Team Building and Development
Date: 07/10-26/11
Self-assessment tools, lectures, group works, case discussions, team simulations, guest speakers’ presentations, and a final assignment.
The objective of this short course is to develop the competencies required for RIs managers to build highly empowered, cohesive, accountable, and performing teams.
RIs managers are highly skilled and knowledgeable individuals with solid scientific backgrounds who, despite having worked in many different teams throughout their careers, usually have not received any specific training in team management. Most of RIs activities are carried on in projects which are staffed with people working from a distance on an in-kind and part-time basis.
Team building and development competencies are therefore highly sought in these organizations, and a training program that leverages previous personal experiences offer participants an opportunity to become aware of their strengths and weaknesses and improve their skills to manage their people as a team.
Target Audience
The short course is aimed at managers, operators and other professionals in Research Infrastructures or Core Facilities.
Learning outcomes
The course is framed as a “learning journey” aimed at allowing Learners to first self-assess their team management skills, then to improve their ability to achieve results by involving people individually and as a team through a better understanding of processes such as goal setting and role definition in a project context, delivery of feedback to individuals and teams, collective decision-making and conflicts resolution in a multicultural and oftentimes virtual or dispersed organisational contexts.
The ultimate goal is then to build the competence for them to analyse their team’s workplace culture and to try and improve it by leading all the members to share a set of values, beliefs and behaviours.
After completing this course, the participant will be able to
- Recognise the personalities and motivations of their team members
- Analyse the development phases of a team and identify the appropriate actions to improve its effectiveness.
- Set the team objectives and plan goals, schedules, responsibilities, and resources at both the team and individual levels.
- Build a perceived collective identity and a set of social norms shared among each team member.
- Engage the team and each member towards excellent performance through coaching and feedback delivery practices.
- Lead the decision-making process by managing the conflicts and creating a climate of psychological safety within the team.
- Understand, manage and foster diversity in the team.
- Achieve cohesion in teams whose members belong to different organizations, have a part-time commitment with the RIS, and mostly work mostly remotely.
- Build capacity at the nodes’ level by leveraging their teams.
The course is designed to provide the Learners with:
- Increased self-awareness of their team management style and its potential advantages and disadvantages in different team situations
- Knowledge of Teamwork Quality Indicators
- Understanding of potential sources of diversity within the team and their management
- Knowledge of the development phases of a team
- Knowledge of project management techniques suitable for research groups
- Knowledge of goal setting, team coaching and feedback delivery techniques
- Understanding of the processes required for reaching consensus and taking effective collective decisions in a team
- Knowledge of team trust and psychological safety climate indicators
- Knowledge of potential team dysfunction indicators
- Understanding of community-building processes
- Knowledge of capacity-building strategies
- Understanding multicultural diversity issues and communication strategies
- Knowledge of effective coordination processes for virtual and dispersed teams
The Programme – ed. 2024
| SESSION I – 9 october 2:00-5:00 pm – Team Development | |||
| 1 h | 9 October 2:00-3:00 pm. | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | LectureThe science of science teams: the foundations of team-work collaboration in research organizations |
| 1.30 h | 9 October 3:00-4:30 pm.(includes 10’ break) | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | Case preparation: The making of a team of scientistsCase Discussion: team composition, goals and roles definition and social norms |
| 30m | 9 October 4:30-5:00 pm. | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | Wrap-up: a stage model of team development |
| SESSION II – 11 october 3:00-5:00 pm – Team building: roles and task | |||
| 45m | 11 October 3:00-3:45 pm. | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | LectureDefining roles and planning on task |
| 1.15h | 11 October 3:45-5:00 pm. | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | Exercise on team planningWrap-up: principles of project management |
| SESSION III – 17 october 2:00-5:00 pm – Team building: norms and values | |||
| 1 h | 17 October 2:00-3:00 pm. | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | LectureSharing social norms and building the team values |
| 2 h | 17 October 3:00-5:00 pm.(includes 10’ break) | Guest speaker Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | Team building by community building in a Research Infrastructure Wrap-up: principles of team coaching |
| SESSION IV – 18 october 9:00-1:00 pm – Team decision-making | |||
| 45m | 18 October 9:00-9:45 | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | LectureThe wisdom of teams: resources and processes for effective decision-making |
| 2.30h | 18 October 9:45-12:15 pm.(includes 10’ break) | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | Decision making LGD simulationDebriefing of the simulation: leveraging on team knowledge to reach high-quality decisions |
| 45m | 18 October 12:15-01:00 pm. | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | Wrap-up: building a climate for trust and psychological safety in a team |
| SESSION V – 23 october 9:00-1:00 pm – Team conflicts and their composition | |||
| 45m | 23 October 9:00-9:45 | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | LectureDiagnosing conflict in the team |
| 2.30h | 23 October 9:45-12:15 pm.(includes 10’ break) | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | Conflict LGD simulationDebriefing of the simulation: reaching consensual decisions in conflictual situations |
| 45m | 23 October 12:15-01:00 pm. | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | Wrap-up: strategies for effective conflict composition |
| SESSION VI – 30 october 9:00-1:00 pm – Diverse and multi-cultural teams | |||
| 45m | 30 October 9:00-9:45 | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | LectureThe diversity of teams: a multi-facet construct |
| 2.30h | 30 October 9:45-12:15 pm.(includes 10’ break) | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | Cross-culture simulationDebriefing of the simulation: communication and decision-making in multi-culture teams |
| 45m | 30 October 12:15-01:00 pm. | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | Wrap-up: dealing with different cultures |
| SESSION VII – 6 november 9:00-1:00 pm – Virtual and multi-teams | |||
| 45m | 6 November 9:00-9:45 | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | LectureIssues in the menegement of dispersed teams |
| 2.30h | 6 November 9:45-12:15 pm.(includes 10’ break) | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | Case preparation: Superproject at the time of CovidCase Discussion: achieving high integration in dispersed and virtual teams |
| 45m | 6 November 12:15-01:00 pm. | Francesco Paoletti(Unimib) | Team building final Wrap-up |
The Programme – ed. 2023
Preparation: Self assessment
About ten days before the start of the course, participants will have to fill in two assessment questionnaires that analyse their team management style as well as some characteristics of the most important team they belong to (e.g., a team they need to develop or in which they participate for the most of their time).
The data coming out from these surveys will be analysed, and each participant will receive a personal profile. Moreover, the results are going to be collectively discussed during the first class.
Team development (12 hours, 1,5 days 20-21 June 2023)
TEAM DEVELOPMENT (12 Hours – 1st day afternoon)
| D1 – 1 hour | Francesco Paoletti (UNIMB) Lecture | Introduction to Teams The science of science teams: the foundations of team-work collaboration in research organizations Debriefing on the results of participants’ self-assessments: emerging issues A diagnostic tool: the Teamwork Quality Scale |
| D1 – 1.5 hour | Francesco Paoletti (UNIMB) Case study preparation and discussion | Case study analysis Case: The making of a team of scientists (A)Case Discussion: team composition, goals and roles definition and social norms |
| D1 – 1.5 hour | Francesco Paoletti (UNIMB) Lecture | A stage model of team development Team dynamics: the management of the transitions between the stages of a team life-cycle |
| D2 – 1,5 hour | Francesco Paoletti (UNIMB) Case study preparation and discussion | Case study analysis Case: The making of a team of scientists (B) Case Discussion: managing personality factors and motivational processes within the team |
| D2 – 1 hour | Francesco Paoletti (UNIMB) Lecture | Sharing social norms inside the teamT eam dynamics: diagnosing the next steps needed in a team development |
| D2 – 1,5 hours | Francesco Paoletti (UMIL) Case study preparation and discussion | Case studies analysis Case: The making of a team of scientist (C) Case discussion: building collective norms in teams through project planning |
| D2 – 2 hours | Niklas Bloomberg (Elixir) Case study preparation and discussion | Guest speech Team building by community building: the case of Elixir |
| D2 – 2 hours | Francesco Paoletti (UNIMB) Lecture | Team coaching and delivery of feedback Principles and techniques of team coaching Effective delivery of feedback approaches |
Team decision making and conflict management (8 hours, 1 day 22 June 2023)
| D3 – 0,5 hours | David Eggleton (U. of Sussex)Lecture | Introduction to team decision making Diversity, cohesion and conflicts as resources in team decision-making processes |
| D3 – 2,5 hours | David Eggleton (U. of Sussex)Simulation | LGD simulation Decision making simulation Debriefing of the simulation: how to leverage each member knowledge to reach high-quality and consensual decisions |
| D3 – 1 hour | David Eggleton (U. of Sussex)Lecture | Decision-making strategies Tools and techniques to structure collective decision-making in different teams |
| D3 – 2 hours | David Eggleton (U. of Sussex)Simulation | LGD simulation Psychological safety simulation Debriefing of the simulation: how to build a climate for trust and psychological safety in a team |
| D3 – 2 hours | Francesco Paoletti (UNIMB)Lecture | Team effectiveness: the dark side of teams Groupthink and other teams disfunctions: how to detect and avid potential pitfalls in teams |
Multicultural and dispersed teams (4 hours, 1 day 23 June 2023)
| D4 – 0,5 hours | Francesco Paoletti (UNIMB)Lecture | Multicultural teams Diversity, cohesion and conflicts as resources in team decision-making processes |
| D4 – 1,5 hours | Francesco Paoletti (UNIMB)Simulation | LGD simulation Cross culture simulation Debriefing of the simulation: communicating in a multicultural team |
| D4 – 0,5 hours | Francesco Paoletti (UNIMB)Lecture | Remote teams Issues in the management of remote teams and possible organisational responses |
| D4 – 1,5 hours | Francesco Paoletti (UNIMB)Case study | Case study analysis Case: Superproject at the time of Covid Case Discussion: how to achieve cohesion and integration in a dispersed and virtual team |
The Faculty – ed. 2024
| Francesco Paoletti | Francesco Paoletti is Professor of Human Resource Management at University of Milano–Bicocca. He holds a Ph.D. in Management from Bocconi University and an ITP (International Teaching Program) from the Stern School of Business at the New York University. He has a long experience in executive education at SDA Bocconi School of Management and has been a permanent visiting professor at the University of Florida – Warrington School of Management. He is the Italian principal investigator at the Cranet – international comparative research on human resource management practices. His research topics are: competency modelling and assessment, leadership and team management. On these issues he has published a book and several articles on international leading journals. In the last years his research on these topics focused on RIs, and a chapter book and several research papers framed in this context are forthcoming. He is the leader of the Executive Master in Management of Research Infrastructures (EMMRI) module on leadership and team building.Francesco is a Fellow of the Academy of Management (AOM) and of European Group for Organizations Studies (EGOS) and is certified to use Hogan Personality Inventories. |
The Faculty – ed. 2023
| Francesco Paoletti | Francesco Paoletti is Professor of Human Resource Management at University of Milano–Bicocca. He holds a Ph.D. in Management from Bocconi University and an ITP (International Teaching Program) from the Stern School of Business at the New York University. He has a long experience in executive education at SDA Bocconi School of Management and has been a permanent visiting professor at the University of Florida – Warrington School of Management. He is the Italian principal investigator at the Cranet – international comparative research on human resource management practices. His research topics are: competency modelling and assessment, leadership and team management. On these issues he has published a book and several articles on international leading journals. In the last years his research on these topics focused on RIs, and a chapter book and several research papers framed in this context are forthcoming. He is the leader of the Executive Master in Management of Research Infrastructures (EMMRI) module on leadership and team building.Francesco is a Fellow of the Academy of Management (AOM) and of European Group for Organizations Studies (EGOS) and is certified to use Hogan Personality Inventories. |
| David Eggleton | David Eggleton is Lecturer in Project Management with Innovation Studies at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex. He received his initial training in Physics with Management at King’s College London in 2007 before receiving additional Masters training in photon statistics at the University of Sussex in 2011 within the Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics group. Following this, David switched disciplines and completed his PhD in Technology and Innovation Management at SPRU in 2018 examining leadership and project management in the context of large scale research infrastructures. This necessitated fieldwork at CERN in Switzerland and at Fermilab in the United States where he held visiting researcher status. Amongst his current projects is an investigation into dynamic conditions for project success. David is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a Certified Management and Business Educator (CMBE) with the Chartered Associated of Business Schools (CABS) in the UK. |
| Niklas Blomberg | Niklas Blomberg is the Elixir Director. Dr Blomberg, a Swedish national, holds a BSc in Chemistry from Göteborg University and a PhD from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg. He was previously Principal Scientist and Team Leader in Computational Chemistry and Computational Biology at AstraZeneca R&D Mölndal, Sweden, where he has enjoyed a successful career until 2013 when he joined ELIXIR. In addition, he has been an industry advisor in national eScience initiatives and an active participant in cross-industry research programmes such as IMI OpenPHACTS.Niklas is a permanent visiting professor at EMMRI-Bicocca in the module on leadership and team development. |
How to Apply
All CPD courses will be formally delivered by the University of Milano-Bicocca. As such, you will be part of the academic community. According to Italian academic law, there are some compulsory tasks that must be performed:
1- The application period is from July 31, 2024, to September 9, 2024.
2- To provide the Faculty with a comprehensive view of all candidates, you must browse the course catalog and submit all required information through a specific form for each course you wish to participate in. This step is mandatory to enter the selection process, but it does not guarantee admission (please refer to point 4).
3- The Faculty will select the appropriate candidates for the courses between September 10, 2024, and September 16, 2024.
4- All selected candidates are required to formally enroll on the ESSE3 platform here: https://s3w.si.unimib.it/Root.do. If a candidate does not complete the process on the ESSE3 portal, they cannot be admitted to the courses. The profiling process must be completed through this platform and cannot be handled by the administrative office, as it is a formal requirement for admission. All registrations must be completed by October 3rd. No grace period has been planned.
Apply by filling in the form and upload your CV (max 3 pages)
Cost
The pilot short course is offered free-of-charge and requires the participant’s full commitment during lectures, group work and written assignments.
Info & Contact
To pass the course the participant must attend at least 80% of the lectures.
For any doubt or information, please see the FAQs below or send an email to ritrainplus[at]unimib.it
FAQs
Why should I take this programme?
The programme is aimed at managers, operators and other professionals at Research Infrastructures and Core Facilities willing to share their experience and upskill themselves.
Who is behind this programme?
The pilot programme is designed by academic and educational experts who gathered in the RItrainPlus project to share their long experience working or leading Research Infrastructures or other scientific institutions.
How is the programme organized?
The programme is divided into seven short courses, each containing separate sessions. The short courses take up 16–32 hours each for the training sessions, plus individual work.
How do I take part?
The participants can take up either the whole programme and progress from one short course to the next, or take an individual short course that best fits their needs. For those interested in taking up the whole programme, it should be noted that although the session activities will not be overlapping, time for individual work might be hardly enough. Participants are advised to check the course schedules for more information.
Once selected to be part of the program, the University of Milano-Bicocca will provide you with an official account to log into the e-learning platform. Through this email account, you will receive all official communications from the University and the final Certificate of Completion.
What’s expected of me?
The Pilot courses are part of a development project which will be enriched by the Participants. Strong commitment to this concept is necessary. The participant is expected to participate in at least 75% of the scheduled activities. Participation in the programmed in-person activities is mandatory. The individual courses are assessed in different ways.
Do I have to take all the sessions in a short course? Can I just choose what I like?
The participant needs to participate in all the sessions in the short course. Course’s thematic units are not opt-in modules.
What does it cost?
The pilot courses are offered free of charge for the Participants. The Project is supported by the European Union’s H2020 programme under grant agreement no.101008503
How are the courses taught?
The short courses are offered mostly as online courses that take up to 6 typically non-consecutive half-days. The courses are taught by experienced Academics and Executives at RItrainPlus partner universities and institutions with the contribution of invited international Experts. The courses will be delivered in the period October-November 2024.
How do I apply? Is there a selection process? Are there specific administrative tasks to complete in order to be formally enrolled?
All CPD courses will be formally delivered by the University of Milano-Bicocca. As such, you will be part of the academic community. According to Italian academic law, there are some compulsory tasks that must be performed:
1- The application period is from July 31, 2024, to September 9, 2024.
2- To provide the Faculty with a comprehensive view of all candidates, you must browse the course catalog and submit all required information through a specific form for each course you wish to participate in. This step is mandatory to enter the selection process, but it does not guarantee admission (please refer to point 4).
3- The selection of accepted candidates will be performed until September 17th, 2024.
4- All selected candidates are required to formally enroll on the ESSE3 platform here: https://s3w.si.unimib.it/Root.do. If a candidate does not complete the process on the ESSE3 portal, they cannot be admitted to the courses. The profiling process must be completed through this platform and cannot be handled by the administrative office, as it is a formal requirement for admission. All registrations must be completed by October 3rd. No grace period has been planned.
When will I know if my application has been accepted?
Selected participants are informed of the acceptance of their application by September 17th 2024.
What if I realize that I cannot participate anymore after I’ve been admitted to participation?
If the participant wishes to cancel their participation, they are required to inform the organizers at least two weeks prior to the starting of the course