GP1: Coherence and Community : Exploring coherence via group problem solving and an overview of team building exercises

This tutorial will explore in a humanistic way the benefits of coherence within communities taking OOPSLA as an example, whose membership continues to expand geographically, culturally and in the age range of its members.   We will begin by defining the differences between 'teams' and 'communities' and how they can be built and sustained (if longevity is an objective).  The concept of the 'communiteam' will be introduced and similarly investigated.  The starting point is that a 'community' can be a 24/7 grouping of any size, gathered around common interests and ideals with the members possibly in it for the long haul, embracing the concept of mutual support.  A 'team' is usually brought together to work on a specific task or a series of tasks, maybe only collaborating during the working day/week for a time limited period (3 hours to 1 year or more). A 'communiteam' is a mixture of the above.  The annual OOPSLA gathering, maintained by internet contact, websites and journals is a good example of a 'communiteam'.  Group model building and synergistics will be demonstrated.