Module 11 Assignment: Teamwork at Salty Pawz

Scenario

Wanda has been running Salty Pawz out of her home with the help of just a few friends. She is now considering expanding the business, which means hiring new people and delegating tasks. She read a magazine article about the effectiveness of teams in the workplace, and she has decided to create teams as soon as she hires her new staff. However, the only teams Wanda knows much about are NFL teams.

She has provided you with a list of the positions she is thinking of adding as she expands Salty Pawz:

    • 1 full-time treat baker
    • 2 part-time baking assistants
    • 1 full-time sales manager
    • 2 part-time retail clerks
    • 1 part-time bookkeeper
    • 1 full-time office/administrative assistant
    • 1 customer service representative
    • 1 part-time marketing and promotions manager
    • 1 part-time shipping/receiving clerk
    • 1 part-time Web master/tech support person

She asks you to recommend a structure and organize her employees into teams, since she doesn’t think letting them pick which team they want to be on is a good idea.

Your Task

  1. Explain to Wanda the team structure options she can consider once she expands the business, and make specific suggestions about how you would organize her workforce based on the type/structure of teams you recommend.
  2. Give Wanda concrete and specific information about the developmental stages she should expect her new teams to go through once they are established. Be sure to consider the types of work each employee will be performing and, when describing the stages of team development, explain how he or she will need to interact to become a high-functioning team member.
  3. When providing Wanda with the information above, also be certain to point out the consequences of poor teamwork and give her specific ways she can support these teams to make them successful.

Grading Rubric

Sample Grading Rubric
Criteria Not Evident: 0% Developing: 55% Proficient: 80% Distinguished: 100% Weight
Explain team structures appropriate for Salty Pawz expansion. 0 points 11 points 16 points 20 points 20%
Explain the developmental stages expected for new teams. 0 points 11 points 16 points 20 points 20%
Explain the consequences of poor teamwork. 0 points 11 points 16 points 20 points 20%
Provide examples of strategies to support successful teamwork. 0 points 11 points 16 points 20 points 20%
Articulation of response (citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas). 0 points 11 points 16 points 20 points 20%

Total points possible: 100.