Team Communication
NOCR-GB.2045 - Fall 2012
Enhancing Team Effectiveness and
Individual Communication Capabilities
Course Site found at http://sternclasses.nyu.edu via Sternlinks
This course was created in response to clear messages from recruiters and alumni: successful MBA
graduates in today’s diverse and complex marketplace must engage in productive team relationships and
possess the ability to lead through strategic communication. Course activities are designed to help you:
 Become aware of how you personally work in group settings
 Develop specific strategies to foster effective team performance
 Enhance your communication and collaborative problem solving skills
The course will be highly interactive and the learning experiential. Therefore, to achieve a passing grade,
you must participate fully. The table below provides an overview of each activity. On the pages that follow,
you will find a more complete description of the modules and learning objectives. All sessions will be held
in the block classroom, unless indicated otherwise.
Draft, Fall 2012
Module 1
August 22
Module 2
August 24
Module 3
August 27
Module 4
August 28
Two Hours
Team Coaching
August 30 –
Performance
Coaching
Three Hours/ Six
Hours
By appointment
Two Hours
Three Hours
Three Hours
M1: Course Introduction: Getting to Know your Stern
Team from an Individual and Cultural Perspective
M2: Building the Effective Team: Behavioral
Preferences in a Team Context
M3: Engaging in a Team Project: Collaboration and
Decision Making
M4: Engaging in a Team Project: Assessing Team
Dynamics, and
Peer Review: Practicing Team Feedback
Team Meetings: Accountability and Norms
M7: Performance Coaching: Sessions will take place
over the course of the fall semester
Required Materials
All course materials will be available on the Teams and Leaders Blackboard course site.
Course Components
This course begins August 22 and ends on August 30. You will participate in:
 Five sessions listed on the first page of this syllabus; and
 One required Performance Coaching session
Grading and Attendance
Grading in this course is Pass/Fail. A passing grade is required for graduation. Attendance at all sessions,
including the team coaching session after mid-terms, is mandatory and is a major component of your grade.
If you must miss a class for medical reasons, please provide your Professor with the appropriate
documentation and you will be given a make-up assignment.
You must register for and attend one of the fall semester Performance Coaching sessions. We strongly advise
students to schedule a session early in the semester. If you have not attended a Performance Coaching session
by the end of the fall semester, you will receive a grade of “Incomplete” pending completion of your session.
Laptops
Unless requested by your Professor, laptops and other devices should be closed during class
sessions.
Coaching Resources
Stern has created a Team Coach Program in response to requests from students who wanted more guidance on
how to work effectively on teams. You will have access to a Team Coach—a second-year student who has
completed a course in coaching here at Stern. The Coaches will bring their experience being on teams at Stern,
as well as their knowledge and skills to help your team perform at its full potential. Throughout this course and
into the first semester, you can call on your Team Coach to help your team structure itself for effective
meetings, problem solving and decision making, and to help manage interactions among team members.
Courses in Management Communication
The Communication for Teams and Leaders course has been designed to help you learn about yourself and
how you participate and interact with others in a team setting. It is not meant to be a comprehensive course
in management communication--which is offered as an elective. The focus of this course will be primarily
on how you solve problems and make decisions as a group.
If you are interested in further study in communication, the Management Communication Program
currently offers a menu of electives including:
Management Communication—our cornerstone course on presentation skills and business writing
Communication for Consultants—an advanced course addressing communication challenges for consultants
Communication for the Global Economy—an advanced course on intercultural communication and presentations to global audiences
Corporate Communication and the Capital Markets—an advanced course examining how investors assign value to corporate
equities and how companies, through their communications, can affect investor attitudes
Crisis Communication—an advanced course in corporate communication
Foundations of Business Coaching—an advanced course on the theory and practice of business coaching within organizational
settings
The Performing Manager—an advanced course in leadership communication using theatre-based training techniques
Strategies in Persuasion for Financial Services Executives—an advanced course focusing on persuasive communication in a
simulated setting
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2
Overview of the Modules
All sessions, unless otherwise indicated, will meet in your Block classroom.
Launch, Fall 2012
Module 1: Course introduction: getting to know your Stern team
Wednesday, August 22, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Objectives:
As a result of this session, you will:
 Understand the parameters of the Teams and Leaders course
 Get to know your team members’ interests and strengths
 Explore the cultural dimensions of team dynamics
 Learn about your MBA-2 Team Coaches
Module 2: Building the effective team: understanding team roles
Friday, August 24, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Objectives:
As a result of this session, you will:
 Review individual Belbin profile
 Analyze team roles and preferences
 Assess team strengths
 Engage in a collaborative problem solving activity
Module 3: Analyzing a case with your team: collaboration and decision-making
Monday, August 27, 9:45 AM - 12:45 PM or 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Objectives:
As a result of this session, you will:
 Analyze MBA case: Better Place
 Present your team’s recommendation and justification
 Document your team’s process
Module 4: Engaging in a team project and practicing team feedback
Tuesday, August 28, 9:45 AM - 12:45 PM or 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM
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Objectives:
As a result of this session, you will:
 Meet with your team to discuss roll-out strategy for Better Place
 Prepare a position paper with your team
 Understand how to effectively give feedback and receive feedback from others
 Participate in a peer feedback exercise
Module 5: Team meetings: accountability and norms
Thursday, August 30, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Objectives:
As a result of this session, you will:
 Meet with professor and MBA 2 coach to discuss best practices in teams
 Discuss your team’s preferences for norms and protocols
 Anticipate applications of best practices in future teams
Module 6: Performance Coaching
Sessions will take place over the course of the fall semester. Use the online
reservation system to secure your spot in one of the scheduled sessions.
Objectives:
As a result of this session, you will:
 Develop interpersonal communication skills essential for success in the competitive job market
 Learn techniques for projecting leadership qualities and a professional presence
 Give and receive feedback on communication effectiveness from peers and Professor
You will join your fellow MBA1s in small group sessions to work with Professor Diane Lennard, or
Professor Dianne McGuire. They have extensive experience working with senior executives in Fortune
50 companies using the techniques combined with practice and individualized feedback that you will
use in this session. Performance Coaching will improve your communication effectiveness and enhance
your impact on corporate recruiters.
You must sign up for a session by September 6. Log onto https://ais.stern.nyu.edu/; then, 1) sign in
with your e-mail and password; 2) go to Student Information; 3) click on the link: Performance
Coaching. This workshop is mandatory and you must complete your session by the end of the fall
semester to receive a passing grade in the course.
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