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Recitation 7: Team Dysfunction

Overview

Throughout this semester, you have been working with your team on OpenCode. You have planned features, divided responsibilities, written code, reviewed pull requests, and integrated your work.

However, being a good programmer does not automatically make you a good teammate. Successful software engineering requires effective communication, trust, accountability, and collaboration.

In this recitation, you will reflect on your team's experiences during Projects 1 and 2, identify potential teamwork dysfunctions, and develop an improvement plan for Project 3.

This is an individual activity. You will complete and submit your reflections independently on Gradescope.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this recitation, you should be able to:

  • Identify common dysfunctions that affect software engineering teams.
  • Evaluate your team's effectiveness across different dimensions of teamwork.
  • Reflect critically on your own contributions to your team's successes and challenges.
  • Propose specific, actionable improvements for collaboration during Project 3.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Patrick Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions of a Team model describes five common problems that can prevent teams from working effectively:

  1. Absence of Trust: Team members are uncomfortable admitting mistakes, asking for help, or expressing uncertainty.
  2. Fear of Conflict: Team members avoid constructive disagreements, even when they have concerns about decisions.
  3. Lack of Commitment: Team members do not clearly agree on decisions, responsibilities, or deadlines.
  4. Avoidance of Accountability: Team members do not hold themselves or each other accountable for their commitments.
  5. Inattention to Results: Team members prioritize individual interests over the team's collective success.

These dysfunctions are interconnected. For example, an absence of trust can discourage constructive disagreements, which may lead to weak commitment and accountability.

Individual Reflection Activity

Complete the following questions individually on Gradescope.

Your answers should be based on your experiences working with your project team during P1 and P2.

Instructions

  • This is an individual assignment.
  • Be honest and constructive in your reflections.
  • Use specific examples from your experiences whenever possible.
  • Focus on teamwork behaviors and practices rather than blaming individuals.
  • Do not identify teammates by name.

Assess Your Team

Consider your team's performance during P1 and P2.

Rate your team's performance on each of the following dimensions using a scale from 1 (Very Poor) to 5 (Excellent).

Dimension Description
Trust Team members feel comfortable asking for help and admitting mistakes.
Constructive Conflict Team members can openly discuss disagreements.
Commitment Team members agree on decisions, responsibilities, and deadlines.
Accountability Team members follow through on their commitments.
Collective Results Team members prioritize the success of the overall project.

Which dimension did you rate the lowest? Explain your rating using a specific example from your team's experience during P1 or P2.

If multiple dimensions received the same lowest rating, choose one to discuss.

Reflect on a Teamwork Challenge

Think about a specific teamwork challenge your team experienced during P1 or P2.

(a) Describe the situation. What happened, and what made it challenging?

(b) Which of the Five Dysfunctions of a Team best describes the problem? Explain your choice.

(c) How did this challenge affect your team's progress, productivity, or software quality?

(d) Reflect on your own role in this situation. How did you respond, and what could you personally have done differently to improve the outcome?

If your team did not experience a significant dysfunction, discuss a smaller coordination challenge or a situation your team handled successfully, explaining what you learned from it.

Analyze a Dysfunctional Team

Consider the following scenario:

Your software engineering team is approaching a project deadline.

  • Two team members have completed their assigned features.
  • One team member is behind schedule and has not communicated their progress.
  • Another team member implemented changes that conflict with existing code.
  • The final team member is responsible for deployment but does not know whether the application is ready.
  • The team has not held a meeting in a week.

(a) Identify two of the Five Dysfunctions of a Team illustrated in this scenario. For each dysfunction, explain which behaviors demonstrate it.

(b) Suppose you are a member of this team. Describe two specific actions you would take immediately to help the team recover and successfully complete the project.

(c) Suggest one teamwork practice that could have prevented these problems from occurring.

Your P3 Improvement Plan

Based on your reflections, identify two specific improvements that you would like to make to your team's collaboration during P3.

For each improvement, explain:

  1. What teamwork problem are you trying to address?
  2. What specific action will you personally take or propose to your team?
  3. When or how frequently should this action happen?
  4. How will you determine whether the improvement was successful?

Your improvements should be realistic, actionable, and measurable.

Example

Problem: Last-minute integration.

Action: Open draft pull requests earlier and request teammate reviews.

Timeline: Throughout P3, before the final integration deadline.

Success measure: All features are integrated and tested before final submission.

Start, Stop, Continue

Reflect on your own behavior as a teammate.

Complete the following statements:

(a) One behavior I will START doing during P3 is...

(b) One behavior I will STOP doing during P3 is...

(c) One behavior I will CONTINUE doing during P3 is...

Briefly explain how these changes will help you become a more effective teammate.

Submission

Submit your responses individually to the Team Dysfunction assignment on Gradescope.

Key Takeaways

Effective software engineering teams:

  • Build trust and create an environment where members feel comfortable speaking up.
  • Address disagreements constructively.
  • Establish clear responsibilities and commitments.
  • Hold team members accountable for their work.
  • Prioritize collective results over individual contributions.

As you begin Project 3, consider the following question:

What is the single most important change you can personally make to improve your team's performance?