Teams That Work, Building

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such, we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your course work, including the final exam.

Lesson 1
If you're on a team, this course is for you. Only by understanding teams fully and completely will you be able to create an outstanding team that works effectively and with high energy. In our first lesson, you'll learn the characteristics of teams, the ways they can transform your workplace, and how to deal with resistance.

Lesson 2
Do you want to know the secrets of building passionate and dynamic teams? It's not as hard as you might think—I promise. We'll begin today's lesson by going over the basics: The different kinds of teams and the optimal number of members. Then, we'll discuss how to choose participants and clarify everyone's roles and responsibilities.

Lesson 3
Don't go into a team blind. In this lesson, you'll learn all the stages that teams go through and how to move successfully through each one. We'll also discuss the importance of creating a strong charter that will guide your team in accomplishing its goals. What can you do if members don't live up to your charter agreements? We'll also discuss how to approach them and get the best response.

Lesson 4
Are you aspiring to be a team leader, or do you already have a team to direct? A lot of today's teams even have rotating leadership where everyone gets a chance. In either case, this lesson is for you. First, you'll find out what your specific leadership qualities are. Next, learn how to develop the two areas of leadership responsibility: designing and coaching. By the end of this lesson, you'll be confident enough to accept a leadership role with poise and purpose.

Lesson 5
Everyone needs to understand how to work well with other teammates. At the beginning of this lesson, you'll measure your affinity for working with a team and learn how to develop strong relationships. Team spirit comes along with those strong relationships, rounding out your interactions to be complete and fulfilling.

Lesson 6
Have you ever attended a meeting that made you yawn and want to dash for the door? Nobody likes to sit through those. In this lesson, you'll learn how to avoid those types of meetings by understanding the ground rules. We'll also talk about some of those first-day jitters every new team has. Finally, we'll talk about the problems that derail meetings from their full potential.

Lesson 7
Your team exists in order to make good decisions and solve one or more problems. Communication is the key to accomplishing both. In this lesson, you'll learn how to communicate in a team setting as well as different techniques your team can use to make the best decisions possible and solve problems effectively.

Lesson 8
Your team's job is to deliver the project on time, within budget, and working well when it's first put into place. This is a lot of responsibility, and in order for the team to get going, it needs a plan. In this lesson, we'll talk about how you can create this plan. You'll also learn how to share your plan with stakeholders, people who aren't on the team but experience the effects of your decisions, and how to interview those stakeholders so you can take their input into account.

Lesson 9
If you're a fan of all the technology gizmos on the market today, I think you'll really like this lesson. Have you heard of virtual teams? With these teams, members live and work in different places. Today, you'll discover what virtual teams are, what technology they use, and how teammates can work well in this environment.

Lesson 10
You have your team up and running, and all of a sudden, things start going awry. Why? You may be facing one of the many obstacles that teams confront. It's better to know how to avoid negative traps before you fall into them. In this lesson, you'll learn how to deal with common team obstacles, including the bandwagon effect, the Abilene Paradox, core group domination, and escalation of commitment.

Lesson 11
In this lesson, we're going to deal with something that none of us likes very much—conflict. You may think that because teams come together to achieve a common goal, everyone should be working for the greater good and harmony should rule. Nothing could be further from the truth. Conflict is a natural part of dealing with other people, and it's typical in teams as well. We'll look at what conflict is, how it comes about, how to handle it, and how it can actually benefit your team.

Lesson 12
How do you know your team is doing what it's supposed to be doing and if there's room for improvement? The best way is to assess your team's progress and use different methods to realign when necessary. That's what we'll discuss today as we finish up the course.