Effective Team Building in The College or University Context

Thad Hicks presented his research into Effective Team Building at The EMAO College and University Emergency Management workshop at OSU Marion on Thursday, Nov. 1st.

Emergency Management practitioners and students from College and Universities across Ohio were gathered to learn more about the Emergency Management process on Ohio campuses and to see how this work intersects with other EM processes.

Team building within Emergency Management is vital, but dirty work. A group’s ability to form an efficient and effective team correlates directly with its success. What happens when an organization does not have the resources available to support a team and must rely on untrained, often spontaneous volunteers?

Research shows that Colleges and Universities often rely heavily on volunteers to carry out different areas of its work, including Emergency and Disaster Services. Are these groups effective in accomplishing their mission? Thad's presentation looked at the research surrounding the formation of teams, and the attributes that successful teams possess.