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Tips and Resources - Effective Teamwork: Career Readiness and Higher Education

Balancing the Structured Classroom and the Ambiguous Workplace 

In the college classroom, instructors create a structured environment for teamwork by providing clear guidelines, addressing interpersonal dynamics, and using detailed grading rubrics. In the workplace, however, collaboration often requires navigating ambiguity鈥攎anagers may offer limited direction, and employees must interpret expectations and take initiative. Effective teamwork depends on adaptability, problem-solving, and clear communication despite uncertainty. How can we balance structured, equitable education while preparing students to collaborate and succeed in less-defined workplace environments? 

• Be intentional: Explain to students that developing the ability to interpret expectations, take initiative, and navigate ambiguity is essential because these are critical skills for success in work environments that may feel less structured than the classroom. 

Resource highlight: 鈥�鈥� from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) provides career-readiness language that instructors can adopt. 

• Calibrate support: Consider a developmental approach, offering more guidance to early-year students while gradually increasing expectations for independence and adaptability.  

• Scaffold conflict management in group work: Give students teamwork strategies upfront - like designating a leader, resolving conflict internally first, and understanding that managing group dynamics is a learnable skill. 

• Encourage independent problem-solving: First, provide direct solutions (e.g., show students which functions or formulas to use to solve homework problems in early examples), then gradually shift responsibility to students by having them identify the appropriate tools/functions/formulas on their own. Cultivating resourcefulness as well as confidence. 

• Reinforce attention to detail: Emphasize that 鈥渓ittle things鈥� matter - not just for grades but as reflections of professionalism and ownership. Point out student behaviors that may not affect grades but could harm workplace success, such as missed details or not following social or workplace expectations.   

Assessing Teamwork: Balancing Fairness and Self-Advocacy 

In academic settings, instructors design group assignments to ensure individual contributions are fairly assessed, often incorporating multiple checkpoints for equity. In the workplace, however, employees must take ownership of their work, communicate their value, and advocate for themselves - especially when collaborating in teams - or risk being overlooked or misjudged. How can instructors integrate self-advocacy and visibility into teamwork assessments? How do we help students confidently articulate their contributions while ensuring fairness in grading and avoiding over-rewarding self-promotion over substantive work? 

• Recognize different communication styles: Be aware that some students naturally showcase their contributions more than others. Pay attention to cultural differences when team members come from diverse backgrounds, as it may be difficult for all students to advocate for themselves. 

Resource highlights:  

 from UMatter @ Princeton 

 from ExecEd @ Berkeley  

• Incorporate self-reflection: Have students rate and justify their own contributions before evaluating their peers in group work. This encourages accountability and allows students to practice identifying their skills in their own words (something that will help them in future job interviews). 

• Highlight career-readiness skills: Explicitly include self-advocacy, attention to detail, and similar professional competencies in syllabi and classroom norms. 

Resource highlight: The recent report  "" from the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU) provides an overview of employer expectations. 

Navigating Hierarchy and Performance Expectations at the Workplace 

Colleges foster an inclusive and supportive environment, offering struggling students coaching and assistance. In contrast, workplaces are often hierarchical and performance-driven - underperforming employees may not receive guidance but instead face career setbacks. How can instructors help students develop resilience and accountability in teamwork, preparing them for professional environments where support may be limited, and high performance is expected? 

• Normalize feedback and rework: Frame revisiting and revising one鈥檚 work as a growth opportunity, not a punishment. 

• Allow for low-stakes failure: Create space for students to make mistakes and learn resilience - essential for adapting to less forgiving work environments. 

• Provide 鈥渞eality checks鈥�: Be transparent about workplace expectations - deadlines, performance pressures - and help students understand the shift from educational to professional culture. 

• Encourage metacognitive reflection: Ask students to reflect on their learning styles and consider how they鈥檒l adapt when teaching methods don鈥檛 align, rather than expecting instructors to adjust. 

Acknowledgement: 

We extend our gratitude to the three panelists Wesley Davis, Jenny Windle, and Paul Mendoza at the workshop 鈥淓ffective Teamwork for Gen-Z: Insights from the Industry" (Monday, February 24th, 2025). These three industry experts shared valuable insights on teamwork skills at the workplace for the new generation of workers and inspired this resource. 

We are especially thankful to the faculty participants of the workshop "Effective Teamwork for Gen-Z: Career Readiness and Higher Education Debates" (Monday, March 10th, 2025), whose engaging discussions and valuable contributions led to the creation of this resource.