effectively. In this workshop, students are introduced to the Thomas-Kilmann model of conflict management and will practice matching the appropriate conflict style to a situation. They will learn to differentiate constructive from destructive conflict and re-evaluate common approaches to difficult conversations. In teams, students will analyze case studies that allow them to apply the theory in real-world scenarios and submit a follow-up assignment to further practice these skills.
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Power, Privilege, and Bias鈥痠n Team Dynamics (Part 2)
Power dynamics in teams can be complex and鈥痵ometimes lead to鈥痟armful鈥痗onflict. Building from the EDI learnings鈥痠n鈥疨art 1, the second workshop in this series focuses on the assumptions that arise from implicit bias and how they impact teamwork. Using concrete examples, we delve into the theory of implicit bias and discuss how it can lead to discriminatory behaviour, particularly鈥痠n the form of鈥痬icroaggressions. Students engage in discussions using case studies from the field of engineering and submit a team assignment on implicit bias.
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Recommended for late-stream courses鈥�
Task Vs. Process鈥�
In this workshop, students will explore the difference between focusing on their project team鈥檚 task and addressing the process of鈥痟ow鈥痶hey work together. Imagine Task as the "what" and Process as the "how"鈥攕triking鈥痑 balance between the two is necessary in order to achieve optimal team effectiveness! Through an experiential design, students will participate in collaborative, practical tasks which they will analyze through guided discussions. A particularly creative and challenging workshop, Task vs. Process is highly interactive and is best conducted in a space where students can easily move around.
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Power, Privilege, and Bias鈥痠n Team Dynamics (Part 3)
The impact of implicit bias can be found at the individual, group, and societal levels. Building from the EDI learnings in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, this third workshop focuses on systemic barriers and decision-making in a complex world. By examining the role of bias in engineering decisions, students reflect on the power engineers hold in society and develop bias-mitigating strategies such as critical thinking, valuing diverse perspectives, and redefining success. The workshop includes a case study focusing on stakeholder impact and discussions around practical applications.
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Recommended for all stages of the program
Team Building Exercise: Goal Alignment
A common cause of group conflict is the assumption that everyone is working toward the same goal. In this team building workshop, students complete a goal alignment exercise, making their objectives and expectations explicit, which helps set their teams up for success.
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Team Development Reflection
One鈥痮f the best ways鈥痜or students鈥痶o learn鈥痶hrough鈥痯ractice鈥痠s鈥痓y鈥痳eflecting on their experience.鈥疕owever,鈥痶hey are rarely provided with the time, space, and resources to鈥痳eflect on their teamwork.鈥疶he Team Development Reflection鈥痺orkshop鈥痷ses a collaborative activity鈥痑nd鈥痝roup development theory鈥痶o help students鈥痷nderstand the evolution of their team. This workshop is best offered at the end of a teamwork experience and is ideally conducted in a space where students can鈥痚asily work together.
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