MU MSBA Capstone
TEAM CONTRACT
Suggested Agenda of Team Leaders – Organization Meeting
It is important for your team to agree upon key organizational issues prior to working with your client. Cohesive,
well-functioning teams position themselves to maximize their strengths and product and excellent work product.
Additionally, smooth functioning teams have more fun! The end result of your discussion will be a Team Contract.
You will retain a copy of this Contract and also submit a copy on Canvas. Your Team Contract should be the first
place your team goes if you experience any problems within the team.
Suggested Meeting Agenda
I. Develop a Team Name: Creativity counts, but not at the expense of professionalism. Make sure everyone
can agree that it reflects your team’s identity in some way.
II. Establish a WEEKLY STANDING meeting time and location (other than our class period time). All members
of the team must agree to a weekly meeting time and place, even if there are some weeks that the team
decides not to meet. Also, decide who will reserve study rooms/meeting places if/when they are needed.
III. Complete a contract sheet for each team member (name, phone number and email address for all team
members). Attach this sheet to the Team Contract.
IV. Discuss items such as the following before developing your specific team operating guidelines:
a. What worries you most or is your biggest concern about working on this team?
b. How would this team be functioning if everything went just as you had hoped?
c. How would this team be functioning if things went horribly wrong in your eyes?
d. What actions do you think must be taken to ensure positive outcomes?
V. Discuss individual team member strengths: Writing, requirements Analysis, Database Design,
Development, Data Visualization, Predictive Analytics, Creativity, etc.
VI. Develop a Team Contract (suggested topics to elaborate upon and/or add to those on the formal Team
Contract):
a. What are your behavioral norms and expectations as well as the specific appropriate
consequences for violating these norms?
b. What are the team’s expectations for quality for individual work products (e.g., are submissions
to be “drafts” or “ready to publish” final quality, deadlines)?
c. How will you team resolve differences?
d. What is the role of the Team Leader other than those responsibilities outlines in the syllabus?
Will there also be sharing of leadership responsibilities?
e. Who will reserve study rooms/meeting places if/when they are needed?
VII. Have all team members read and sign the final version of the Team Contract. Keep one copy and submit
one copy to Director Tabor.
Directions:
1. Complete Team Contract (must be typed)
2. All team members must sign contract
3. Submit on Canvas
SMU MSBA Data Visualization Team Contract
Team Name: SMU Vizards
Team Leader: Srikanth Soma
Weekly Team Meeting Time and Location: Tuesday 12:30 PM in Business Library
Norms: The rules and patterns of behavior that are accepted and expected by members of a group. In general,
norms define the kind of behaviors that group members believe are necessary to help the group reach is goals.”
(Organizational Behavior, 6th Ed. Hell Riegel, Slocum, Woodman)
1. Team Member’ Contact Information (attach to Team Contract)
2. Please address the following items (attach to the Team Contract). Bullet point format is acceptable.
a. What will be our basic method for working together and getting our work completed? (e.g.,
what actions do you think must be taken to ensure positive outcomes or avoid horrible
disasters?)
b. How do we make sure that everyone gets a chance to discuss issues or raise concerns? (e.g.,
What worries you most of is your biggest concern about working on this team? How will your
team resolve differences?)
c. How will we ensure the quality and timely completion of work? (e.g., are our deadlines 4 days
before the due date? What are the expectations of quality for individual work product? What is
our methodology for quality control?)
d. What specific action(s) will be taken when a team member breaks the contract or fails to
display team member norms as outlines in our Team Contract? (e.g., the consequences for not
handing in work on time, a poor work product, etc.?)
Your signature below indicates an agreement to the standards and practices set forth in this contract. Should you
fail to behave or perform in accordance with the agreement you’ve made with your team, you will be subject to
the disciplinary standards agreed upon by the team. Should your behavior or performance fail to improve, your
performance can and will have a negative impact on your grade. Repeated behavioral or performance problems
and/or complaints about behavior or performance that conflicts with the SMU Student Code of Conduct and/or
SMU Honor code will be referred to the course instructor.
Team Member Names Team Member Signatures
1._Srikanth Soma_____________________________ S S
2._Isak Arms_________________________________ _I A____________________________
3.___________________________________________ ________________________________
4.___________________________________________ ________________________________
5.___________________________________________ ________________________________
Team Contract
Areas of Interest:
A. What will be our basic method for working together and getting our work completed?
 Team members will collaborate to complete tasks identified and assigned during weekly internal
team meetings.
 Some tasks may require the team members to work together towards a specific goal, while
others may require that they work independently until they bring their work together during the next
team meeting.
B. How do we make sure that everyone gets a chance to discuss issues or raise concerns?
 During internal team meetings and during client meetings, team members should feel comfortable raising
their opinions about project related topics and issues.
C. How will we ensure the quality and timely completion of work?
 Project material deadlines will be established and defined during weekly internal meetings. Team
members will exercise great effort to complete project materials on time and in professional quality.
 Team members must unanimously approve project deliverable design before showing the client our work.
D. What specific action(s) will be taken when a team member breaks the contract or fails to display team
member norms as outlines in our Team Contract?
 If a student team member should break this contract or fail to uphold the expectations required of them,
then the following actions will be prescribed in attempt to remedy the situation and ensure that the
project deliverables are not affected:
o Upon the first offense, the team will address the offense during an internal team meeting. A
solution for how to prevent a similar situation from arising must be discussed and agreed upon.
o Upon another offense, the team will again address the offense during an internal team meeting
and Capstone contact Tim McDonough may be made aware depending on the nature of the
offense.
o Upon a third offense, the team will yet again address the offense during an internal team
meeting and Capstone contact Tim McDonough will be made aware of the situation. Depending
on the nature of the offense and its impact on client deliverables, an inquiry into the balance of
work and responsibility within the team will be opened– which could impact grade point
allocation between team members.
o Upon a fourth offense, the offending team member is removed from the capstone project team.
Capstone contact Tim McDonough will be made aware of the situation.
E. Expectations from Team members:
 Forward and open communication. Change of plans will be communicated in advance as soon as possible
to other team members.
 Listen, understand, debate with the team for a mutual agreement on all project ideas and
implementation.
 Appreciate others’ efforts and try to contribute proportionately.
 Keep notifications turned on in Team group chat and respond to messages in a timely manner.
F. Expectations in deliverables
 Quality: Should at least address the fundamental points clearly and be functional
 Drafts: Should be presentable and easy to understand to internal team but may require additional
explanation to client.
 Final submission: Should clearly communicates all elements of functionality and be easy to use.
G. Addressing Team member differences
 Be understanding and respectful to others’ views.
 Accept mistakes and move forward.
 Agree to difference if it is in benefit of the project or team.
H. Role of Team leader
 Convey team’s issues with the client and instructors.
 Facilitate client meetings and client communication
 Cautioning for violation of team contract
I. Mode of communication:
 Internal student team: Whatsapp
 Client (Axonics) team: MS Teams & Email
J. Internal Meeting Schedule:
Weekly meeting: Tuesday 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
Optional Meetings: Monday 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM &
Friday 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
K. Team Member contacts:
 Srikanth Soma
i. Cell: 4698820081
ii. Email: <PRESIDIO_ANONYMIZED_EMAIL_ADDRESS>
 Isak Arms
i. Cell: 6825525716
ii. Email: <PRESIDIO_ANONYMIZED_EMAIL_ADDRESS>