5. Team dynamics and final project#
5.1 Problem and solution trees#
I took inspiration from the group that worked on the eating habits of students, and I created this problem tree for their theme.
It took a bit more time to think about possible solutions and their consequences, but this was the tre I came up with.
5.2 An object that connects people#
For the class of 21/10, we had to bring an ‘object that connects people’. I chose to bring an ecocup, because I believe going out to student parties at university is a way to get to know people in a different way than you could by just seeing them during classes, so this object is used in a context where people ‘connect’.
The problem I identified with my object is the decline of (young) people going out. It is no secret that cafés, bars and clubs are way less populated than they used to be, and campus nightlife is no exception. I don’t know whether this is the consequence of social media, covid, both, or something else completely, but while this might be an interesting sociology/psychology research subject, I believe that it is complicated to work on in this class. The other student weren’t particularly motivated about the subject either so I abandoned the idea.
5.3 Group formation#
Felix’s object was a toilet. He chose this object because he sees problems with our water usage. In Belgium, we have only 1 water grid that we use for everything. As a consequence, we use drinking water for showers, laundry and even for flushing the toilet. This seemed quite absurd and that’s why he wanted to work on this problem. Othman, Lou and me were happy to work on water (mis)management at house-level scale with Felix for this class, so the 4 of us formed a group. To keep our options open, we decided to keep not only the idea of water management, but also of energy or waste, as long as it was kept to the scale of a house, since that is the field we wanted to work in.
We identified some questions regarding the management of energy, water or waste at the scale of a house, and each of us wrote a number going from 1 (absolutely don’t want to work on this question) to 5 (I really really want to work on this question) beside it.
5.4 Tools for group dynamics#
In the 4/11 class, we were taught some tools to help with group dynamics. We identified a few of them that we implemented in our group.
- Go around the table
To ensure good communication within the group, we decided to regularly go around the table to hear everyone’s opinion. Since we have some group members that are more introverted than others, it ensures that all members speak their thoughts.
- Clear task division
After every meeting (online or in person) we list the tasks that have to get done before the next time we meet and distribute them. We do this on a voluntary basis, and this has produced good results up until now.
- Agenda
Before every meeting, we make an agenda to ensure the efficiency of the meeting.
- Role division
The only role we attributed is the secretary one. Felix doesn’t mind taking notes when we are in a meeting so that’s what he does.
5.5 Group charter#
We had to think about the things we absolutely hate when working in groups and then think about how to avoid them. This resulted in a charter with rules we want group members to obey.
