The Milestone for Teamwork/Collaboration was previously associated with a learning outcome and was principally developed by a national working group -- a team of faculty and staff from different law schools. These resources were developed by the working group and reviewed by the Holloran Center. A PDF version of the Milestone can be found to the right, alongside a bibliography of sources that contains scholarship on Teamwork/Collaboration and ideas for classroom implementation.
Teamwork and Collaboration Milestone
Sub-Competencies | Novice Learner | Intermediate Learner | Competent Learner | Exceptional Learner |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. Prepares for team engagements | Rarely prepared for team discussion and occasionally contributes. | Sometimes is prepared for team discussion and almost always contributes. | Often prepared enough to actively engage in the material and contribute to the team discussion. | Consistently has mastery of the material, enabling a leadership role in helping the team to pursue its goals. |
2. Complies with team rules | Rarely recognizes team rules but frequently does not follow them. | Recognizes and accepts team rules and sometimes complies with them. | Helps create effective team rules and often complies with them. | Consistently has mastery of team rules and actively assists team members in complying with them to serve team goals. |
3. Makes individual contributions outside of team meetings | Rarely completes assigned tasks by the deadline. | Sometimes completes all assigned tasks by the deadline; work accomplished is adequate and serves to advance the team project. | Often completes all assigned tasks by the deadline; work accomplished is thorough and comprehensive and serves to substantially advance the team project. | Consistently completes all assigned tasks by the deadline; work accomplished is thorough, comprehensive, and serves to substantially advance the team project; proactively helps other team members complete their assigned tasks to a similar level of excellence. |
4. Facilitates the contributions of team members | Rarely engages team members by taking turns and listening to others without interrupting. | Sometimes engages team members by taking turns and listening to others without interrupting; facilitates team members’ contributions by re-stating their views and/or asking questions for clarification. | Often engages team members by taking turns and listening to others without interrupting; engages and leads team members in ways that facilitate their contributions by building upon or synthesizing those contributions. | Consistently engages and leads team members in ways that facilitate their contributions by both constructively building upon or synthesizing those contributions, and noticing when someone is not participating and inviting them to engage; allocates work to take advantage of team members’ strengths. |
5. Fosters a constructive team climate | Rarely treats team members respectfully by being polite/constructive in communication; uses neutral vocal/written tone, facial expressions, or body language; occasionally exhibits anger and hostility when team members fail to meet their obligations. | Sometimes treats team members respectfully by being polite/constructive in communication; uses neutral vocal/written tone, facial expressions, or body language; assists and/or encourages team members only if asked; if a team member fails to meet obligations, does not give feedback to the team member but comments on problem to other team members. | Often treats team members respectfully by being polite/constructive in communication; uses positive vocal/written tone, facial expressions, and/or body language to convey a positive attitude about the team and its work; assists and encourages team members freely; may give feedback to team member who fails to meet obligations. | Consistently treats team members respectfully by being polite/ constructive in communication; uses positive vocal/written tone, facial expressions, and body language to convey a supportive attitude about the team and its work; motivates teammates by expressing confidence about the importance of the task and the team’s ability to accomplish it; leads the team by assisting and/or encouraging team members freely; approaches team member shortcomings and failures with understanding but gives direct feedback. |
6. Communicates effectively | Rarely is mentally present during group meetings, and occasionally listens actively and contributes to group discussion; occasionally communicates status of assigned tasks or responds in a timely way when asked about assigned tasks. | Sometimes is mentally present during group meetings, and listens actively; sometimes discusses alternate viewpoints/ideas/opinion; sometimes provides timely status updates on tasks, and sometimes proactively communicates when task will be late or incomplete by agreed-upon deadlines. | Often is mentally present during group meetings, and listens actively; usually discusses alternate viewpoints/ideas/opinions; affirmatively provides status updates on assigned work and proactively communicates when task will be late or incomplete by agreed-upon deadlines. | Consistently is mentally present during group meetings, and actively listens; consistently contributes to team discussions in highly productive ways through clear, respectful communication; proactively provides status updates on assigned work and consistently proactively communicates when task will be late or incomplete by agreed-upon deadlines. |
7. Responds to conflict | If conflict within the team, rarely redirects focus toward common ground and the substantive task at hand; rarely avoids personalizing the conflict; rarely refrains from “tit-for-tat” behavior that increases conflict; rarely recognizes other parties’ underlying concerns and needs. | If conflict within the team, sometimes directs focus toward common ground and the substantive task at hand; sometimes does not personalize the conflict; sometimes refrains from “tit-for-tat” behavior that increases conflict; sometimes recognizes other parties’ underlying concerns and needs. | If conflict within the team, often identifies and acknowledges conflict and stays engaged with it by focusing the team on the substantive issues, not people; often appropriately recognizes other parties’ needs and concerns in the conflict; is flexible as to possible solutions. | Consistently identifies and acknowledges conflict and stays engaged with it by focusing the team on the substantive issues, not people; uses face-saving strategies to encourage team members’ continued engagement and deescalates anger and frustration; appropriately recognizes other parties’ needs in the conflict; is highly flexible as to possible solutions as long as other parties’ needs and concerns are met. |