Team Alpha discusses how they established norms and practices to promote effective collaboration as a virtual team. They established communication norms like scheduling regular check-ins three times a week to discuss progress and issues. They also established task norms like having team members voluntarily select work assignments. While they encountered some minor obstacles due to inconsistencies in their communication channels, they were able to overcome these through strong collaboration to complete their goals. Moving forward, they plan to implement clearer communication norms to improve their processes further.

1. Running Head: ALPHA 1
Running Head: ALPHA 4
Trident University International
Team Alpha
Roy Alford, Monserrat Gonzalez, Mark Crase, Raymond Putnam
MGMT 508 Leadership of Teams
Module 2 SLP 2
Dr. Michael Alexander
September 15, 2019
List of Practical Tips
· Listen to each other and give constructive feedback to one
another which will help with the overall project.
· Create a Google Doc to see how each team member is
progressing on their sections and on there the team can talk to
each other.
· Maintain Clarity: In virtual teams, it is easy for members to

2. start tripping over each other on what areas of responsibility are
assigned to individuals. Clear direction is important for the
team’s success and to avoid the bystander effect in which
members count on others to take action (Sullivan, 2017).
· Commit to a Communication Charter: Communication is often
less frequent and less rich with virtual teams due to technology
limitations while meaning/understanding can be lost between
team members (Greenberg, P., Greenberg & Lederer, 2007) To
avoid this, communication must have clear and specific rules to
be followed (Watkins, 2013).
Team Alpha: SLP 2
When working in a team, connection is one of the most
important aspects as it relates to team functioning and
commitment. Without great communication, a team will not
succeed together and accomplish their goals. Aside from great
connection there is a lot that goes into a team’s great
interaction. In this Session Long Project, Team Alpha will
discuss how we established task and interpersonal connection,
which collaboration tools we used, discuss the barriers we
encountered, and finally how we addressed those barriers.
Task and Interpersonal Connection
First and foremost, we believe that Team Alpha’s
resources like the module discussion was a great way for us to
stay connected and create our strong communication. From a
start we knew from our instructor’s instructions that we had to
use this tool to stay communicated. This was easy for us
because we already log-in the student portal to view our
assignments, so it was a great way to begin our communication.
This led to our task connection through collaboration we were
able to work together and come to a decision to establish our
own tasks that would eventually lead to the completion of our
assignment.
We established interpersonal connection through
supportiveness. According to the home module background
readings, through supportiveness, Team Alpha was able to
encourage each other and stay up to date on how each of us was

3. doing with our designated sections in the assignment.
Reviewing each other’s work and giving feedback was a great
way to know we each were doing a good job and gave us the
motivation to continue to work hard. Being supportive towards
one another lead to trust and information sharing. Our team
dynamic is strong, and we accomplish our goals.
Collaboration Tools
The third question for Module 2 was, did team Alpha
select the appropriate collaboration tools to promote efforts in
forming a connectedness that the virtual team required to
perform effectively? I would say yes; although our choice may
not have been new or exciting, it was successful. So far, we
have used the discussion site as our platform for
communication. We also have shared e-mail addresses with each
other as a backup in case the unexpected occurs such as if the
Trident website was to go down (Sullivan, 2017). As a
connected team, I feel we have a good understanding of the
goals for our group to successfully compete and gain virtual
teaming skills by playing the Virtual Teams:101 Tips game. Our
roles have been spelled out by choosing a modular design and
leaderless leadership structure.
To solidify our efforts for excellent performance, we have
defined tasks and the methods for the team (Watkins, 2013).
Coordination of teams is hard enough when they are co-located
for when working as a virtual team clarifying tasks and the
processes for each team member is extremely important. The
Alpha team has started early in the module by identifying who
would take the questions, introduction and conclusion related to
this SLP assignment. Using a more democratic leaderless
structure of not being assigned work, we each selected a portion
of the paper to focus on (Mapping out, n.d.). These tasks were
evenly parceled out to match the modular design of the team
and has proved to be effective (Mapping out, n.d.).
To establish connectedness of a virtual team, there
typically must be trust and the Alpha team was able to build a

4. swift level of trust through honest communication on our
discussion post (Greenberg, P., Greenberg, R. & Lederer, 2007).
Although other forms of communication are richer in
emotions/reactions, the trust factor is what allows us to
effectively use the discussion post/e-mail as an effective
collaboration tool (Cordialism, 2011).
Barriers to Connectiveness
Barriers to connectiveness in an exclusively online
environment can pose serious
concerns to the outcome of a team project. It has been said
numerous times, that, message
sent does not equate to message received. In a data driven
world, we have expectations that
our technology is so well established that there will be seamless
communications between all
parties, regardless of geographical separations. As we know,
this is not the case. In the
current situation for the beginning of this class, it was agreed
that all parties would check the
message board at a minimum of Monday, Wednesday and
Friday. The group has chosen the
Trident message board and personal email accounts to
communicate and complete the
assignments. As stated already, digital transmissions are not as
seamless as we would like
them to be. This issue, coupled with four different people, with
four different life styles, with
the adage of work and home schedules thrown into the mix,
make for a tremendous amount
of room for mis-communications and delayed efforts for
compliance. This is most definitely
where the trust piece is at its most critical. “A variant on
relational trust—and the most
complex aspect of trust in general—occurs during cooperation,
when all parties strive to
achieve a goal that they can’t attain separately and that hinges

5. on the actions of everyone
involved.” (Harell & Daim, 2009) This statement takes on an
additional dimension, as the
members of this team do not know each other and can only
make a valuation of trust based
on their assumed perceptions of the individual team members
interest in communicating early
and often throughout the process. In example, an individual who
waits until day 10 of a 14-
day project to engage, may be viewed as someone who does not
warrant a certain level of
trust. There may be extenuating circumstance, but without
communication, the level of trust
could be diminished.
Addressing Barriers in Communication
I would say yes, our team tried to address the barriers raised by
communication using the methods as described in the readings
for the module. The very first challenge was dispersion which is
an obvious challenge that faces virtual teams since they are not
co-located. We tried to address this challenge by establishing a
team overlap which included three to four hours and multiple
week connections, when all of the members were online (Queen
et al. 2015). This assisted in countering the issue of time zones
since, despite the different time zones; there was a dedication to
the meeting times. This was further reinforced by the fact that
the meeting time was set as a routine which then meant that the
members were aware that on a certain time, there were 3 group
meetings and therefore members availed themselves.
There was also the issue of the speed of communication. We
tried to address the issue of speed of communication by having
numerous channels of communication. The numerous channels
provided the leeway for the team to have ways to communicate
any information that may be urgent, as well as information that
was not urgent, could be communicated through the normal
channels (Katzenbach n.d). The speed of communication was
also affected by the time zones but as earlier mentioned it was

6. addressed by the establishment of a team overlap that saw all
the members online for a specific period save for the times
when urgent communication needed to be made.
The challenge that was presented by richness as explained by
the Media Richness Theory was also addressed. The problem
was the lack of non-verbal cues and gestures that are often lost
when a person uses phone calls and messages (Cordialism,
2011). To address this, we chose to use emails and on-line
messages as opposed to video connectivity which would set a
whole new realm of challenges. This also ensured that the
emotions as presented by the group members were well
conveyed and received and therefore improved the team
members’ connections on a personal level.
There was an additional factor we hadn’t addressed or
encountered and that was the challenge of overcoming mother
nature. The current hurricane created a bit of a connectivity
and time concern for Ray and Roy as they had family members
that needed to be transported to safe areas. Ray was almost 13
hours from his location and resulted in logistical issues with
connectivity and coordination. Overall, we have worked well
together and will continue for the rest of the class.
References
Cordialism. (2011) Media Richness Theory. Retrieved from
https://cordialism.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/media-richness-
theory/
Georgina Harell, Tugrul U Daim. (2009) Virtual teams and the
importance of building
trust. IT Professional Magazine. Washington: Vol. 11, Iss. 6; p.
46.
Greenberg, P. S., Greenberg, R. H., & Lederer, Y. (2007).
Creating and sustaining trust in virtual teams. Business
Horizons, 50(4). 325-333.
Katzenbach, J. R., & Smith, D. K. (1993). The wisdom of

7. teams: Creating the high-performance organization.
Mapping out the creative process and work design approach.
Retrieved from
http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/46/07879711/
0787971146.pdf
Sullivan, T. (2017). A New Way To Study Business | Hult
International Business School. 6 tips for managing virtual
teams. Retrieved from http://www.hult.edu/blog/6-tips-
managing-virtual-teams/
Watkins, M. (2013). Harvard Business Review - Ideas and
Advice for Leaders. Making Virtual Teams Work: Ten Basic
Principles. Retrieved from http://hbr.org/2013/06/making-
virtual-teams-work-ten
Quinn, R. E., Faerman, S. R., & Thompson, M. P.
(2015). Becoming a Master Manager: A Competing Values
Approach.
Running Head: TEAM ALPHA 1
Running Head: TEAM ALPHA 4
Trident University International
Team Alpha
Roy Alford, Monserrat Gonzalez, Mark Crase, Raymond Putnam
MGMT 508 Leadership of Teams
Module 3 SLP 3

8. Dr. Michael Alexander
September 29, 2019
List of Practical Tips
· Don't overthink it! - Take your piece and do it well, then rest
your head knowing that you did your part
· Trust your team - Just like in team sports, it takes a team
effort to win. Not trusting each other leads to
overcompensation, which can deteriorate the group dynamic
· Just Ask - Sometimes team members don't want to appear
week or uninformed so they. "Fake it till they make it"
Unfortunately, rolling the dice like that harms not only you, but
the entire team. If you don't know...…...Just ask
· Be Consistent - Consistency inevitably leads to trust as a
byproduct because people know what they can or cannot expect
from you.
Team Alpha: SLP 3
People in general like to know what they are getting into,
they like predictability. Virtual team members are very much
the same, they want to know what is expected of them and the
guidelines they need to follow to get it done. All groups in
general want direction when it comes to an assignment and set
parameters to achieve it. For virtual teams that are
geographically separated and cannot make changes quickly
through in-person conversations, norms and procedures are a
must. We will explore how team Alpha has over time developed

9. norms and practices that allow for predictability and
functionality in successfully working through the MGT508
session long project.
As stated in the introduction, norms for a virtual team are
very important! They ultimately tell us how we are expected to
operate with each other to complete a project. These norms can
be broken down into communication and work or task related
norms. Communication deals with how we share information
with each other individually and as an entire team. Task norms
are how we approach, distribute and control the work itself. For
the Alpha team, we have several norms for both areas. In
communication norms, we work hard at scheduling regular time
for communication to review our progress and any potential
issues (LaBrosse, 2010). Currently we review the discussion
post/e-mail traffic on Monday, Wednesday, Friday or if any
other day is requested. This helps us understand all team
member’s viewpoints, resolve issues and acknowledge that we
are all on the same page for the project (Karten, 2003). Alpha
team has done a great job with availability norms, in other
words letting each other know when we are accessible (MGT
508, Mod. 3, Home, n.d.). The team communicates when they
will not be available due to future obligation’s they have that
could affect the project and this allows the team to make well
informed decisions in advance on the workload (Seattle-
Murphy, 2012).
For task norms, team Alpha has done an excellent job at
having the members select work assignments. This process
facilitates completion of task assignments and has been done
fairly and with consideration for all team members (MGT 508,
Mod. 3, Home, n.d.). It also shows how an effective team works
together to create a positive inclusive relationship which can be
applied internally or to external customers (McGannon, 2009).
We as a team have some unspoken norms also. We have one
team member who starts our team discussion off and puts
suggestions forward for the team to consider. We also have
another team member who posts the assignment information and

10. format to keep us focused on our objectives. These and more
have developed trust and confidence in our team (LaBrosse,
2010).
Problems and Limitations due to Lack of Norms
The problems/limitations that we ran across due to lack of
norms governing our team's behavior were very few and easily
remedied with follow up by the team. It could be said, that one
lacking norm would have been that the team never discussed
deadlines for completing items unless there were extenuating
circumstances. From the beginning, it may have been better to
set completion days, review days and final product days in an
effort to produce in a more efficient manner. Having said that,
the individual discipline of each member, seemed to will the
final product into fruition. It was almost like a crunch time
situation at the end of each module. Although the team
discussed a three-day communication plan, there were still
issues with which media vessel we would use to do so. Some
posts on the TUI site, some email chains, and a few bouncing
back and forth to tie the information together. This inevitably
caused our communication plan to be limited in that, we were
being clear with each other, but response times were delayed
because we were looking for each other on passing trains. The
norms that we fell in to, were very helpful especially in
reference to final product, but being that the group agreed to be
leaderless may have also painted the members into a corner by
making them feel like they couldn’t be specific in asking for or
setting a norm for the group for fear of being too aggressive. At
the end of the day, the lack of norms may have been the norm
for the group, and everyone was ok with that because we were
completing the class objectives.
Overcoming Obstacles
As stated above we did not speak up on the obstacles that arose
but we did have a strong communication where we would work
together to complete everything. Because of the different work
schedules of every team member, each person would complete
their sections at their own pace, but it was always closer to the

11. end of the module. Understanding this now and seeing how it all
works as a team we can work on these obstacles in the last
module. Throughout the last modules we saw what worked and
what needed work, so moving forward we can really change and
work to better our group. The obstacles overall were not very
big or caused conflict, so the group did well around them.
Other Norms for our Team
Based on our team, there are two communication norms I
think we could implement all together. The first one would be
reading everyone’s communication through email and making
sure we read through all their questions they have asked and
addressed them in the response (Karten, 2003). As mentioned
before our communication form was a bit all over the place and
so I think we need to choose one form and stick to it because we
were all going to the discussions in the module and email back
and forth. I think the last norm we could implement would be
clarification with all the projects and assignments especially if
we are working in groups (Karten, 2003). Through a lot of
communication and our different time zones, it could be
confusing when we separate the group work and it is always
okay to ask for clarification especially when one person is not
sure.
Conclusion
Our team has done a very good job of working together
throughout this course. Everyone has great communication
skills and works hard to finish their sections, give input, and
collaborate with the team. We understand that obstacles can
arise when working in a team, but we have managed to work
around those obstacles and now understanding that we can
communicate if something goes wrong. Establishing
communication or task norms is something important that we
understand and can start implementing as we come to an end
with the course.

12. References
Karten, N. (2003). Creating Team Norms. Retrieved from
http://www.stickyminds.com/sitewide.asp?Function=edetai
l&ObjectType=COL&ObjectId=6736
Labrose, M. (2010) “6 Rules for Better Communication in
Virtual Teams.” Computer World online. Retrieved from:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9179543/6_rules_
for_better_communication
in_virtual_teams?taxonomyId=14&pageNumber=2
McGannon, B. (2009). Stealth Team Building. Retrieved from
http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/stealth-team-
building.html
MGT 508 Leadership of Teams (n.d.) Module 3 Team Norms
And Procedure Home Trident University
Settle-Murphy, N. (2012). “Untangle your Virtual Team with 10
Most-Needed Norms.” Guided Insights online. Retrieved
from:
http://www.guidedinsights.com/newsletter_detail.asp?Page
ID=11004
Module 4 - Home
Continuous Improvement
Modular Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be
able to satisfy the following outcomes:
•Case ◦Evaluate and analyze the importance of team assessment

13. and improvement.
•SLP ◦Identify and analyze your own team processes and
learning.
Module Overview
As a team nears the end of its project, there is a tendency for
members to focus on winding up their work and tying up loose
ends. However, there is another very important task that faces
the team—one that is often overlooked or ignored.
The final stage in the team process introduced in Module 1 was
"Closure." In this module, we will explore the process of
closure and examine the steps that teams should take to assess
what worked, what didn't, and what needs to be improved for
more effective and efficient teamwork in the future. This
process involves two interrelated activities:
•Assessment
•Action Planning for Learning and Improvement
Module 4 - Background
Continuous Improvement
Often team assessment and evaluation takes place through
informal discussions among team members. This may take place
spontaneously in co-located teams, but it is especially important
to formalize these procedures in virtual teams. Even co-located
teams can benefit from a planned and conscious evaluation of
their work product and process.
There are a number of tools that can be used to evaluate the
performance and process of a team. The following reading
describes several such processes. We will introduce and
implement an additional one in the Case for this module.
Tactics and Techniques for Evaluating Consensus Team

14. Decision Making. (n.d.) National Defense University. Retrieved
from http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ndu/strat-ldr-
dm/appdx.html
Team Learning and Improvement Reading
Once the assessment is done and areas of improvement have
been identified, the team needs to put this learning into practice
for continuous improvement of team functioning. One way to do
this is to develop an action plan to help concretize improvement
goals and determine what steps need to be taken to achieve
them. An effective action plan will include a timetable and
realistic, clearly defined steps that the team can take to enhance
performance. This plan should be reviewed periodically to
assess progress and results.
The following article is no longer in print, but is used by the
author’s permission. It explains the purpose and process of
creating action plans:
^^^^^^^^Allen, G. (2007). Action planning. Used by author's
permission.
*****Here is a template for constructing an action plan. It may
help you with your SLP assignment:
Action Plan Template. (n.d.) Free Word Templates and Formats.
Retrieved from http://www.aztemplates.org/action-plan-
template.html
CASE ASSIGNMENT (ATTACHED FILE CHART) and
directions for completing
MGT508, MOD 4, CASE ASSIGNMENT
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
SLP ASSIGNMENT
Module 4 - SLP
Continuous Improvement

15. SLP Assignment Expectations
In this final SLP, you will construct a simplified action plan
with your team to foster continuous improvement and team
learning. Each team member will submit his/her own copy of
the same team plan. Plans should be 2-3 pages.
To construct your plan, review your assessment from the Case
for this module. Then, as a team, choose one improvement for
each team process and clearly define the steps your team would
have to take to achieve this improvement. Present the steps in a
logical order and propose a date by which these steps could be
completed, if your team were to stay together. Setting a realistic
completion date is an essential part of any action plan.
Keys to the Assignment
The format for this SLP is flexible. You could consider a list, a
chart, or a timeline. Be creative and have fun with it! The
following optional reading may help you with your action plan:
Writing an Action Plan based on your assessment. (n.d.)
Retrieved from
http://www.njsacc.org/qualityStandards/pdfs/9_Writing-an-
Action-Plan.pdf