Collaboration and Team Problem-solving  with College Students

Steven Puckett, a Lecturer of Marketing and Management at the University of North Alabama, has been a long-standing advocate of using Strategic Doing. His introduction to Strategic Doing during his time in the private sector drew him to the University of North Alabama, and now as a Lecturer, he has successfully implemented it in the classroom.

One of the courses Puckett teaches is Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Management 234), designed for freshmen and sophomores. This course focuses on the principles outlined in the book “Strategic Doing: 10 Skills for Agile Leadership.” Its main objective is to enable students to generate genuinely unique ideas. Working with the Agile Strategy Lab, a course named “Collaboration and Team Problem-solving” was developed using Strategic Doing principals. which is an excellent fit for this purpose as it fosters teamwork and collaboration skills among students.

Recognizing the significance of these skills, Puckett firmly believes that Strategic Doing should be a mandatory requirement for all incoming freshmen at UNA. Many students lack the necessary skills to effectively work in teams within the university environment, and Strategic Doing would provide them with these crucial skills right at the beginning of their academic journey.

Puckett has observed remarkable results from students who have participated in the course. Within just one week, students learn the art of collaboration, leveraging their differences as strengths and engaging in productive discussions without the burden of social norms. Basic communication skills also show improvement as a result of the program.

In the upcoming fall semester, Professor Puckett is partnering with the Florence, AL school system to offer Management 234 including the Collaboration and Team Problem-solving modulesas a dual enrollment course. This aims to equip students with the skills necessary to build effective and efficient teams and foster collaboration.

Overall, Puckett’s commitment to using the principals of Strategic Doing and its positive impact on students’ abilities to work in teams is evident. By incorporating this approach into the curriculum, both at UNA and in the partnership with the Florence, AL school system, he is actively promoting the development of essential collaboration skills among students.

You can learn more about the Agile Strategy Lab’s work with education HERE or CONNECT WITH US.