Group Discussion and LeadershipTeam Ten Toes

November 25, 2013

Sam MedlinLauren LittleEmilee FlurryBrian Powell

Blake Woodard

Table of ContentsPortfolio Essay…………………………………………………………………………………3-14

Importance of your community…………………………………………..…….….……3-5Volunteer and observation hours……………………………….….….….….….….……..5P-MOPS…………………….….….….….….….….….….….….………………………5-6Group Processes………………….…….….….….….….….….….….….….….….…..6-10Internal Problems and Conflicts……….….….….….….….….….….….….………...10-12Individual Assessments and Personalities.…...….….….….….…..….….….….….....12-13Overall Experience………………………….….….….….….….….….….….…..…..13-14

Group Contract……………………………………………………………………………….15-17Agendas………………………………………………………………………………………18-31Meeting Notes………………………………………………………………………………...32-45Group Project Plan……………………………………………………………………………46-48Gantt Chart…………………………………………………………………………………...49-50Interview and Data Collection………………………………………………………………..51-55P-MOPS………………………………………………………………………………………56-64

Original P-MOPS…………………………………………………………………….56-60Revised P-MOPS……………………………………………………………………..61-64

COMMUNITY

When looking at communities to choose, the selection process started by looking at

newer groups on campus. With Aramark’s contract ending, and all of the changes going on in the

GC, in terms of food, the decision was made that looking there would be a good place to start.

Lauren ultimately suggested the new coffee place, Outtakes. After that suggestion was made, an

evaluation of the role that coffee plays in a college community was made. When walking around

OBU, coffee is everywhere. Nearly every student and professor has a cup in hand. If you go to

the Shawnee Starbucks, there is bound to be at least one familiar face; whether it be one of the

baristas or a patron. If the GC is looked at between classes, there is nearly always a decent line of

people waiting for their habitual caffeine fix. In a college town, coffee is a necessity. Ultimately,

it was the role that coffee plays in college students’ lives and the fact that Outtakes was such an

integral part of the OBU community that made the decision easy. All group members readily

agreed on pursuing the project with Outtakes as the focal point.

After Ten Toes made the decision on the community that was to be looked at, Emilee

informed the group that she had worked at Java City. She knew many of the employees since

they were still on staff and would be able to help in scheduling interviews. She was the member

who was able to find the most people for interviews. Sam said that she knew Cami Gower, one

of the baristas at Outtakes, who had made the jump from Starbucks in order to have a job on

campus. Cami’s interview was the first and provided a great jumping off point. She informed the

group of some of the problems she had been facing since making the switch. Her interview also

provided questions that would be asked in future interviews. One of the most crucial moments in

the interview with Cami was when she said that Outtakes was lacking in an effective training

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method. Consequently, drinks were not getting made properly or efficiently. This was noted as a

major problem that the group hoped they would get to address.

The next interview Emilee was able to schedule. She had Megan Grant attend a group

meeting for an interview. Because of the information gathered from the interview with Cami,

questions were asked about the inefficiencies in training the staff. Megan said that there were

major problems in that area as well as major communication problems between the staff and

upper management. With all of the changes happening, it was difficult for management to choose

something and stick to it. There were many occurrences where management had made a rule and

then changed it later without properly communicating it to the staff. Megan said it had gotten to

the point where everyone had a different idea of the actual rule and no one knew what to do. This

was a very important part of the interview. The heart of the issue sounded like it was poor

communication. If training had been properly communicated and if employees had been

adequately informed these problems would not exist.

The week of the data and information collection assignment, Ten Toes split up, all

members individually researched Outtakes and the internal processes of the community.

Members came to the meeting with research done individually. All relevant information was then

combined to create the assignment. This information was combined with observations as well as

information gathered from interviews. After closely looking at issues, it was discovered that

communication was a huge problem. Unlike a large chain where every decision goes through a

hierarchy of command, Outtakes was a singular entity. In large chains everything is so highly

regimented that theoretically you could walk into any one of the stores around the nation or the

world, depending on the store, and everything would be the same. Outtakes did not have that

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kind of structure. Consequently, problems were becoming very apparent and many members of

the staff expressed their frustrations.

VOLUNTEER AND OBSERVATION HOURS

At first, it was difficult to get ten hours of volunteer or observation time with the chosen

community. While each group member had the option of getting their time in individually, if

done in a group setting, all members were sure that others were doing their part. With that said,

multiple, lengthy interviews were scheduled with chosen members of the Outtakes community.

Five hours total were spent as a group interviewing Outtakes employees. All members took time

to observe Outtakes during their rushes as well as during slow times. Each member individually

spent at least two hours observing Outtakes. Sam and Emilee spent their remaining three hours

corresponding with upper management. Blake, Brian, and Lauren spent the remaining three

hours observing the community and making sure that information we had attained in interviews

was accurate. Inefficiency was present as well as a confused staff. From observations it was

found that all information from interviews was accurate. The staff was often in disarray and lines

were consistently, unnecessarily long.

P-MOPS

Going through the process of P-MOPS it was soon very apparent that there were plenty

of problems to choose from within the selected community. After talking with management it

was soon realized that power to change anything was on the list of limited resources. While

frustrating, it was beneficial to work through this process and see how an effective method of

problem-solving worked.

At first, it was difficult to identify the root of the problem. There were many surface-level

problems that prevented the group from arriving at the conclusion quickly. The main problems

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that were focused on were training and confusion of staff. Ultimately, it was decided that poor

communication was the heart of the issue. After that was decided, we looked at possible

solutions. Many solutions were vetoed due to a lack of resources and time. After discussing

many possible solutions, it was decided that attempting to schedule a meeting among upper and

lower management as well as staff to address miscommunication would be the best possible

solution. Next the RISK technique was utilized to analyze the potential success of the chosen

solution. The only problem found with the solution would be if management would not agree to

work with us to schedule a meeting. However, after contacting them, they said that they would

be willing to consider it.

After receiving confirmation that a meeting was a possibility, a vote was taken. Every

member agreed that scheduling a meeting was the best possible solution to the problem and also

the most realistic. After the unanimous vote the PERT system was utilized to create a list of tasks

among all members. Emilee and Sam contacted upper management and discussed the possibility

of a meeting. Lauren, Blake, and Brian contacted lower management and discussed a potential

meeting. All parties agreed to a meeting. Presently, Ten Toes is still trying to work out a time

that works for all parties to meet and discuss the poor communication that has been happening. It

has been very difficult to get in contact with anyone since this initial discussion.

GROUP PROCESSES

Meetings as a whole group occurred a total of sixteen times. There were additional times

in which members would separate into pairs, and would branch away from the group as a whole

to work on individually assigned material. Sam and Emilee would meet separately in order to

work on written portions of group assignments as well as to organize for meetings. This occurred

on multiple occasions. Lauren and Brian also met separately from the group in order to work on

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assigned portions of different tasks. Meetings were run according to Blake’s provided agenda.

Brian had the responsibility of taking meeting notes, and minutes. Sam and Emilee kept the team

on track and focused on the task during meetings. Lauren provided the group with plenty of

fantasy themes; which helped the meetings stay positive and not as tense seeing as this was the

default reaction to the materials being discussed. The P-MOPS meeting was an excellent

example of group processes. Sam and Emilee met early to prepare for the meeting and to

organize the structure of the discussion. Blake provided the agenda that informed members that

discussion would be over P-MOPS. Sam and Emilee utilized the whiteboard in the study room to

track progress and maintain focus via the help of a visual aid. Brian kept the meeting notes and

minutes by recording everything that was discussed during the meeting. Lauren provided

creative suggestions and solutions during the brainstorming process while occasionally

discussing re-occurring fantasy themes to aid in keeping the group light-hearted.

An informal culture was maintained throughout most interactions. Consistent and

informal jokes maintained a low power distance during group meetings. Sam and Blake provided

several sarcastic jokes during meetings, which helped reinforce the informal group culture.

There were several patterned values and beliefs that group members shared throughout the

semester. The group shared the patterned value of working hard in order to receive an A as the

final grade. Shared patterns were developed throughout the interactions among group members

while sharing their experiences and each other’s status relationships. After discussing each

other’s experiences, members shared patterns in the expectation of an equal workload for all

members.

Culture was created through the process of structuration. This process helped create

culture by constraining its members to general rules of society such as verbally communicating

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politely rather than screaming about a suggested proposal. Structuration helped members follow

the rules of the group. While rules were stated verbally, they maintained an informality

consistent with the culture. Each member was expected to arrive at meetings on time and

expected to take personal responsibility for their assigned work. Ultimately, these rules aided the

culture to set norms and expectations among each member. Structuration also helped aid the

group’s culture in that the group went through many periods of adaptation and re-creation. For

example the group was re-created when Sam and Emilee emerged as leaders and took control

from the previously assigned leader, Lauren. Thus the culture was altered due to a change in

communication among members.

Many fantasy themes that reoccurred throughout the semester during meetings. The most

common fantasy theme revolved around stories of Lauren’s pets, more specifically her dogs.

Through her elaborate descriptions of her animals the group was able to manifest a theme that

was saturated with surface content. The latent theme of these fantasies reminded members to

relax in the midst of stressful moments.

Several primary and secondary tensions were encountered. Primary tensions were

discovered when social unease occurred during the first meetings. During the beginning

meetings, members were not talkative. Everyone were painfully formal, polite, and afraid to

voice their opinions. Tensions were developed due to competition for power among members.

Members did not know who would or would not hold the most power. Secondary tensions were

discovered when group members held contrasting points of view and alternative solutions. For

example, secondary tensions came from contrasting points of view when Lauren suggested being

barefoot during the final presentation. The other group members were honest and bluntly

explained that they did not like the idea. Alternative solutions, in terms of attire, were discussed

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for the presentation. Secondary tensions stemmed from task-related sources, but were resolved

by communicating members’ beliefs and values. Several unstated informal rules that were

enforced by peer pressure. Each member was expected to arrive to meetings on time, listen to

other members, and to personally contribute during each meeting. These norms helped govern

behaviors of members during meetings. The climate was determined and focused. The emotional

and relational atmosphere was occasionally full of stress and anxiety when a future assignment

was focused on; but, overall, the climate was relaxed while each member focused on collective

tasks.

Several phases of socialization were cycled through over the semester. This was the

process in which social influences were encountered and changed after the establishment of

members adjusting to one another. Socialization occurred through several difference phases. The

antecedent phase was encountered when members’ individual characteristics affected other

members’ readiness and willingness to socialize effectively. This was demonstrated when Sam

was hesitant at becoming the leader, and voiced her opposition. This affected her readiness and

willingness to socialize with members within a leadership role. Brian’s individual characteristic

of being a harmonizer affected his willingness to voice his opinions because he ultimately

wanted peace within the group. During the anticipatory phase, members’ expectations of one

another set the stage for what would occur during the socialization process. Lauren was

outspoken and talkative, thus members expected that she would take charge and become the

group’s leader. Brian’s organization skills led members to expect that he would organize

meetings. However, during the encounter phase, expectations met reality. Emilee and Sam took

charge and became leaders instead of Lauren. Although Brian possessed great organization

skills, Blake was the one who arranged agendas for every meeting. During the assimilation

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phase, members were fully integrated into the group and its structures. This is the phase that the

group is presently in. Each member has responsibility and all individuals know their respective

jobs as well as each others’. The group has not yet entered the exit phase of socialization.

Leadership emergence was seen when Emilee and Sam began taking charge by

organizing meetings and group assignments. They were ultimately acknowledged as leaders

because they structured everything. Every other group member would contact either Sam or

Emilee if they had a question about an assignment, and, as leaders, they knew the answer. Sam’s

characteristics included low self-monitoring, whereas, Emilee had a higher self-monitoring

score. This made them an excellent leadership duo. Each emergent leader emphasized keeping

the group focused on the task at hand. Sam and Emilee helped the group become more organized

and worked well together to communicate things tactfully both verbally and through electronic

means. Sam and Emilee’s approaches to leadership were very similar while maintaining some

differences. Overall, they demonstrated that they were democratic leaders by encouraging every

member to contribute during group work. Sam and Emilee took a contingency approach.

Depending on a member’s skills and knowledge in relation to a task, leadership would shift. An

example of this would be when Sam and Emilee emerged as leaders due to the fact that they had

time and knowledge to revise the written portion of P-MOPS that was originally written by

Lauren.

INTERNAL PROBLEMS AND CONFLICTS

When groups were first assigned and Dr. Lowe had groups decide on leaders, it was

apparent that Lauren was the only extrovert in the group. This is what ultimately caused Blake to

recommend her as leader. This is also what caused one of our conflicts. As the deviate member

of the group, Lauren had a way of overpowering all other members’ opinions in the group. Also,

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as our main fantasy theme contributor, she would sometimes get the group off task. Sam, on the

other hand, made many members uncomfortable with her heavy sarcasm. With Lauren living an

hour away from campus and Blake in the middle of football season, scheduling was ultimately

the biggest conflict. In short, the conflicts in Ten Toes were mainly relationship and process

conflicts.

Occasionally, when Lauren would start to overstep quieter members, Sam or Emilee

would try to respectfully redirect the conversation by saying something like, “that’s nice, Lauren.

Blake, what do you think about that?” If there was an interruption either Sam or Emilee would

say, “I’m sorry, would you hold on one second? Brian, what were you saying?” Whenever the

group would start to get off task for too long, Emilee would put the group back on track by

saying, “alright, that’s nice, but how can we finish this?” In terms of scheduling, the group had to

meet late at night or while Emilee was working. At first, Ten Toes only met on Tuesday or

Thursday, but eventually Lauren started to FaceTime into meetings and that greatly decreased

the stress of scheduling meetings. Many times Sam and Emilee formed a coalition in order to

solve problems via the integrative approach. All members wanted to walk away happy with the

work that was done and with the contribution they had made. As leaders, responsibility fell to

Sam and Emilee to facilitate those feelings of effective contribution.

While conflict was occasionally dealt with, usually it was avoided. When Sam was

sarcastic, it was ignored. This problem was not apparent until Ten Toes met to discuss the

portfolio. When forced to discuss conflict at this meeting, many issues surfaced. Even though

Emilee and Sam occasionally tried to lead discussion in order to give quieter members more

opportunity to voice their opinions, usually speaking time was uneven. Since most members

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were introverts and no conflict was ever so prominent that it prohibited the group from

functioning, conflict was usually just swept under the rug.

This cycle of avoidance was broken a few times. In terms of the solution for scheduling a

compromise was decided on. Emilee had to meet at work or the group had to sacrifice their

night. The biggest example of the group not taking an avoidant conflict style was when the

PowerPoint was assigned to Lauren for the presentation. Emilee and Sam decided that a backup

Prezi would be made just in case. Both were presented at the meeting to go over the information

that was to be presented in front of the class. Ultimately, the group chose the Prezi, deciding it

was more professional. After that decision was made, Lauren was very quiet for the rest of the

meeting. Later that day, an email was sent by Emilee going over what was discussed in the

meeting and affirming Lauren, saying that choosing to go with another presentation was nothing

personal. A few days later, Lauren sent out an email telling the group that she was upset and felt

like the group had gone behind her back by creating a Prezi. Instead of ignoring this email, Sam

responded by addressing every one of Lauren’s points and apologizing for her feeling that way.

This was the one time where a conflict came to a head and was dealt with.

INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENTS AND PERSONALITIES

After discussing each individual member’s personal characteristics, group relations

became easier. Certain actions and behaviors were explained through this assignment that

ultimately changed the group dynamic for the better. For example, there was a large discrepancy

between communication apprehension results among members. While Lauren scored a 31, Blake

scored a 91. This difference in personalities revealed why many group functions had fallen into

place the way that they had.

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Brian began by discussing his DISC assessment scores. They revealed that he tends to be

more compliant. He would rather compromise than force his opinion on someone. This was most

clearly seen every time Sam would make a sarcastic comment. Instead of saying that it bothered

him, Brian would quietly sit and wait for the moment to pass. Lauren discussed the results of the

communication apprehension test. She scored 31 while other members scored as high as 91. She

admittedly loves giving impromptu speeches. Her results explain why she always ends up

speaking for the group in class. Sam discussed her communication apprehension scores as well

as her Myers-Briggs results. She scored a high 89 on her communication apprehension. She does

not talk in class unless she is called on; and, when she does have to speak it is short. The Myers-

Briggs results showed that she prefers structure. If the group ended up off-topic for too long, she

would begin to get short with people. When there was an impending deadline, and work was not

getting done efficiently she tended to be short with people. Emilee discussed her DISC

assessment results. They revealed that she requires structure. While usually easy-going, when Dr.

Lowe dropped the blog aspect of the assignment, Emilee was frustrated at such a big change.

Blake also shared his DISC results with the group. They showed that he was highly compliant

and had high standards. In meetings the only time he would share his opinion is if he strongly

disagreed with something. He demonstrated that he held high standards in that he worked on his

individual assessment for a number of hours. He was able to turn it in ahead of time, before other

group members, and has done so with all other assignments.

OVERALL EXPERIENCE

In all honesty, if each individual member had been asked to hand-select a group for this

class at the beginning of the semester, there is no way that this group would have been

assembled. Even now that the members have worked together all semester, personalities are very

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different, and another assemblage of students would make for a more cohesive group. With that

said, all members have worked well together despite having vastly different personalities in order

to get work done well and in a timely manner. The biggest challenge facing Ten Toes was the

variety of personalities. For example, Lauren and Sam literally had completely opposite scores

on the Myer-Briggs personality test. Sam’s heavy sarcasm also made Brian chronically

uncomfortable in group meetings. Furthermore, Brian admitted that, while Lauren did an

excellent job of providing fantasy themes and keeping the group relaxed, he was often frustrated

at the amount of time spent on that in comparison to actually working. When working in future

groups, all members agreed that finding out personality specifics at the beginning would be

highly beneficial to working together long term. Everyone agreed that they would have liked to

complete the individual personality assessment towards the beginning of the semester. This

would have significantly impacted the group dynamic for the better.

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Group Contract

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APCM 2303 Group ContractGROUP NAME: Ten Toes Group Members and contact information listed belowFull Name Telephone# OBU email Back-up email Contact preference (texting, phone)1. Lauren Buss 618.402.7865 lauren.little@okbu.edu lauren.little@charter.net E-mail2. Brian Powell 405.227.0643 brian.powell@okbu.edu N/A E-mail3. Emilee Flurry 817.597.8457 emilee.flurry@okbu.edu emileeflurry@yahoo.com E-mail4. Sam Medlin 913.579.5340 samantha.medlin@okbu.edu samantha.medlin@me.com E-mail5. Blake Woodard 405.401.5075 blake.woodard@okbu.edu blakewoodard@cox.net E-mail

1) Contact Procedure: a. How will your team members contact each other (e.g., texting, gmail chat, skype phone calls, email)?

We are going to contact each other via E-mail, since not all group members can text. b. How many times a week/month/semester will your team members contact each other?

We will be in contact with each other at least twice a week.c. One of your team members needs to start the contact every week (e.g., Mark texts every Monday to remind team members,

or Mary emails every Sunday and Wednesday to team members). Who is responsible for initiating contact every week/every 2 weeks? Emilee will be responsible for contacting the group.

d. What is the back-up procedure should this person forget to initiate contact?If Emilee forgets to contact the group then Brian is the designated back-up.

e. In the assignment to practice telecommunicating, what telecommunication vehicle will your team use (e.g., Skype, Google+, Yahoo chat)? Since most of the group has an iPhone, we will use Facetime to contact each other.

2) Meeting procedure & initial role assignments: a. When and where will you meet face to face?

We’ve decided to meet in the GC on Tuesdays. We have set a tentative schedule of 5 or 6 PM, depending on everyone’s work schedule.

b. Who will create the agenda BEFORE the meeting?Blake will be in charge of creating agenda before meetings.

c. If team members do not attend meetings, how will those missing be held accountable for their lack of participation?They have to perform 20 jumping jacks in front of the group.

d. Who will provide the written record of meeting notes?

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Sam will take notes during the meetings.e. Who will be the back-up person to take notes?

If Sam forgets to take notes one week then Brian is, again, the designated back-up.f. Who will make sure that the team meets assignment deliverables and deadlines?

Lauren will be in charge of making sure everyone meets deadlines.

3) Grades: a. What will happen to members who do not contribute to teamwork?

They must perform 50 jumping jacks in front of the group.b. Will team members be deducted points?

If a single group member does not contribute then they will be deducted points.

4) Consistent problems in groups: Many times, one or two people of the team do a lot of the work. For instance, the secretary who sends out the agenda also might take meeting notes and work without sleep to complete the Powerpoint presentation. This becomes tiring, overwhelming, and frustrating, and ultimately produces conflict and resentment. What will you do in this situation? If a group member’s workload is too full then it is their responsibility to contact the group as a whole, via E-mail, to ask for help. We will redistribute work at that point.

5) The big conflict: At what point will the team call for a “tribal council” meeting? If a group member is not taking initiative then we will hold a “tribal council” meeting. This includes not meeting a deadline or neglecting to do their assigned task.

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Agendas

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August 29, 2013AGENDA

Group Contract

1. Write contract2. Revise contract3. Who is going to be in charge of submitting assignments?4. Once decided it is their responsibility to submit this assignment and future ones on time

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September 3, 2013AGENDA

Group Plan

1. Write plan2. Revise plan3. Sam will be in charge of submission4. Blog

a. How frequently will we update?b. Update as a group or individually?

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September 10, 2013AGENDA

Video Recording and Blog

1. Do we like the blog formatting?2. Revise if necessary3. Proofread first blog post before making public4. Sam will submit information for the blog into Moodle

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September 16, 2013AGENDA

Telecommunication Video Recording and Interview

1. Cami Gower is the employee that is being interviewed2. Lauren is going to FaceTime into the meeting 3. Record interview questions and answers for community observations assignment4. After interview, outline the first community observations assignment5. Brian will write from outline to turn work into formal essay6. Sam and Emilee will revise7. Sam will submit to Moodle

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September 20, 2013AGENDA

Responding to Other Groups’ Blogs

1. Discuss postinga. Post as a group?b. Post individually?

2. What guidelines does the post need to meet?3. Send out mass email when you have posted your comment

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September 26, 2013AGENDA

Getting Organized

1. Did everyone post on another group’s blog?2. When will we have our next meeting?3. Who will send the reminder email about the next meeting?

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September 27, 2013AGENDA

Getting Organized

1. Begin to discuss problems that we’ve observed within Outtakes2. Decide who we will interview next3. Send the email or text while in the group meeting to schedule the interview

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October 2, 2013AGENDA

Individual Assessment

1. Does everyone understand the assignment?2. It’s an individual assignment, do it on your own time – should be relatively short meeting3. Send a group email when your assessment is completed and submitted4. How will we present results to the group at next meeting?

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October 8, 2013AGENDA

Individual Assessment and Interview Material

1. Have everyone go over the summary of their individual assessments2. Discuss the results and what role the results play and have played in the group3. Gather all interview information and begin formatting it for future use4. Schedule next meeting

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October 11, 2013AGENDA

Interview Data and Collection Assignment

1. Discuss finding others to interview2. Formalize the data that’s already been collected from previous interviews3. Create outline in meeting for the assignment4. Sam and Emilee will write what is to be turned in together5. Sam will be the one who turns the assignment into Moodle

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October 22, 2013AGENDA

P-MOPS

1. Go through the P-MOPS process described in the book2. Who will be in charge of implementation?3. Create outline for the assignment4. Sam and Emilee will write the actual assignment5. Sam will turn in final assignment to Moodle6. Schedule next meeting

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November 7, 2013AGENDA

Portfolio

1. Begin looking at portfolio guidelines2. Formalize meeting notes for portfolio3. What are we going to wear for presentation week?4. Digital and/or physical copy of the portfolio?5. Schedule next meeting for in depth discussion of portfolio

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November 12, 2013AGENDA

Portfolio

1. Go through each bullet one by one and come up with a specific example2. Create detailed outline3. Sam and Emilee will write the essay portion4. Brian and Lauren will take care of emailing meeting notes to Sam and Emilee5. Blake will email all agendas to Sam and Emilee6. Sam and Emilee will be in charge of combining all of the information into one document7. Schedule next meeting in order to revise portfolio and discuss presentation

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Meeting Notes

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August 29, 2013Discussion topic: We met to discuss our group contract which is due Friday, August 30. Main criteria: Sam and Blake—Look at what we have so far on our group contractBrian and Lauren—Revise what our contract saysEmilee—Submit the group contract on Moodlerooms Topics:

We will decide together what we want our contract to say We will revise our contract We will submit our contract on time

Assignments: Contract is revised, so Emilee will submit it on MoodleroomsNext meeting:September 3, 2013

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September 3, 2013Discussion Topic: We will work on our group plan which is due Friday, September 6, 2013. We will also talk about starting up the blog.Main Criteria: Blake and Brian – Revised the group plan that we discussed about.Sam and Emilee – volunteered to proof read and submits the group plan.Lauren – volunteered to start the blog and explained the blog process to the group.Topics:

We will revise the group plan Conformation on whether or not to continue with the community we have originally

chosen. Discuss blog

Assignments:Lauren – Start BlogSam and Emilee – Turn in group planNext Meeting:September 10, 2013

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September 10, 2013Discussion Topic: We recorded this meeting to meet the requirements for videotaping our meeting. We focused our meeting on the blog. Main Criteria: Lauren – Discussed the blog that was designed and talked about the first blog post.Sam and Emilee – Talked about the assignment they submitted.Blake and Brian – Talked about setting up the next meeting. Topics:

Blog was created Blogpost was posted Set up next meeting

Assignments:Lauren – fix the design flaws and formatting in the blog.Sam – submit the recorded meeting to Dr. Wong Low.Next Meeting:September 16, 2013

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September 16, 2013Discussion Topic: We recorded this meeting while Lauren Face-timed the meeting because she could not be on campus this day and to meet the requirement of recording a telecom meeting. We also did an interview during this meeting.Main Criteria: Everyone – Asked prepared questions to the interviewee. Brian – offered to write the community observation.Sam and Emilee – offered to proofread and submit the community observation. Topics:

Interviewed interviewee 1. Gained valuable insight about Outtakes.

Assignments:Brian – Will write the Community Observation, which is due Friday, September 20, 2013.Sam and Emilee – Will proofread and submit the community observation.Next Meeting:September 20, 2013

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September 20, 2013Discussion topic: How to respond to all other group postsMain criteria: Sam and Blake—Responses should be focused on how other groups could edit their workBrian and Lauren—Responses should be creativeEmilee—Responses should focus on subject matter of the other groups’ chosen communityUltimately, we decided that everybody should post something different.Topics:

Will we post together How will we proofread before posting Post replies separately on our own schedule How cautious in our words should we be when posting – Lauren recommends confirming

Dr. Lowe’s expectations for the posts’ content Posts need to demonstrate that we read the blog Posts should show valuable insight

Assignments: Everybody post on a separate blog with insightful information that demonstrates that you actually read their blog Next meeting:September 26, 2013

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September 26, 2013Discussion topic: Confirm that everyone posted on another group’s blog and prepare for next observationMain criteria: Blake—Finished posting his opinion in less than 10 minutesEmilee and Lauren—Responded thoughtfullySam—Responded to blog only after looking through the all of the contentBrian—Struggled to gain access to the blog Everyone posted something different and finished the task well before the specified due date.Topics:

Confirm that everyone posted on a blog Review our blog and change anything that seems inaccurate or stylistically unappealing Plan a time for next observation by reviewing everyone’s future schedules Send out email regarding when and where to meeting for next meeting

Assignments: Confirm everyone posted on a separate blogs and setup the next meeting timeNext meeting:September 27, 2013

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September 27, 2013Discussion topic: Discuss observationsMain criteria: Blake—Observed the staff’s disregard of the store’s cleanlinessLauren—Remarked that the atmosphere was not the same as a place like Starbucks Sam and Brian—Outtakes was very slow in preparing the food and drinksEmilee—Noted that there is poor customer service Everyone came to the conclusion that Outtakes is lacking in quality customer service. Topics:

Cleanliness of staff Can there be some small budge that changes the atmosphere Why does it take an inordinate amount of time to prepare the food and drink What can we do to speed up the process of preparing the food and drink Seek out another interview

Assignments: No assignments, just a reminder that next week is the individual assessment assignmentNext meeting:October 2, 2013

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October 2, 2013Discussion topic: How to do individual assessmentMain criteria: Blake—We need to do this project A.S.A.P.Lauren and Brian—We should take our time and research each aspect of the assessmentSam—The assessment should be taken on our own without any discussion about the results until the next meeting timeEmilee—We should share the results as we take the tests to confirm that we are doing them correctlyEveryone agrees that the individual assessment assignment should be done as soon as time allows. We decide that we should take the assessments and discuss the results of the tests at the next meeting. Topics:

Find out everyone’s strengths and weaknesses Evaluate strengths and weaknesses through watching telecommunication meeting Research what the DISC assessment results mean using other Internet sources Send out group email when done with individual assessment assignment

Assignments:After completing the individual assessment assignment, each group member needs to create a summary in order to present the information to the group at next week’s meeting efficientlyNext meeting:October 8, 2013

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October 8, 2013Discussion topic: Confirm individual assessment assignment completion and gather all interview material Main criteria: Blake—Assessment went well – the test confirmed what he already knew about himselfLauren—Commented that the assessment proved to be correct and helpfulSam—Gathered extra information on the first interview and presented her summaryEmilee and Brian—Gathered all information on the second interview and presented their summariesEveryone agrees the individual assessments were beneficial and should have been taken earlier in the year. Our interviews provided some of the most relevant information we could obtain. Topics:

Discuss new found strengths and weakness Evaluate strengths and weaknesses in comparison to others in the group Review DISC assessment specifically Format interview information in a professional format Send out group email for next meeting

Assignments:Start to create more detailed document of interviewees. Next meeting: October 11, 2013

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October 11, 2013Discussion topic: Finalizing interview data Main criteria: Blake—Offered to edit and reprove data to make the document structure. Lauren—Offered to work with Blake on the reprove of interview data. Sam and Brian —Email any other potential interviewees to find more data. Emilee—Write final draft of interview data and email data to Blake and Lauren for editing. Everyone will receive an email with the finalized copy of the data collection to confirm that it is a correct representation of the interviewees.Topics:

Find any other potential interviewees. Finalize data collected from interviews Email editors Send final copy to everyone to approve Send out group email for next meeting

Assignments:Turn in finalized document of interviewee data. Take a break from meeting for Fall Free days. Work on individually understanding PMOP’s during the break. Next meeting:October 22, 2013

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October 22, 2013Discussion topic: PMOPs analysisMain criteria: Blake and Brian — Offered to be editors of PMOPs documentLauren— Stated that Outtakes was lacking in speed and efficiency in comparison to Starbucks.Sam —Found initial problem to be the lack of customer service. Emilee—Found the analyses problem to be the lack of intensive training. Everyone agrees that the two most prominent problems relate to customer service and training of staff. Topics:

Find a consensus on the root of the problem is with Outtakes. Brain storm solutions to the problem Reevaluate solutions by using RISK technique Find a reasonable solution to implement with Outtakes. Collectively create a document of PMOPs

Assignments:Finalize PMOP document. Review document through group emailing. Submit results after everyone has approved the overall content of the PMOPs document. Observe Outtakes twice before next meeting Next meeting:November 7, 2013

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November 7, 2013Discussion topic: Encourage group to stay on target for Portfolio project. Discuss any further questions before meeting to finalize portfolio Main criteria: Blake —Commented on the cohesiveness and lack of apathy in the group. Offered to help create table of context for portfolio. Lauren— Gave a pep talk about how she felt the group was on the right track. Offered to help with Power point presentation. Sam and Emilee — Encouraged the group by reminiscing on past achievement in the group. Offered to help in reviving any past projects that pertained to the portfolio. Brian—Approved the group is on the right track to finish on time. Offered to help with finalizing meeting notes.Everyone will email each other the work that they have completed and everyone will edit each other’s work. Topics:

Complete portfolio Start on PowerPoint presentation. Evaluate what the group is doing right. Delegate what work needs to be done together and what can be done separately and

later emailed to the group as a whole.

Assignments:Finalize meeting notes. Complete assigned tasks individually. Email progress through group email. Edit portfolio as a group. Next meeting:November 12, 2013

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November 12, 2013Discussion Topic: Conformation meeting to confirm that everyone is on the right track. Main Criteria:Lauren and Brian – combined and formalized all the meeting notes.Sam and Emilee – Working on combining and formalizing the final portfolio. Blake – working on the outline for the presentation. Topics:

Friction in the group Each group member’s personality Re-engaged the topic of how our personalities collectively form the group

Assignments:Lauren and Brian – start working on the PowerPoint presentation.Sam and Emilee – Continue to work on solidifying the overall portfolio.Blake – Continue to work on the outline for the presentation. Next Meeting:TBA

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Group Project Plan

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Know the Community Project Plan

Purpose:

To learn how to develop processes and deadlines for deliverables. To help formulate next steps and roles for deliverables.

When submitting this project plan, please edit and check your work.

In a Microsoft Word document, answer the following questions in complete sentences (Please label the questions):

1) What is the chosen community? Describe the community.

We have chosen the Outtakes employees. They brew the coffee in the downstairs GC.

2) Describe why you chose the community.

We chose them because they are a new community on campus that is paired with a national brand. It is also easily accessible and centrally located.

3) What are your back-up communities should this one not pan out? What is your “deadline” for deciding to use your back-up community? (E.g., If we cannot gain access to our first choice community by September 20th, we will use the back-up community).

Our back-up community is the library employees. If we cannot gain access to our first-choice community by September 24th, we will start working on our back-up community.

4) Explain how and when you will spend time with the community.

We will set up interviews with a different employee once a week and try as an entire group to get all ten hours with our community in. If one member cannot attend, it will be up to that individual to make up the time. Emilee worked at Outtakes when it was Java City for a few months and will be in charge of scheduling interviews with employees that she still knows.

5) If you have done interviews or spent time with the community, what are you noticing right now about them? If you have NOT spent time/interviewed them, what are your pre-conceived notions about them?

We’ve noticed that as a whole they are a very hard-working community. They are definitely having some difficulties adjusting to the new menu and consequently lack efficiency. Their customer service also leaves something to be desired.

6) Right now, which team members are emerging as leader(s), boundary spanners, and information gatherers?

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Sam is becoming the boundary spanner while Brian has quickly become the information gatherer. Lauren has adopted the role of leader.

7) Review the Know the Community Project Overview. Look at the list of deliverables. Your group should create a schedule to tackle each deliverable. Decide on your group’s deadlines to complete each deliverable. Note that some deliverables are more time intensive than others. For instance, spending time with your community takes time. Collecting information about community members also takes time. At the same time, someone in your group should be updating the blog, and someone should be taking and recording meeting notes. Show your scheduling of deliverables through a Gantt chart. Create a spreadsheet or Gantt chart to show your progress. Upload the Gantt chart or spreadsheet as a separate document to your project plan. If you need help in creating a Gantt chart, you can find a plethora of free resources and templates on the web (search Gantt chart on Google)

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Gantt Chart

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Interview and Data Collection

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In the last decade coffee’s popularity has grown exponentially. Starbucks has taken a

drink that was just part of an adult’s daily routine and turned it into an experience. This rise in

popularity has caused problems for some and made others rich. When first starting, it was

expected that Outtakes would be a well-oiled machine, running with all the efficient of a

traditional Starbucks location. However, we have found just the opposite. While they are serving

Starbucks’ coffee, Outtakes is not adopting the coffee giant’s customer service practices. Since

Starbucks attributes their growing success to the very things Outtakes seems to be neglecting.

There are definitely some issues that need to be worked through. However, they seem to be on

the right track to getting these resolved in the future. Through our community observations,

meetings, and research we have found that Starbucks’ exponential growth can be attributed to

customer service, customer loyalty, and clever marketing; which, has led to abuse of the free-

market and consequently Ethiopian coffee farmers.

The first interview was with Cami Gower, an employee of Outtakes who had recently

transferred from the Shawnee Starbucks. Coming from an established Starbucks location to a

“We Proudly Serve” showed that there were “some problems that need to be worked out,”

Gower said. She believed that the biggest improvements could be made when it came to the

training process of employees, the atmosphere, and the relationship among staff. This was

surprising information. Our research showed that these are foundational elements at all Starbucks

locations. The problems that Gower mentioned are the very things that Starbucks prides itself on

and attributes much of its success to. To be struggling in those areas does not bode well.

The next interview, with Megan Grant who had made the transition from Java City to

“We Proudly Brew” made the change in management apparent. Where Java City was more

relaxed and allowed student workers to do homework when there were no customers, Outtakes

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requires their employees to constantly be working. This is closer to the regulations at Starbucks.

However, the training process that Grant described was not even remotely close to the standards

of a traditional Starbucks location. Starbucks requires a new employee to be in training for four

weeks, constantly shadowing a barista. At Outtakes, you are trained on the job as you go. She

also discussed the poor communication between management and the staff is poor at best,

resulting in inconsistent rules that confuse rather than clarify.

The flaws discussed in the interviews with the Outtakes community sharply contrasted

with the research. For example, after searching for articles on customer service, we found that

customer service was what mattered in retail. In the article, Service Quality Perceptions of Solely

Loyal Customers, Svetlana Bogomolova discusses her research on customer service, the result it

has on creating the solely loyal customer, and how the solely loyal customer positively

influences business. She defines loyal customers as those who only use one provider within a

product category (Bogomolova 2011). To acquire these customers, a company has to have high

service quality. Bogomolova further proves her point discussing how to attain these customers

that make a company a success. These findings show how Starbucks was able to grow so rapidly

with minimal marketing.

Further research using the key word “Starbucks” produced an article that showed that

Starbucks developed a very specific technique in order to make their stores a success. In the

article, Starbucks: Delivering Customer Service, Youngme Moon and John Quelch discuss

Starbucks high standards that made them a success. They outline Starbucks’ branding strategy,

which focuses on the employees, or “partners,” as well as the store itself. Moon and Quelch cite

the example of when Christine Day, the senior vice president of administration in North

America, discovered that Starbucks might not be meeting their customers’ expectations when it

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came to quality service, she devised a plan to invest $40 million back into stores to allow

locations to be more heavily staffed (Moon & Quelch, 2004). Even though such a heavy

investment could impact their profit margin, Day argued for the expenditure’s necessity saying,

“‘Our CFO is understandably concerned about the potential impact on our bottom line,’ said

Day. ‘Each $6 million in profit contribution translates into a penny a share. But my argument is

that if we move away from seeing labor as an expense to seeing it as a customer-oriented

investment, we’ll see a positive return,’” (Moon & Quelch, 2004). Clearly, Starbucks believes in

customer service and what that means for their company.

Outside of the scholarly universe, coffee has also taken over popular culture. Through

watching Black Gold, a documentary that came out in 2006 directed by Nick and Marc Francis

showing the mistreatment of Ethiopian coffee farmers, it was learned that the middle-man in the

coffee market is cheating farmers. The free-market has not been truly free for a long time and

this documentary shows that excellently. While this documentary shows footage in the first

Starbucks, after doing further research, it is clear that Starbucks is doing their best to ensure that

all of their coffee is “ethically sourced” (Starbucks). In 2012 93% of their coffee was ethically

sourced, and by 2015 their goal is to have all of their coffee be fair-trade.

While Outtakes still has some issues that need to be worked through as evidenced by our

observations and interviews, they have been provided an excellent model by traditional

Starbucks stores that has been proven via their success. Our research also affirms that Starbucks’

success is mainly due to their focus on the customer. With that said, coffee’s popularity is ever-

increasing. Outtakes has plenty of time to work through their problems, implement more

rigorous training, and customer service policies.

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References

Bogomolva, S. (2011). Service quality perceptions of solely loyal customers. In International

journal of market research (Vol. 53). Retrieved from

http://arrow.unisa.edu.au:8081/1959.8/131147

Francis, M., & Francis, N. (n.d.). Black Gold. In H. Williams (Ed.), Black Gold [DVD-ROM].

Moon, Y., & Quelch, J. (n.d.). Starbucks: delivering customer service. In Harvard busniess

school. Retrieved from Harvard Buisness School database.

Starbucks. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/sourcing/coffee

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Original P-MOPS

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Walking into the meeting to discuss the P-MOPS assignment, everyone was fairly

optimistic. We were all very aware that there were many problems for us to choose from due to

previous interviews and research done. With that said, after working through the process, we

quickly realized that many problems were not realistic for us to solve in terms of finances or

time. Many problems required cooperation with the management as well as money. However, by

the end of our meeting, everyone felt confident that we had not only found a real problem that

needed to be addressed, but also found a suitable solution that would please both customers, the

upstairs managerial staff, and the downstairs staff. The team worked through the five steps of P-

MOPS and discovered several problems within their selected community, possible solutions to

help benefit their community, and overall gained experience in working with structural problem

solving techniques.

Step 1. Problem Description and Analysis:

The team found this step to be challenging due to the fact of the root problem of the

community seemed over-shadowed by surface-level problems. At our meeting, we began by

making a list of problems that were noted in our observations and interview notes. The list of

problems was long. We found that the training process of the baristas at Outtakes left something

to be desired. Another problem was the décor. One of the things we noticed in our research as

well as our interviews was that Starbucks’ goal is to make their stores an experience. They want

it to feel home like and comfortable, but Outtakes is far from that ideal. Next, a problem that we

noticed when looking back at our interviews was communication between the managers upstairs

and the staff downstairs. Although these problems were very important for the success of the

community there are only a few obtainable solutions due to the team’s limited resources. Finally,

a problem that continually showed up was that customers would be neglected. According to the

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employees that we interviewed we discovered that due to constant stocking it is easy for the

employees to accidentally to lack in customer service.

Step 2. Generating and Elaborating Possible Solutions:

After making the above list of problems, we went back through in order and came up

with solutions. The team found this step to be difficult because of the lack of power and

influence Ten Toes had over their selected community. In order to aid employees in training we

discussed coming up with a streamlined training method more closely reflecting that of a

traditional Starbucks. In terms of the environment and decorations, we discussed printing out

Starbucks logos or finding other inexpensive methods of decorating. Mainly utilizing paper,

since that would be the most cost effective. In terms of the poor communication between the

managerial staff upstairs and the staff downstairs, we thought that orchestrating a meeting would

be beneficial in order to clarify procedures. At this meeting questions could be raised by the

downstairs staff and issues could be discussed about what was and was not working with what

was already put in place. Finally, regarding customer service, we thought buying small bells for

customers to ring upon arrival and bringing back the rest station for employees would be

beneficial.

Step 3. Evaluating Possible Solutions:

After making the above list of solutions, we went through the list and eliminated the ones

that our lack of resources prevented us from effectively solving. We decided that while we could

come up with a more efficient training method, implementing that would be unrealistic due to the

cooperation with management and long-term commitment necessary to facilitate that. Next we

discussed possibly changing the look of Outtakes. We thought this would also be unrealistic due

to our lack of finances and the cooperation with management that that would require. Next we

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thought orchestrating a meeting between the upstairs and downstairs staff to clarify rules and

procedures would be helpful. However, upon further investigation, we decided that getting the

upstairs management to cooperate with us would be, again, unrealistic. This left us with the

customer service element. We thought providing a bell and discussing getting the Outtakes

employee rest station back would be realistically achievable solutions.

Step 4. Consensus Decision Making:

After discussing the resources at our disposal including but not limited to finances and

time, we came to an agreement fairly quickly. Every group member voiced their opinion and the

general consensus without much opposition was that the bell and petition to get the rest station

put back were realistic and achievable. No one disagreed with that or wanted to go with one of

the other possible problems and solutions.

Step 5. Implementing the Solution Chosen:

The team used PERT by creating a list of the tasks that were divided into each member’s

responsibility. The tasks were distributed evenly so that Emilee and Sam would talk to the

employees, management, and to inform them on our problem analysis and our solution to the

found problem. Lauren and Brian were assigned to meet and discuss about where the bell should

be located at Outtakes, and the purchase the bell itself. Brake was assigned to analyze and check

the progress of customer service that the bell provided.

While optimistic walking into our meeting, it did not take long for the entire group to

realize that many of the problems that we were so excited to fix were beyond our means. From

our lack of finances to the short amount of time for implementation, our window of realistic

problem solving was limited, at best. With that said, we were able to reach a consensus and all

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agreed upon leaving that the solutions we discussed were both realistic and easily maintainable

long-term.

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Revised P-MOPS

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After receiving feedback from the original P-MOPS assignment, all group members

agreed that a revision would be a good choice. While there were still many problems in the

community, most of those problems were still unsolvable given Ten Toes’ limited resources.

After reassessing and going back through the P-MOPS process, another possible solution was

found. The opportunity to go back through this process also further solidified the problem-

solving process for Ten Toes.

Step 1. Problem Description and Analysis:

Problems were still the same within the community. This time around, Ten Toes chose to

focus on the poor communication tactics being practiced by the Outtakes community. According

to interviews, upstairs management had a tendency to change their minds frequently without

properly communicating the changes to the downstairs staff that would inevitably be carrying

those changes out. Rectifying their poor communication would be highly beneficial to all parties

involved in the Outtakes community.

Step 2. Generating and Elaborating Possible Solutions:

After deciding that the poor communication among staff was the main problem, we

started brainstorming possible solutions. A meeting could be hosted in order to fully discuss all

of the confusion among staff. A memo could be sent out detailing a more efficient

communication method that Ten Toes could come up with. Managers upstairs could be contacted

and informed of the miscommunication among their staff. Essentially, this would just be making

them aware that there was a problem, which they did not seem to know.

As a group, all solutions above were discussed. All members agreed that any solution

above would be beneficial to the staff. All solutions would bring the rampant miscommunication

to the forefront. It would be difficult for a good manager to ignore a problem that had been

brought to their attention.

Step 3. Evaluating Possible Solutions:

After making the above list of solutions, we went through the list, utilizing RISK, and

eliminated the ones that we thought would do the least good. The meeting would allow all

frustrated parties to voice their opinions. This did run the risk of becoming negatively

confrontational. If individuals did not know how to handle conflict, then this could escalate

quickly. With that said, to have a memo circulated through would rely too heavily on others to

have our solution implemented. Alternatively, if we were to just inform upstairs management of

the issue, it would be easy for them to brush us off. This is also does not guarantee any action.

This is a far more passive approach, and, as a group, we agreed that we did not like this.

Ultimately, we decided that we would try and schedule the meeting. It would have the most

potential, long-term benefits for the parties involved.

Step 4. Consensus Decision Making:

Since this was the second time going through the process, it definitely went smoother.

We spent a longer time discussing possible solutions since they were all fairly similar. However,

after working through all of the pros and cons of each solution, all members agreed that the

meeting would be the most proactive, realistic solution. All members agreed fairly quickly on

this solution.

Step 5. Implementing the Solution Chosen:

Utilizing PERT, all members were assigned a task. Emilee and Sam were in charge of

getting in touch with upstairs management. Lauren, Brian, and Blake were in charge of getting in

touch with downstairs management. Upstairs management is actually extraordinarily difficult to

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get into contact with. All people with any sort of power are busy and consequently, will not give

us the time of day. We have been trying to organize this meeting, but we are receiving very little

cooperation

Since the group decided to revise this assignment, it was definitely a more organized

process going through. All group members knew what to expect and how to proceed through

each step. With that said, the proposed solution, which all members agree is much improved to

the first proposed solution, is proving to be very difficult to implement. Ten Toes is continuing to

work towards organizing a meeting in order to rectify miscommunication. We are hoping that

with dead week and finals week, individuals in charge will have a small amount of extra time to

give to us.

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