Table Of ContentINTERPERSONAL SKILLS FOR GROUP
COLLABORATION
This lively and engaging text introduces readers to the core interpersonal and
organizational skills needed to effectively collaborate on group projects in the
classroom and the workplace.
Groupprojectsarecriticalinpreparingstudentsfortherealitiesoftoday’sworkplace,
but many college students despise group work—often because they have not been
prepared with the necessary skills to effectively collaborate. This guide teaches
corecollaborationskillssuchasactivelistening,interviewing,empathy,andconflict
resolution. It examines the research and theory behind these skills, and provides
tangiblewaystopracticetheseskillsbothaloneandingroups.
Thisguidecanbeusedasasupplementarytextforanycoursesinvolvinggroup
projects, and will also be of interest to professionals in communication, business,
and many other fields.
Tammy Rice-Bailey is an Associate Professor of Technical Communication
and User Experience at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, USA.
FeliciaChongisaUXResearcherwithanacademicbackgroundinrhetoricand
technical communication.
“Successful group work is critical in both academia and workplaces. Interpersonal
Skills for Group Collaboration is a practical and useful guide for anyone responsible
for ensuring positive outcomes from group collaborations!”
–– Jon Kaupla, President of the Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional &
Executive Development, University of Wisconsin-Madison
“Rice-Bailey and Chong have provided a thorough yet entirely accessible text on
building effective collaboration teams. Although thoroughly researched, it doesn’t
clutter the students’ reading experience by dragging them (usually kicking and
screaming) through a pedantic explication of academic theories; instead, it distills those
theories down into pragmatic, action-oriented strategies that they actually need.”
–– Tharon W. Howard, Professor and Usability Testing Facility Director,
Clemson University
“Interpersonal Skills for Group Collaboration is a practical guide for those who are
seeking advice and strategies to collaborate effectively and mindfully on teams
made up of people with diverse backgrounds. Rice-Bailey and Chong provide an
accessible set of best practices and recommendations for teamwork informed by
research and professional experiences.”
–– Jason Tham, Texas Tech University. Co-author (with Joe Moses), Collaborative
Writing Playbook and Writing to Learn in Teams
“Interpersonal Skills for Group Collaboration provides a clear roadmap for working
productively with groups in multiple contexts. The many suggestions and
explanations meet the timely challenges we are experiencing whether connecting
in-person, in classes, in workspaces, or across distance.”
–– Lee-Ann Kastman Breuch, Professor of Writing Studies, University of Minnesota
INTERPERSONAL
SKILLS FOR GROUP
COLLABORATION
Creating High-Performance Teams
in the Classroom and the Workplace
Tammy Rice-Bailey and Felicia Chong
Designed cover image: Rawpixel / Getty
First published 2023
by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
and by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 Tammy Rice-Bailey and Felicia Chong
The right of Tammy Rice-Bailey and Felicia Chong to be identified as authors
of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent
to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Rice-Bailey, Tammy, author. | Chong, Felicia, author.
Title: Interpersonal skills for group collaboration : creating high-performance
teams in the classroom and the workplace / Tammy Rice-Bailey,
Felicia Chong.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2023. |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2022041965 (print) | LCCN 2022041966 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781032259079 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032259062 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781003285571 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Interpersonal relations. | Cooperation. |
Teams in the workplace.
Classification: LCC HM1106 .R533 2023 (print) | LCC HM1106 (ebook) |
DDC 302.3--dc23/eng/20220915
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022041965
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022041966
ISBN: 978-1-032-25907-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-25906-2 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-28557-1 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003285571
Typeset in Bembo
by Taylor & Francis Books
CONTENTS
List of figures vi
Acknowledgements vii
Introduction 1
1 Engaging in conversation 10
2 Listening 25
3 Conveying and monitoring nonverbal cues 37
4 Practicing empathy 54
5 Sharing ideas 65
6 Employing creativity 77
7 Managing conflict 92
8 Developing self-awareness 102
9 Making your meetings productive 116
Appendix A: Which shape are you? 127
Appendix B: Pre-contract teamwork questionnaire 129
Index 131
FIGURES
1.1 What not to say to a team member 16
2.1 Example of semantic noise 28
3.1 Positioning group members around a center point 39
3.2 Incongruent verbal and nonverbal messages 46
4.1 Example of authentic curiosity 57
5.1 Example of linking ideas 67
7.1 Reviewing and critiquing ideas 94
8.1 The four quadrants of the Johari Window 103
9.1 Simple team contract 118
9.2 Sample project plan 120
9.3 Sample agenda 121
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank our artist, Leah Fleishman, for her creative depictions of
interpersonal scenarios.
In addition, we would like to thank the following individuals for their valuable
conversation and support: Brandon Bailey, Kim Baker, Eric Baumgartner, Elaine
Carey, B rian Castelli, Sean Daly, A licia Domack, Brian E schrich, Annemarie
Fleishman, Joshua Hertzog, Tyra Hildebrand, Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz, Deanna Leitzke,
Lorelei Parolin, Rachel Schmidt, and Saj Thachenkary.
INTRODUCTION
Quite often, we hear complaints from students that they hate group work. Just as
frequently, we hear friends and colleagues criticize their committees or projects that
never seem to gain any traction. We believe that with focused attention to interpersonal
skills and basic team processes, individuals can not only overcome the disagreeableness
associated with such collaborations, but they can also create productive and enjoyable
group experiences. Interpersonal Skills for Group Collaboration: Creating High-Performance
Teams in the Classroom and the Workplace is designed to help individuals, especially those
who dread group work, be successful in their group collaborations.
We sometimes think that the problems we see in college-level collaborations
will disappear when the students enter the workplace. After all, employees are
motivated to perform so that they can retain their jobs and earn a living. So, we
might not expect team members to skip meetings, produce substandard work, or
miss deadlines. Yet, they do. Some issues that we see in college groups may not be
immediately identifiable in the workplace. For instance, it is less likely that a
member of a workplace group would try to take charge because there would
typically be a project manager who is tasked with the leadership. However, power
struggles do exist in workplace teams, particularly in cross-functional teams, where
group members may have incompatible expectations or goals.
The practices presented in this text can be used in various types of groups to
maximize the effectiveness of its members and to move the collaborative experience
from good (or mediocre) to great.
Who should use this book?
This book is intended for use by individuals and teams, both in the college
classroom and in the workplace. A great time to use the text is when you are part
DOI: 10.4324/9781003285571-1
