1: Forming a team
Dialogue
Context:
- Working in an international team
- Starting a part-time Master of Business Administration
- Introduction to the new team -> stand-up meeting
Content:
- Setting rules:
o Who is allowed to speak -> usage of a little exercise ball to indicate
(whoever has the ball can talk)
o Arrive on time
o Stand up -> things get done faster
o Everyone needs to give updates
- Everyone agrees to the rules
- Giving a daily stand-up:
o Just started working in the team
o Created time sheet: keep track of tasks
o Tentative (voorlopig) study programme
o Set up a meeting with study coordinator
o Plan online meeting with line manager: talk about next project
o Today: prepare for meeting with the line manager
- Impediments/dependency issues?
o Need input from other team members to keep the workflow board
up-to-date.
Grammar concepts
Obligation:
- Obligation from outside: have to
- Strong obligation: must
- Future obligation: will have to/will be obliged to
- Past obligation: had to/was obliged to
Prohibition:
- It’s against the rules: can’t
- It’s not allowed – prohibition from the speaker: mustn’t
- Future prohibition: won’t be allowed to
- Past prohibition: wasn’t allowed to
Necessity: need to
Lack of necessity:
- Don’t have to
- Don’t need to
- Needn’t
,Reading
Stages of group formation:
- Forming: a group of people have come together to accomplish a shared
purpose.
- Storming: conflict and competition arises as personalities and working
styles begin to evolve and the group members of your team are unfamiliar
on how to communicate with each other. Everyone finds out where they
stand in the team.
- Norming: the team will begin to resolve their interpersonal differences,
appreciate others and form working relationships. They set the rules (like
in the dialogue).
- Performing: relationships are formed and there is a clear and stable
structure in the team. Everyone is working towards a common goal.
- Adjourning: the project comes to an end, the team separates and everyone
goes their separate ways.
Clique: whenever the team disagrees on the common goal, cliques may form. A
clique consists of people who share the same common goal within the group.
Forming of cliques happens often during the storming phase.
Effectiveness: highest effectiveness is reached during the performing stage.
Importance of recognizing the different stages or dynamics when forming a
team:
- Helps to remove unpredictability when forming teams and allows the team
as a whole a better chance at success.
2. Your first formal meeting
Dialogue
Context:
- Just been introduced to teammates
- Team is holding the first formal meeting with the goal to brainstorm on how
to move into a new market with a confectionary product.
Content:
- Assign meeting minutes
- Define form requirements of the meeting minutes: key decisions, action
items and important suggestions/ideas.
- Define the objective of the meeting: exploring how to move into a new
market with a confectionary product.
- Discuss product options
o Look for differentiation opportunities (increase desirability of the
product)
Conclusion: need to validate whether customers actually would
be interested
, Experimental marketing (limited edition bound to media
campaign) Conclusion: first mover advantage and opportunity for
repositioning of the brand, but higher risk exposure.
- Keeping all options open: create a matrix to score each idea on cost,
scalability and alignment with brand equity.
- Finish meeting
Definitions:
- White space opportunities: situations where there is unmet consumer
demand or untapped market potential.
- Market penetration strategy: entering new geographic areas or customer
segments with an existing product.
- Market development strategy: refining and growing in existing markets by
increasing usage or attracting more from the same customer base.
- Line extension: adding new products under an existing brand in the same
category such as new flavours or healthier variants.
- Value proposition design: designing products and messaging to clearly
communicate the unique benefits that meets the customer needs.
- Feasibility vs. desirability matrix: a framework to balance whether an idea
is appealing to customers versus practical to execute.
- Experiential marketing: marketing strategy that creates immersive,
memorable experiences around a product.
- First-mover advantage: the advantage gained by the first company to
introduce a product or idea in a new market
- Risk exposure: the likelihood of encountering potential downsides or
uncertainties when pursuing an option.
- Decision matrix: a structured tool used to compare and prioritize specific
criteria such as cost and scalability.
Grammar concepts
Verb complements
- Infinitive: I asked her to leave
‘to leave’ is subject to the verb ‘asking’
Often expresses a future wish
- Gerund: I considered leaving the job
‘leaving’ is subject to the verb ‘considering’
Often expresses the current situation
- Noun clause: I wondered why he left
‘why he left’ is subject to the verb ‘wondering’
Reading
Benefits of self-awareness:
- Self-control
- Self-esteem
- Self-confidence
- Self-development
Ways to increase self-awareness:
- Practice mindfulness and meditation
Dialogue
Context:
- Working in an international team
- Starting a part-time Master of Business Administration
- Introduction to the new team -> stand-up meeting
Content:
- Setting rules:
o Who is allowed to speak -> usage of a little exercise ball to indicate
(whoever has the ball can talk)
o Arrive on time
o Stand up -> things get done faster
o Everyone needs to give updates
- Everyone agrees to the rules
- Giving a daily stand-up:
o Just started working in the team
o Created time sheet: keep track of tasks
o Tentative (voorlopig) study programme
o Set up a meeting with study coordinator
o Plan online meeting with line manager: talk about next project
o Today: prepare for meeting with the line manager
- Impediments/dependency issues?
o Need input from other team members to keep the workflow board
up-to-date.
Grammar concepts
Obligation:
- Obligation from outside: have to
- Strong obligation: must
- Future obligation: will have to/will be obliged to
- Past obligation: had to/was obliged to
Prohibition:
- It’s against the rules: can’t
- It’s not allowed – prohibition from the speaker: mustn’t
- Future prohibition: won’t be allowed to
- Past prohibition: wasn’t allowed to
Necessity: need to
Lack of necessity:
- Don’t have to
- Don’t need to
- Needn’t
,Reading
Stages of group formation:
- Forming: a group of people have come together to accomplish a shared
purpose.
- Storming: conflict and competition arises as personalities and working
styles begin to evolve and the group members of your team are unfamiliar
on how to communicate with each other. Everyone finds out where they
stand in the team.
- Norming: the team will begin to resolve their interpersonal differences,
appreciate others and form working relationships. They set the rules (like
in the dialogue).
- Performing: relationships are formed and there is a clear and stable
structure in the team. Everyone is working towards a common goal.
- Adjourning: the project comes to an end, the team separates and everyone
goes their separate ways.
Clique: whenever the team disagrees on the common goal, cliques may form. A
clique consists of people who share the same common goal within the group.
Forming of cliques happens often during the storming phase.
Effectiveness: highest effectiveness is reached during the performing stage.
Importance of recognizing the different stages or dynamics when forming a
team:
- Helps to remove unpredictability when forming teams and allows the team
as a whole a better chance at success.
2. Your first formal meeting
Dialogue
Context:
- Just been introduced to teammates
- Team is holding the first formal meeting with the goal to brainstorm on how
to move into a new market with a confectionary product.
Content:
- Assign meeting minutes
- Define form requirements of the meeting minutes: key decisions, action
items and important suggestions/ideas.
- Define the objective of the meeting: exploring how to move into a new
market with a confectionary product.
- Discuss product options
o Look for differentiation opportunities (increase desirability of the
product)
Conclusion: need to validate whether customers actually would
be interested
, Experimental marketing (limited edition bound to media
campaign) Conclusion: first mover advantage and opportunity for
repositioning of the brand, but higher risk exposure.
- Keeping all options open: create a matrix to score each idea on cost,
scalability and alignment with brand equity.
- Finish meeting
Definitions:
- White space opportunities: situations where there is unmet consumer
demand or untapped market potential.
- Market penetration strategy: entering new geographic areas or customer
segments with an existing product.
- Market development strategy: refining and growing in existing markets by
increasing usage or attracting more from the same customer base.
- Line extension: adding new products under an existing brand in the same
category such as new flavours or healthier variants.
- Value proposition design: designing products and messaging to clearly
communicate the unique benefits that meets the customer needs.
- Feasibility vs. desirability matrix: a framework to balance whether an idea
is appealing to customers versus practical to execute.
- Experiential marketing: marketing strategy that creates immersive,
memorable experiences around a product.
- First-mover advantage: the advantage gained by the first company to
introduce a product or idea in a new market
- Risk exposure: the likelihood of encountering potential downsides or
uncertainties when pursuing an option.
- Decision matrix: a structured tool used to compare and prioritize specific
criteria such as cost and scalability.
Grammar concepts
Verb complements
- Infinitive: I asked her to leave
‘to leave’ is subject to the verb ‘asking’
Often expresses a future wish
- Gerund: I considered leaving the job
‘leaving’ is subject to the verb ‘considering’
Often expresses the current situation
- Noun clause: I wondered why he left
‘why he left’ is subject to the verb ‘wondering’
Reading
Benefits of self-awareness:
- Self-control
- Self-esteem
- Self-confidence
- Self-development
Ways to increase self-awareness:
- Practice mindfulness and meditation
