Guidelines for Teamwork in Bass Connections

By Kenzie Doyle, Jana Schaich Borg, and Walter Sinnott-Armstrong. Download a Word document.

By joining our Bass Connections group, you agree to become a part of a team. We expect each individual member to contribute to the success of the team as a whole. The following values are essential to this goal.

Values

  • MODESTY: Acknowledge your own limitations and the complexity of the team’s project, which spans many fields.
  • RESPECT: Respect the diversity of the team, including the background and skill set of each individual member.
  • POLITENESS: Speak and behave politely and patiently with all team members.
  • GENEROSITY: Offer help to other team members when needed.
  • HUMILITY: Recognize when you need help and then seek and accept help from other team members.
  • RELIABILITY: Do all of your work thoroughly, on time, and to the best of your ability, even when it does not benefit you directly or feels mundane or below your skill level.
  • ENGAGEMENT: Pay attention and participate in group meetings. (Avoid computers, phones, and reading materials during meetings, except when directly related to the discussion.)
  • COMMUNICATION: Communicate with other team members between meetings when useful. (If a task has been completed or will not be completed on time, if a problem has arisen or been resolved, if someone has been helpful, tell other team members. If you need to know how someone else’s work is progressing, ask them respectfully.)
  • FLEXIBILITY: Remain open to change. (Designs may need to be changed. Studies may progress differently or more slowly or quickly than expected. Some plans may need to be dropped. Strive to understand why any of this happens, but realize that change and prioritization are necessary for progress.)
  • CREATIVITY: Think creatively. (If you come up with a new question or strategy, pursue it and share it with other members of the team.)
  • INITIATIVE: Motivate yourself to take initiative. (You will achieve more if you proactively engage in projects without external prompting and seek out others rather than waiting for them to come to you.)
  • FAMILIARITY: Learn about the past work of the team that affects current projects.
  • VISION: Let the overarching goals of the team guide your individual research.

Pledges

Beyond agreeing to promote these general values, members of the group also pledge to perform certain specific behaviors:

  • I will ensure that the team’s funds, equipment, data, and materials are used properly, kept safe, and accounted for.
  • I will ensure that I understand and act in accordance with the rules for any confidential data in a protected network.
  • I will do my best to complete tasks well and on time. (If I am unable to meet a deadline or complete a task, I will identify why I am unable to do so, inform any relevant parties, and take action to help myself move forward.)
  • I will inform others if I have a concern about anything in the lab or if I encounter difficulties, need help, or get excited by projects or ideas.
  • I will treat others with respect and seek to resolve any interpersonal conflicts that arise.
  • I will learn how to give and receive constructive feedback.
  • I will understand that repeated problems completing work may require action by the team leaders.
  • I will strive to promote the success and good functioning of the entire team, the broader research community, and anyone affected by our research.

I hereby agree to these team values and make these pledges.

 

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