This assessment is a fast way to “look under the hood” to see if the teams they are in are operating so that they “not only [] increase organization-related performance and contribute to the competitive advantage of the organization, they also increase individual well-being.” Applying this list of criteria reinforces lessons from the chapter by asking them to assess how well their own teams foster well being. It is a rough cut on a complex question, but it should make the point that membership in a team that is really not operating as a team can be harmful to all, not just to the organization that is counting on the team for improved performance. More learning value can be mined from this assessment by asking them to think in a line of answers that parallels those that come to mind about how the team operates. It is to consider how they are really operating as an individual because of how the team really operates on each of the listed factors. 

Questions:

1. And so this matters to me how? Ask them to re-read these questions in class. After thinking about how their team operates, next think about how they operate because of the way the team operates on each of these criteria.

2. For example, “Do team members like each other?” “And so this matters to me how?” If the answer is Yes or No, then they will contemplate how this affects their workmanship. 

3. They may run down this list answering silently (perhaps jotting down some notes to write this up as a small assignment). Alternatively, put them in pairs, so that they can answer each question in a one-on-one dialogue. Again, lessons may be presented in writing. 

4. If time allows, soundings from this extension of the questioning may be taken from the whole class. The suggested main point to explore is, “How long can one afford to be operating inside a team that is not really operating as a team? What does one do about it?”