What has the team done well and what specific changes would you recommend to improve the teams effectiveness? In your opinion, which team member has the most emotional intelligence? Which team member has the least emotional intelligence?

HARITY AND L.ARNING TEAM 28 On a chilly fall evening in early November, the learting team meeting, ssa almays, started at 8:00 PSE. All six members, Mark, Janc, Rajesh, Dick, Harry, and Svetlana were seated around the table with their laptops epen. Dick was leading the first case for the night. He asked everyone if they ware ready to begin the discussion for the Finance case. Hanry responded, "OWk, but can we go more slowly this time? The last time I sat through finance class, the professor asked me a question about ahich I was clueless." Dick and Jane exchanged quick glances. Harry seemed to catch the nonvertal gesture. He looked from one to the olser, but said nothing. Rajesh replied, "That isa't a problem, Harry. Just ask us about atything that doesn't make sense as we go along. You know that." Rajesh waited for Harry to respond. Hamy fidgeted in his chair, glanced at Dick, and grimaced slightly. He didn't secm to be satisfied with Majesh's reassuratee, but didn't say anything else to the 1cam. A New Team Forms at Darden Leaming team $28 was a divcrse group. Mark and Harry were both "poets," having studied political science and literature respectively at small liberal arts colleges. Mark had worked for a eonprofit; Hary was a graphic designer before Daden. Dick was a finance major from a top Faviern sehool and had worked as a fitcancial analyst foe six years before he decided to take a break: by atleding Business sehool. He was married and had a six-month-old dasabter ahom he deseribed as his "bundle of joy," Lake Dick. Jane was married with a two-year-old scet. She had spent five years at a leading consulting fira as a business analyst, affer graduating with a major in marketing. Svetlana was in akcomtant from Bulgiria and had been a relationship maetager at a large commercial bank in Sofia for for years. While receiving an MBA was her primary goal, she also hoped to improve her English during her stint in the United States. Rajesh, an enginecr, had worked in manufacturing for the largest petrochemical company in India. This cowe uas prepared by Roy Kunwila, fanes Pitatiousci, and Pradnant Pracad ander the supervision of Darisw Silool foundwion 2 UV3248 The learming teams were assigned during orientation, and the team deseribed their first meeting as a "great experience." Hanry"s semtimeat was shared by others: "We are sach a diverse set of people. We all became friends itstantancously. We even went cut for drinks the same evening, and I really goe to krow my teart well. They are all fabulous people." The team met a couple more times duritg crientation, stal the rapport continued to be excellent. They decided to meet at 7 PM on Sunday for their first learning team meeting. No one seemed to mind that there was little discussion of norms or expectations. That very first Sunday, the team jumped straight into their accounting case. The firs quarier passed without any major hiccaps, and the learning team sheek-in (a designated class period set aside for learning teams to talk about their process) was a nonevent for them. They skipped the class and went off for lateh inslead. While the work losd was extremely heavy, all of the members agreed than they were learning more than they thought possible. However, the team had already begun to fracture into two subgroups, although they were tool amare of it at the time. Coemunitation bended to cocur more smoothly within the subgroups than between the whole team. Dick and Jane, given their family commitments, shared A desire to get out of learning team every night before 10:00 pse. Mark and Harry ("the poets") shardd an interest in intellectualizing about questions that were typically cutside the seope of the cases, but thry strugglod somewhat with the more technical aspects of accoumting and firance. Finally, Svetlana and Rajesh tended to be more soft-spoken during case discessions, often requiring prompting to offer their own perspectives on cases. Leave No Person Behind From the outset of the second quarer, Haxy knew that he was in wer his head in finance. Ile struggled through the first few eases, oflen using his aflemoons to sift through the finance textbook, trying to make sense of the new eancepts aed techniques that had been introdoced the day before or in that night's case. In fact, on many occasions, to foand himself neglecting his ceher courses, even wher his leat was expecting him to lead a case in one of those subjects. After a weck of struggling in this fashion, Harry implored his team for help in closing his knowledge gap. Initially, all were willing to take the extra time during leaming team meetings 10 help get Hany up to speed. Not surprisingly, Mark was the most sympathetie. As a fellow poet, he also struggled somewhat with finance but had managed to build his own competency more rapidly than had Harry. Thas, it was Mark who mourited support for Harry during the early part of the quarter, standing beside his eolleague even when he failed to prepare his other cases. Dick and lane understood finance quite well and were initially anxious to lend a hand to Hanry to help him reach parity as soon as possible. Unfortunately, they became frustrated quickly when they realized that Harry's struggles with finance would not be overeome within a week or two. For instance, whem Harry expressed dismay about being lose while reading the fourth or fifth finance case of the quarter, lane testily respoeded, "Why don'1 you let us know specifically Whan yee don'1 understand, and we'll take a fow minubes to explain it to you." Harry did not exactly know what he did not urslerstand; he had trouble explaining that to the rest of the group. Consequently, the team spent 45 minuies trying to help him understand the general concepts of that night's case. To Dick's annoyance, they did not complete that night's study questioes. Secret Meeting Within fwo or three weeks, the team came to realize that Harry was simply not absorbing the material quickly encegh to kecp pace. His special learning sessions had grown progressively longer in duration. Now it was rare for one of his team-tatoring sessions in finanee to lase less than cete hour. One afiernoon, Dick sent an email to everyene on the team, excege for Harry, The email suggested that the ieam meet the next afternoon for lusch to discuss potential solutioes to "The Harry problem." Caly Mark seemed to have reservations about accepting the invitation. He did noe think that it azs fair foe the ieam in talk abose Harry behind his back. In the end, however, he decidod o attead in onder to ensare that Harry's best interess were not entirely ignsrod during the mocting. As the team convened in Cafe 67 the nexd dary, it was clear that Dick and lane were in charge. They sat next to each cher at the head of one of the cafie's conference tables, and each modded emphatically as the other explaincd hor eritical it was that "the Harry problem" be addressed euickly. Dicki It is clear that we reed to be more efficient if we are going to keep pace with the other tearms. Right now, Ilarry is really holding wack. Jane and 1 wanted us to get together as a team to discuss potential solations to this problem, so thar we can get our team back on track. Jane: Why don't we go around the talve and each share one potential solution to the problem? Rajesh, we haven't really heard how you feet sbout this whole situation. Why don't you help us start the discussion? Rajesh shiffed in his sool uncomfortably, looking from Jane to Svetlana. Rajesh: L, uh, didn't really think that we had an efticiency poblem. 1 thought that we were trying to come up with solations io help Haxy. I don't have a peoblem staying tale some nights to help Harry learn finance. Mark: 1 agree with Rajesh. We shouldn't be thinking about learning tcam in terms of a everpetition! We are doing what we need to, in order to pet through the year as a team. 4 UV 248 Jane: Why don't you tell that to my husband? While you are at it, explain to my children why I am never home in time to read to them or tuck them into bed! We need to find a way to reduce the amount of time we aaste trying to make Harry understand a subject that he doesn't seem capable of learning. Hearing this, Rajesh immediately dropped his cyes to his rather sub-par slice of chcese pioza. He wasn't hungry anymore. He did not like it when people raisod their voices during meetings. Both ke and Svetlana often talked about how much they disliked the confirontational nature of so many of their team discussions. He was sarprised to hear Svetlana chirp up. Svetlana: Jane, I understand that you are disappointed that you haven't had moee time for your family this scmester. However, I think that Rajesh and Mark are right aboul our needing to help Harry rather than assume that he is scmehow ruining our team. Dick: But, think about it, guys. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Does anyone really ditspute than Harry is our weakest link? You all know that we certanily can't trust him to lead finance eases. But, also, cet any night that we have a finance case, we know that he won't spend any time on other courses, so we can't deperd on him for operations or marketing. So, what can we count on him to do? How is he helping us? I am scriously ecensidering asking him to leave the team. Maybe he would have better luck with a team that moved at his pace. Jane: That sounds like a grat plan to me. I know it won"t be eary. However, think abour how great it would be every night, if we didn"t have Hany slowing us down. Rajesh: I don't like that idea at all. It isn't Hary's fault that he is having so much trouble with this course. We should really be alle to find some plan for eompromising so that we can help him to leam and also help you guys get home to yoer families at a decent time each night." Dick: Why deet't we agree to send Harry car notes from finarce class and give him the besi spreadsheet every night so that he can look at it after the meeting? We'll explain this plan bo Harry at cur nect meeting, so that he knows that things have changed." Jane readily agred to this plan. Svetlana and Rajesh thought that the idea was betrer than simply leaving Hary to his own devices for the rest of the year. More than anything, though, they seemed relieved that the plan would end the conversation and allow the team to step back from the conflict that was sarting to bubble to the surfice. Mark was relieved wo hear that the feam wasn't seriously considering asking his friend to kave. On the other hand, he wondered if this course of action woekl really peovide Harry with the suppert that he scemed to need so badly. The New Plan Is Unveiled The five members agred to arrive early the next night so that they would all be present when Harry arrived. He walked into the room promptly at 8:00 PM to find his tammates waiting for him. They were awkwardly quict. Mark would not look him in the eye. Dick: Harry, we want to take some time to talk with you about how leaming team has been progressing so fir this semester. Dick waited for a moment before ceetinuing. Harry didn't say anything, wanting to hear exactly what Dick was talking about. Dick: The team met last neight to discuss what we can do about your problems with finance. We don"t think that we can afford to spend as moch time walking through the coesepts with you anywore. We agreed that is keeping us from being as efficient as we need to be. Harry looked puzzled. He booked arond the moom; only Dick and Jane were willing to look an him directly. The others seemed to be busy workitg on their coemputers. Hany was hurt that the team had had such an irpportant discresion withoun him. He booked downt, try itte wo think of something to say. Jane: We know it is hard for you. So we are each going to send you our noles from finance each day, and pick cut the best spreadsheet, so that you have the best makerials possible every day as you walk inso chass. In fact, since we'll be spending mere time on answering the questions for the cases, l'm willing to bet that we'll have some of the best spreadsheets around. Harry: 1 feel guilty that I have been slowing you gays down. I didn't realize that it was causing such a problem for everyone. Harry again looked around the room, looking for evidenee that everyone felt the same way aboul the sitation. Mark shiffed in his thair, looking up as if he was aboul say something. Dikk and Jane immediately looked at kim. He looked bakk at his computer and remained silent. Rajesh and Svetlana looked even more uncomfortable with the conversation. They hoped that the conversation woald end quickly and they could start talking about the cases. Harry: OK. It seems as though the ieam has agreed. I will have to do my best to abide by the deeision. Lee's get started on tonighit's cases so that we don't waste any more time. The Plan in Aetion As the semester moved along. Hamy became progressively quieter during choce conversations. It was inplicitly undersiood that he would not lead any case discussions. He spent almost all of his time strugeling to decipher the finasce notes and spreadsheets that he received every evening. Mark stayed after leaming tean slmost every night to walk him through his own notes and spreadsheet. Hany gratly appreciated the assistance. However, the material was only getting more eomplicated. Because he was sperding more time studying and wonying about upcoming exams, he wasn't getting much slecp. Thus, be was having a great deal of trouble focusing in class and during learning team mectings. During those meetings, he woukd not offer any of his thoughts unless scemeone asked him a dircct question. In fact, he no loeger asked any questions during leaming team, regardless of the subject. He felt that doing so would celly slow down the team. He worried that the team had lost faith in him and that if he did anything else to raise their ire, they might ask him to leave the team. After all, while the spreadsheets and notes were $0 over his bead that they only provided a modicum of assistance, it was betler than walking into elass empty-handed. He eould not afford to lose his access to this informarica. A New Precedent Is Set Hany's concem about slowing dowa the team seemed to become penasive throughout the team. Dick and Jane tended to work hard to keep the team focused on the case questions. They were thrilled to be leaving learning team every night by 10.00PM. They noted with satisfaction that the grat majority of other teams were still in their learming team fooms ahile they were walking out to the parking garage. Rajesh and Svetlan talked between themselves about bow they fell that the case discussions could be much richer if the seam would allow their eceversation to expand beyond the highly directive ease qestions. However, neither of them was willing to act as a catalyst in challenging Dick or Jane to ehange the way that the case discussions were structured. Given their impromptu tutoring sessions, Mark was worried that his friend might not be able to pass the final exam in finance. After all, it was less than three weels away- Morcover, he knew that Harry couldn't depend upos participation to buoy his overall grade. Harry had admitted to him that he only spoke in class when his professor asked him a questice, and he was coevinced that his answers did noe add valiee to the conversation at all. Like Rajesh and Svedlara, Mark sensed that the learming team was not helping cither Harry or any other member as much as it could. He wondered whether there was time this semester to take new steps to help liarry and io chart a new course for the leaming team