Sample Discussion Prompts

What are the Benefits of Teamwork?

  • What is a Team?
    • In one sentence define what you consider to be a team.
    • Give three characteristics that you think are necessary of all good teams.
    • Think of your own experiences with teams and state why some teams have worked well while others have not.
  • Benefits of Teamwork
    • What can you do in a team that you would have difficulty doing on your own?
    • Why do organizations place such a high priority on teamwork?
    • A team is made up of individuals with different personalities and backgrounds. What are two activities that you would suggest to a team leader to help bring team members together at the beginning of the process?

Being a Leader; Being a Follower

  • The Importance of Being a Follower
    • What are some examples from school, work, or organizations where you have seen followership in action? How was it done well? What happened when it was done poorly?
    • Is a leader always necessary for collaboration in teams? Why or why not?
    • Are you typically a follower or a leader? Why do you think that you gravitate toward one over another? Is it important to be in both roles in life?
  • How to Become a Good Team Leader
    • Who do you feel was a great leader? What qualities made them a good leader?
    • What are some lessons that you have learned from a good leader?
    • What does trust look like in the context of a team?
    • What are some ways that a team/group leader can promote accountability in a classroom setting?
  • Handling Conflict in Teams
    • What are some conflicts that you have experienced as part of a team?
    • How do you typically approach conflict? Do you prefer to handle issues immediately/publicly? Later on/privately? Avoid it? What is the best approach?
    • What are some ways that you have contributed to conflict in a team?
    • What are some ways that you have worked to resolve conflict in a team?
    • How can culture influence conflict in teams?
  • Working with Difficult People
    • Has there been a time where you have collaborated with someone who was difficult to work with? What was that experience like?
    • What are some ways that you have been a difficult person to work with?
    • What are some things that you can do to address potential challenges? How have you tried to build rapport with a difficult person? How might you better understand someone else’s perspective and/or intentions?

What is a Team and How Can You Contribute?

  • Types of Teams
    • What are some different types of teams that you have been part of?
    • What differences did you notice in the different types?
    • What are the strengths and weaknesses of working as part of a virtual team, as opposed to working face-to-face?
    • To what extent do you think we will begin to see a permanent move toward virtual teams?
  • The Process of Forming a Successful Team
    • If you were meeting together with new team members, what is the first thing you could do to establish a good team environment?
    • Some research says naming your team is important. Why do you think this is so?
    • Name three important attributes that every team should have and state why you believe they are important.
  • Understanding Yourself as a Team Member
    • When you think of contributing to a team, what role do you gravitate toward?
    • Is there a role that you would like to have, but don’t think that you have the skill just yet?
    • How can you develop the skills to fulfill that role?
    • If you were to describe essential roles in a team, what roles/titles would you come up with?
  • Evaluating Yourself and Your Team
    • As you evaluate yourself, what surprised you about the evaluation?
    • Teamwork by its very definition involves working with others. Why is working with others hard or easy for you?
    • What are your strengths and how could they benefit a team that you might be a part of?
    • In relation to teamwork, what is one weakness you have, and how can you improve on that to help strengthen your team?

Marketing Your Teamwork Experience

  • The Importance of Teamwork Skills on a Resume
    • What are some class activities that you have participated in that may have helped you gain teamwork skills?
    • What are specific skills did you  gain through working in teams in your courses that you could highlight on a resume?
    • What are some activities that you have participated in that may have given you teamwork skills?
    • What skills have you developed through these activities?
  • Preparing for the Interview
    • As you think about your experiences working in teams, what are some lessons that you have learned that you could tell a future employer?
    • Give an example of a time that you were part of a team and you were able to make a difference in the outcome of the team.
    • Think of a time that you were on a team and there was conflict. What did you do, or what could have done, to handle that conflict so that it did not affect the function of the team?

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Teamwork: An Open Access Practical Guide - Instructor Companion Copyright © 2020 by Andrew M. Clark and Justin T. Dellinger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book