Enhancing Multidisciplinary Team Productivity

1. “Doing” Productive Multidisciplinary TeamsPatrice M. BuzzanellProfessor, Purdue UniversityAugust 3, 2009

2. Unlikely Partnerships… “As art ages, so do the skills to preserve it,” Wall Street Journal, July 31, 2009 • Restoration of panel art requires knowledge about X-ray probes, ultraviolet scans, infrared reflectograms and molecular spectrorscopy, painting techniques, cultural history, and other expertise • Not learning but “forgetting curve” -- NASA no longer remembers how to make crucial components for nuclear warhead refurbishing

3. Rationale for Emphasis on Multidisciplinarity --Advantages • Can enhance the quality of decisions • Adds complexity to engineering design processes • Enables problem solving from different vantage points • Required by global knowledge economy • Considered essential for scientific and technical teams (e.g., genetics counseling, oncology) in which power dynamics and breakdowns among multiple layers of expert and practical knowledge can prove disastrous • can promote more control over members’ behaviors toward the end of higher productivity

4. Rationale for Emphasis on Multidisciplinarity – Difficulties • Can lead to misunderstandings even when people use the same words • Can be very difficult to accomplish even when team members and leaders know the right “techniques” • can contribute to high costs in product launch delays or lower quality products and services

5. Fostering Productive Multidisciplinary Team Culture Best Processes involve: (1) sharing information / building social capital, (2) developing entrepreneurial mindsets and networks, (3) creating identification, (4) integrating power and control.

6. Processes  Practices (1) sharing information / building social capital  contribute their expertise to design decisions and implementations through a two-step process

7. Two-Step Process for Drawing out Multidisciplinary Expertise • Responds to Questions: • On what can advisors draw to handle team work? • How can advisors and team members model this process?

8. Two-Step Process for Drawing out Multidisciplinary Expertise • discover individual interests and talents despite disciplinary area • work with individual students (and with each other) to locate very specific ways in which each can contribute and become more involved Note: Two-year study indicated that if students do not immediately see where they can contribute, then they can become discouraged and “check out” of the team processes.

9. Two-Step Process for Drawing out Multidisciplinary Expertise • Their two-step process for identification enhancement, especially of non-engineering members, involved members’ reflection and discussion about individual talents and then implementation of those talents. • E.g., BINM artist

10. Processes  Practices (2) developing entrepreneurial mindsets and networks  integrate weak ties & constant questioning e.g., ABIWT= search the campus and community; invite experts to breakfast

11. Processes  Practices (3) creating identification  observe and document strategies for inclusivity, respect, connectedness, enjoyment, and attachment to team missions e.g., elements of culture (re)storied; early ABIWT “crediting” of ideas; discussions of history

12. Processes  Practices (4) integrating power and control  pursue varied control mechanisms with goal of developing sustainable, self-directed work teams e.g., high identification strategies, self- and other-monitoring, path-goal leadership approaches by all (immediate jumping in to help others—late ABIWT)

13. Summary • Best Processes integrated with Best Practices can enhance multidisciplinary efforts • Processes/Practices model works for non-engineering advisors, too!!

14. Closing • Thank you! • Questions and comments?