Engineering & Society: Engineering Teams: Dr. Gershon Weltman Engineering 183EW, UCLA SEAS

Engineering & Society:
Engineering Teams
Dr. Gershon Weltman

Engineering 183EW, UCLA SEAS
Lecture 3
Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2014
In Memoriam: Dr. Joe Miller (1937-2007)
Dr.
Dr.Joe
JoeMiller,
Miller,shown
shownat
atthe
theright
rightwith
withformer
formerSEAS
SEASDean
DeanDr.
Dr.Steve
SteveJacobsen,
Jacobsen,
contributed
contributedmuch
muchofofthe
theoriginal
originalmaterial
materialfor
forthe
theTeams
Teamsand
andProjects
Projectslectures.
lectures.
The Moon Landing Mission
Lunar Descent Engine

Teams
Teamsfor
forDesign,
Design,Development,
Development,
Manufacturing,
Manufacturing,Assembly,
Assembly,Test
Test
,
Head
HeadEnd
EndAssembly
Assembly
Thrust
Chamber
Thrust ChamberAssembly
Assembly
Full
Engine
Assembly
Full Engine Assembly
Teams
Teamsfor
forProject
ProjectManagement:
Management:
Systems
Engineering,
Tasking,
Scheduling,
People,
A Team of Teams
Systems Engineering,600
Tasking,
Scheduling,
Head Assembly
Monitoring,
Monitoring,Control,
Control,Reporting,
Reporting,Contracts,
Contracts,
Subcontracts,
Special
Problems
Subcontracts, Special Problems
Teams
Teamsfor
forFacilities:
Facilities:
Reactant
ReactantStorage
Storageand
andDelivery
Delivery
Thrust
Stands,
Vacuum
Thrust Stands, VacuumChambers
Chambers
Controls,
Instrumentation,
Controls, Instrumentation,Data
Data
Test
Operations,
Site
Services
Test Operations, Site Services
Capistrano Test Site
High Energy Laser
Teams for Design, Development & Fabrication
Teams for Facilities
Cavity Injector, Flow Isolation

Optical Components
Laser Diagnostics and Controls
Laser Controls
Reactant Storage and Delivery
Test Stands Again, a total Team of hundreds of people
Controls and Instrumentation
Data Retrieval and Storage
Test Operations
Teams for Project Management
Project Tasking, Monitoring, Reporting

Contract, Subcontracts, Finance
Marketing, Congressional Relations
Systems Engineering
The Point: Engineering = Projects = Teams
Engineering projects are complex
Large number of interrelated tasks

Many different disciplines
Conflicting requirements and motivations of users, customers,

corporations, employees, suppliers, finance, legal... etc.
Limitations of technology and physics
Data that are incomplete and contradictory, or non-existent
Technical
Non-technical
High performing teams are a necessity
Selecting and organizing good teams is difficult

Making teams work efficiently and effectively is really difficult
Social Skills are a key element of team performance!
Engineering as a Team Sport
Team Skills
Teams Compete
Technical capabilities (aka Taskwork)

Personnel synchronicity (aka Teamwork)
Acquisition of contracts
Internal resources funding and personnel
Product marketplace
Teams are Rewarded and Penalized
Some teams win, some lose

Rewards and penalties are real and substantial
Employment and salary
Career path and contributions

Winning and losing depends on
Team skills: Social as well as technical
Team spirit: A variety of social factors
Engineering is Fundamentally Social
In its People-Centered Approaches
In Many Relationships with Society
Internally in the social dimensions of

engineering team processes
Externally in its response to critical
societal needs and constraints
Business
Welfare
Public Works
Infrastructure
Information
Communication
Entertainment
Art
Top Executives Depend on Social Skills
Competencies needed by
Top Level Executives at 300
high technology organizations
Source:
Bennett, F. Lawrence, The
Management of Engineering:
Human, Quality, Organizational,
Legal, and Ethical Aspects of
Professional Practice: New York,
John Wiley & Sons, 1996
Essential Skills
Communication -
84%
Organizational -
75%
Team Building -
72%
Leadership -
68%
Coping -
59%
Technological -
46%
Project Managers Also Need Social Skills
Competency requirements for

Management Positions at several
levels of engineering projects
Source:
Shtub, Avraham et al, Project
Management: Engineering,
Technology and Implementation,
Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice
Hall, 1994
1.
Leadership
2.
Interpersonal Skills
3.
Communication
4.
Decision Making
5.
Negotiation and Conflict

Resolution
The Desert Survival Game: An Exercise in

Teamwork
The Situation Plane down in the

desert with all passengers OK
The Task Agree on goals and a
collective method of achieving them
The Output Ranked importance of
available objects
The Score Summed difference in
rank from experts judgment
Analysis of Score by:
Individuals
Teams
Populations
Typical Team Scores
Team Score Summary

Spring
2012
Fall
2012
Range
10 - 90
34 - 84
26 - 87
Median
60.0
63.0
60.0
Mean
58.8
59.8
60.4
Winter
2013
Team Score Comparisons

Average
Historical
Populations
College Students
Junior High School Students
Senior Executives
Males versus Females
60
50
50
?
58 64.5
Individuals vs. Teams:
Average
Engr 183EW
Which is best?
What does it mean?
What Leads to Team Success?
Technical Skills Knowledge of the domain

Social Skills Interpersonal factors at the team level
Methodological Skills -- Working together as a team
Many Social Factors Affect Team Performance.
Ability
Achievement
Achievement Motivation
Aggregated individual
characteristics
Attitude Similarity
Cognitive Ability
Creativity
Dependability
Familiarity
Flexibility
Goal striving
Heterogeneity (Diversity)
rewards)
History of rewards (i.e.,
competitive vs. cooperative
Homogeneity
Interpersonal KSA's
Knowledge Distribution
Membership change/ membership
stability/ team familiarity
Openness to Experience
Perception of coworker task
compensation
Preference for group work
Prior experience
Prior performance
Self-efficacy
Self-Management KSA's
Status
Team Size
Source: Eduardo Salas and Marvin Cohen, Perceptronics Solutions, 2007

.but There Are 8 Key Factors

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Communication
Interpersonal Skills
Team Orientation
Adaptability
Motivation
Trust
Feedback
Leadership
Source: Eduardo Salas and Marvin Cohen, Perceptronics Solutions, 2007

Team Communication Skills
Exchanging
Supporting
Assuming others opinions are useful, pointing out positive aspects,

creating opportunities for others to speak, building on others ideas,
Being open, friendly, empathetic, motivating, not controlling, not
criticizing, not using negative body language.
Differing
Presenting - effective use of language, ability to speak presentably,

writing skills, skills of persuasion.
Listening - paying attention, inquiring, clarifying,, summarizing, reflecting,
not thinking about something else, not interrupting,
Dealing with intra-team conflicts. Arguing constructively.

Not retreating or changing positions just to avoid confrontation.
Participating
Standing firm, not withdrawing or deferring to more aggressive members

Involving others, giving all an equal chance, not letting one or two
dominate
Good Leadership Facilitates Success
Good Leaders Enable Other to:
Realize their Potential

Make their Contribution
Achieve Satisfaction from their Work
Leaders Perform Many Roles:
Act as Servant to Team

Understand Factors at Work
Execute Covenants vs. Contracts
Provide Intimacy, not Superficiality
Define Reality
Source: Max DePree Leadership is an Art, Bantam Doubleday Dell, New York, 1989
The Leader as Lens
*Reuven Gal, Ph.D. and Franklin Jones, M.D, (1995). A Psychological Model of Combat
Stress. In War Psychiatry, US Office of the Surgeon General, Washington, DC
Leadership Requires Emotional Intelligence

Definitions
Hallmarks
Self-Awareness
Ability to recognize own

moods, emotions and drives,
and ones effect on others
Self-confidence, realistic selfassessment, self-deprecating

sense of humor
Self-Regulation
Control of impulses and

emotions, think before act
Trustworthiness, OK with
ambiguity, open to change
Motivation
Passion beyond money or

status; energy, persistence
Strong drive, optimism,

organizational commitment
Empathy
Understanding others
emotional makeup, skill in
treating others accordingly
Building and retaining talent,

cross-cultural sensitivity,
service to customers
Socialization
Managing relationships,
building networks, finding
common ground/rapport
Persuasiveness, team
building, ability to lead change
and to lead teams
Source: D. Goleman, What Makes a Leader, Harvard Business Review, Nov-Dec, 1998
The Importance of Emotional Intelligence
Our research shows an

incontrovertible link between an
executives emotional maturity
and his or her (business)
performance. Simply put, the
research showed that good
guys that is, emotionally
intelligent men and women
finish first.
High levels of emotional
intelligence create climates in
which information sharing, trust,
risk-taking and learning flourish.
Low levels of emotional
intelligence create climate rife
with fear and anxiety.
*Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatizis and Annie McKee, Harvard Business Review, Dec 2001
Importance of the Leaders Emotions
We found that of all the elements

affecting (business) performance,
the importance of the leaders mood
and its attendant behaviors are
most surprising.
To be more specific, the leaders
mood is quite literally contagious,
spreading quickly and inexorably
throughout the (organization).
A leader needs to make sure that
not only is she regularly in an
optimistic, authentic, high-energy
mood, but also that through her
chosen actions, her followers feel
and act that way, too
*Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatizis and Annie McKee, Harvard Business Review, Dec 2001
Example Emotional Intelligence Course
Such
Suchcourses
coursesare
arenot
notthe
thewhole
wholeanswer,
answer,but
butthey
theymay
mayhelp
helpunderstanding
understanding
Team Methodological Skills
Establishing a Process
Developing Alternative Courses of Action
Taking time to identify, discussing and analyze relative merits, considering both
benefits and costs or adverse consequences
Not focusing early on one strategy or dismissing alternatives prematurely
Performing In-Depth Analysis
Sequence and logic. Deciding on the methodology. Differentiating facts and

assumptions. Recognizing unknowns and acting to address them.
Defining objectives, final product, time available, time distribution
Objectives. Goals, issues, requirements, prioritization, tasks
Keeping fact and assumptions separate, assessing uncertainties, not allowing

opinions to pass as facts
Not pursuing actions prior to discussing constraints and resources
Making the Decision
Criteria, logic, analysis, form of decision

Minimum vs best outcomes; least adverse consequences
Desert Survival A Methodological Approach

First discuss and agree on the process for addressing the problem
Objectives, Goals
Major Issues, identify, analyze, resolve

conflicts, set requirements, prioritize
All survive, stay healthy,

get rescued, reach
civilization, etc...
Available options, analyze

re issues, revise objectives.
Select course of action &
determine supporting tasks
Remain at site vs walk out at night!
Build shelter, hunt, eat cactus, light
fires, drink urine, etc...
Dehydration - Fatal in hours or days

Starvation - Fatal in weeks
Movement Negative effect on
dehydration & chance of rescue
Utility of salvaged items for

selected COA and tasks
(Not the first step!)
Stages of Team Development
Collection
Cautious, testing, playing it safe, uncommitted, polite, small talk,
differences hidden or played down
Group
Individual performers, not-supportive, unresolved conflicts, protecting
turf, differences recognized but avoided
Developing Team
Sorting out roles and skills, setting goals and procedures, asking for
and giving assistance, differences recognized and acceptable
High Performing Team

High productivity, sense of belonging, visible support and coverage
during absences, clear and direct communication, lots of conflict quickly resolved, differences are highly valued
Teams
Teamscan
cango
gofrom
fromCollection
Collectionto
toDeveloping
Developingininweeks;
weeks;
moving
movingto
toHigh
HighPerforming
Performingcan
cantake
takeyears.
years.
Team Ethics
1.
Respect your teammates knowledge and expertise
2.
Listen to and seriously consider teammates opinions
3.
Share your knowledge and ideas
4.
Help others to achieve their potential
5.
Acknowledge others accomplishments
6.
Emphasize We instead of You or I
7.
Defend (reasonably) the team effort when challenged
8.
Treat your teammates as you would wish to be treated;

not treat them as you would not want to be treated.
do
Computer Assisted Team Formation
Critical Problem:
Route to a Solution:
Superior unit performance depends on optimally formed teams

Optimal teams need best mix of personnel for specific missions
Virtually impossible to allocate optimally covering all factors
Automatic team composition provides a viable answer

Automation can incorporate psychological research results plus modern
modeling and computational techniques
Automation can augment human capabilities
Make use of all available data
Explore a very large number of team combinations
Technical Approach:
PC-Based for widespread applications

Model-Based Framework for incorporating critical factors
Multiagent System algorithms to calculate locally optimum teams
Human Factored user interface to minimize training time
Automated Team Composition Assumptions
Qualified Personnel: Team roles should be filled by personnel with

appropriate professional positions and relevant experience and/or
knowledge for the mission at hand
Teamwork Attitudes and Skills: Team members should have attitudes
and skills that support effective cooperation and coordination
Social Connections: Good members are centrally connected to other
personnel and good teams have high inter-connectivity
Relative Importance: Proper relative importance must be assigned to
the various team formation factors for each team role and for the
team as a whole.
Team Constraints: Real-world requirements and preferences that
will influence both role assignments and overall team formation must
be recognized in the team formation process
Automating
Automatingthe
theformation
formationofofoptimal
optimalteams
teamsisisitself
itselfaateamwork
teamworktask
task
involving
involvingthe
thecomputer
computerand
andthe
thehuman
humanusers
userswho
whoprogram
programit.it.
2009, Gershon
Perceptronics
Inc.
Copyright
Weltman,Solutions,
2014
Automated Team Composition System (ATCS)
Perceptronics
PerceptronicsSolutions
SolutionsAutomated
AutomatedTeam
TeamComposition
CompositionSystem
System(ATCS)
(ATCS)
Forming Optimal Teams
Select
SelectRun
RunTime
Time
Observe
ObserveProgress
Progress
Review
ReviewTeams
Teams
Experimental Test of ATCS
Task: Tinsel Town Game, 3-Person teams with specific roles chose movies for 3
production years; teams are scored on movie profits based on algorithms provided
by game developers
Participants: University of Central Florida psychology students
Method. ATCS: Selects 11 teams for good performance of the total group, taking
into account the availability schedules of the members
Results:
ATCS teams show lower variability in scores than convenience teams
ATCS teams show greater ability to improve than convenience teams
ATCS works and is helpful in a difficult practical situation
In Summary
Engineering is basically a team-based social activity
Complex problems - Technical, organizational
Social issues Societal, teamwork, ethical
Team Success = Interpersonal Skills + Methodological Skills
Skill set includes communication, organization, leadership, team

building, coping, negotiation, decision making
These skills can be learned and practiced!
Interpersonal Skills may govern ones professional success
As a engineer on project teams
As a manager of engineering teams
As a participating citizen of America and the world
It pays to acquire skills in all aspects of Teamwork -- and help is

available through outside study as well as new technology

Engineering & Society: Engineering Teams: Dr. Gershon Weltman Engineering 183EW, UCLA SEAS

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Engineering & Society:

Dr. Gershon Weltman

Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2014

In Memoriam: Dr. Joe Miller (1937-2007)

The Moon Landing Mission

Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2014

Lunar Descent Engine

Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2014

Capistrano Test Site

High Energy Laser

Teams for Design, Development & Fabrication

Teams for Facilities

Cavity Injector, Flow Isolation

Teams for Project Management

Project Tasking, Monitoring, Reporting

Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2014

The Point: Engineering = Projects = Teams

Engineering projects are complex

Large number of interrelated tasks

Conflicting requirements and motivations of users, customers,

High performing teams are a necessity

Selecting and organizing good teams is difficult

Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2014

Engineering as a Team Sport

Technical capabilities (aka Taskwork)

Teams are Rewarded and Penalized

Some teams win, some lose

Employment and salary

Career path and contributions

Team skills: Social as well as technical

Team spirit: A variety of social factors

Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2014

Engineering is Fundamentally Social

In its People-Centered Approaches

In Many Relationships with Society

Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2014

Internally in the social dimensions of

Top Executives Depend on Social Skills

Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2014

Project Managers Also Need Social Skills

Competency requirements for

Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2014

Negotiation and Conflict

The Desert Survival Game: An Exercise in

The Situation Plane down in the

Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2014

Typical Team Scores

Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2014

Team Score Summary

Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2014

Team Score Comparisons

Individuals vs. Teams:

What Leads to Team Success?

Technical Skills Knowledge of the domain

Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2014

Many Social Factors Affect Team Performance.

Source: Eduardo Salas and Marvin Cohen, Perceptronics Solutions, 2007

.but There Are 8 Key Factors

Source: Eduardo Salas and Marvin Cohen, Perceptronics Solutions, 2007

Team Communication Skills

Assuming others opinions are useful, pointing out positive aspects,

Presenting - effective use of language, ability to speak presentably,

Dealing with intra-team conflicts. Arguing constructively.