Objective: Students will work in project teams to analyze and improve their people management strategies based on key concepts like motivation, communication, team structure, and personality types.
Activity Overview (40 min)
| Time | Task |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Introduction – Overview of people management concepts |
| 10 min | Team Analysis – Assess strengths and weaknesses in team dynamics |
| 10 min | Problem-Solving Discussion – Identify challenges and solutions |
| 10 min | Team Improvement Plan – Develop a structured action plan |
| 5 min | Sharing & Reflection – Teams present key insights |
📍 Activity Breakdown
1️⃣ Introduction (5 min)
- Briefly explain the importance of people management in software projects.
- Cover key factors:
- Motivation: Social interaction, recognition, learning, responsibility.
- Teamwork & Communication: How structure, personalities, and communication channels affect performance.
- Personality Types: Task-oriented, interaction-oriented, self-oriented individuals.
- Discussion Question:
What makes a software development team successful? (Students give quick answers)
2️⃣ Team Analysis (10 min)
Task:
- Each team assesses its own composition and team dynamics.
- Answer the following questions:
- What are the different personalities in our team? (Task-oriented, interaction-oriented, self-oriented)
- How do we currently communicate? (Formal meetings, chat apps, emails, in-person discussions)
- Are we treating all team members fairly and with respect?
- How do we motivate each other?
- Do we recognize and celebrate achievements?
✅ Deliverable: Teams document their current team structure and communication methods.
3️⃣ Problem-Solving Discussion (10 min)
Task:
- Identify at least 3 people-related challenges in the team.
- Examples:
- A team member is disengaged or unmotivated.
- Communication is unclear or inefficient.
- Unequal task distribution is causing frustration.
- Some members dominate discussions while others feel left out.
- For each challenge, discuss potential solutions.
- How can the team improve communication?
- How can motivation be improved?
- How can tasks be better distributed?
✅ Deliverable: Teams write down their 3 challenges and brainstormed solutions.
4️⃣ Team Improvement Plan (10 min)
Task:
- Based on the analysis and discussion, teams develop a structured plan to improve teamwork and people management.
- The plan should include:
- Strategies for Motivation (e.g., more recognition, better feedback)
- Communication Improvements (e.g., stand-up meetings, clearer roles)
- Task Distribution Approach (e.g., balancing workload based on strengths)
- Conflict Resolution Plan (e.g., how to handle disagreements)
✅ Deliverable: Teams create a short action plan with steps to implement improvements.
5️⃣ Sharing & Reflection (5 min)
Task:
- Each team presents one key insight or one major change they plan to implement.
- Group discussion:
- What surprised you the most?
- What will you change in your project after this exercise?
- How does this apply to real-world software teams?
✅ Deliverable: Teams verbally share one major takeaway.