Tidewater Community College Workforce Development Updated: September 2008
Tidewater Community College
Making Teams Work: How to Form, Measure, and Transition Today’s Teams
(BUSC 1520)
Course Introduction and Objectives: This course provides the tools needed to build a case for teaming, set the performance goals and continually measure team effectiveness. Managers will be able to identify the best type of team for their needs, get the team off to a good start, define key responsibilities of each member and overcome common obstacles to high performance. This course is presented by Tidewater Community College in cooperation with the American Management Association (AMA). Textbook: Deeprose, D. Making Teams Work: How to Form, Measure, and Transition Today’s Teams. American Management Association, Saranac Lake, NY, 2001. ISBN: 0-7612-1347-3. Teaching Methods: This course will be taught in a seminar and participative lecture format that includes some class discussion and problem solving. Course Schedule: Topic 1 Subjects Covered The Business Case for Teams: (Many problems, one solution…with variations, Just what is a team? Why teams outperform individuals, teams vs. teamwork and kinds of teams). When to Form Teams: (Ready for teams? Three situations that cry out for teams, teams make dollars and sense, three conditions needed for success, when teamwork works better than teams, and advocating for teams). Safe Hiring Practices: (Mistakes of the past, three basic rules to follow, and writing a model ad). Conducting Safe Hiring Practices: (Safe interviewing procedures and documentation). Making Safe Hiring Decisions: (Safe hiring decisions, safe hiring interviews, writing rejection letters and documentation). Performance Reviews and Promotions: (Performance management and reviews, safe performance management, and the dozen steps of safe performance management of a difficult employee). Privacy: (Drug testing, illegal use of drugs and the ADA, confidential records and the concept of privilege, and email and voice mail). Reasonable Accommodation Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993: (Serious health condition defined, what the FMLA says, FMLA and other laws, and documentation).
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Managing Harassment: (Definitions of key terms, agency and employer liability, subtle forms of sexual harassment, how to prevent or respond to harassment, affirmative defense, and documentation). Safe Disciplinary Action Ending in Termination: (Termination for cause: progressive disciplinary procedures; termination without cause: disclaimers and separation agreements; preventing charges of wrongful discharge in violation of company policies; and preventing discrimination). Managing a Reduction in Force: (Safe layoff procedures, effects of the WARN act, and waivers). Avoiding Claims of Defamation: (Defamation and the issue of privileged information, references—to give or not to give).
Continuing Education Units (CEUs): Upon completion of this course students are awarded 1 non-graded CEU, and a Certificate of Completion. Continuing Occupational-Technical Education: Students may apply this course as an elective for the AMA certificates in Customer Satisfaction, Human Resources, Manufacturing, Quality Improvement, Sales and Marketing, Success Skills in the Workplace, Supervision, and General Management.