OMBA 6943 A07: Developing and Leading Teams

OMBA 6943 - Developing and Leading High Performing Teams

Summer 2026 Syllabus, Section A07, CRN 31105,

Credit hours: 3

Course Meeting Times

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Instructor

Joanna Forbes

Professional Qualifications:
Professional Qualifications:
Professor: Joanna Forbes, MS, SHRM-SCP
Professional Qualifications:
Senior Certified Professional, Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Doctoral Student, Ed.D. in Higher Education (anticipated completion: Summer 2026), YSU
Master of Science, Leadership, Training and Development, Carlow University, Pittsburgh, PA
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, PA
25+ years of professional human resources, organizational behavior, & operational experience
Office: WCBA 3332
Phone: 330.941.3149
Email: jrforbes01@ysu.edu
Preferred Contact Method: e-mail
Student Support Hours: as requested via Microsoft Teams
Communication Expectations: Monday to Friday, response within 24 hours

Lecturer

Email: jrforbes01@ysu.edu

Office: WCBA 3332

Summer 2026 Office Hours:
As scheduled

Office Phone: 330.941.3149

Preferred Contact Method: e-mail

Communication Expectations:
E-mails will be returned within 24 hours Monday through Friday.

Lecturer

Email: jrforbes01@ysu.edu

Office: WCBA 3332

Office Phone: 3309413149

Course Description

6943. Developing and Leading High Performing Teams. The success of professionals in any organizational context is reliant on their ability to harness the power of teams. Essential to this type of success is one’s knowledge, skills, and ability to develop and lead teams to be more productive, efficient, and effective. In this course participants will learn the characteristics of high-performing teams, various tools that foster collaboration, communication, and trust among team members, and techniques to handle common challenges and conflicts that arise in teams. Prereq.: graduate standing, admission to the OMBA Program or permission from the MBA Program. 3 s.h.

Course Readings

Group Title Author ISBN
Required Leading at a Higher Level, Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performing Organizations Ken Blanchard ISBN-10: 0-13-485753-4 ISBN-13: 978-0-13-485753-4
  • Textbook: Leading at a Higher Level, Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performing Organizations. Third Edition, Author: Ken Blanchard

The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.  

Additional Course Materials

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Course Learning Outcomes/Objectives/Goals

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How to Succeed in This Course

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Attendance Expectations

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Late Work Submission Policy

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Additional Course Expectations

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Artificial Intelligence Policy Statement

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Assignments/Assessments

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Grading and Grading Scale

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University Policies

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Schedule of Topics and Assignments

Week of Reading(s) Proposed Topic Due/To Prepare for Class
5/11 Textbook: Blanchard, K. (2019). Leading at a Higher Level (MLO1-3) Chapter 1: Is your Organization High Performing? (MLO1) Chapter 2: The Power of Vision (MLO3) Chapter 11: Team Leadership p.155-168 (MLO1) Importance of HIgh Performing Teams Discussion Post Due on Wednesday, Assignment, Quiz, Response to Peers due on Sunday
5/18 extbook: Blanchard, K. (2019). Leading at a Higher Level (MLO1-3) Chapter 5: The Power Behind Empowerment (MLO1) Chapter 6: One-On-One Leadership/Performance Management (MLO3) Chapter 7: Essential Skills for One-on-One Leadership (MLO3) Chapter 12: Collaboration: Fuel for High Performance (MLO2) Designing the Team for Excellence Discussion Post Due on Wednesday, Assignment, Quiz, Response to Peers due on Sunday
5/25 Textbook: Blanchard, K. (2019). Leading at a Higher Level Chapter4: Situational Leadership: The Integrating Concept (MLO1,3) Harvard Business Review articles Why Emotional Intelligence Is Important in Leadership (MLO 2) Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups (MLO 2) Leading Others Discussion Post Due on Wednesday, Assignment, Quiz, Response to Peers due on Sunday
6/1 Textbook: Blanchard, K. (2019). Leading at a Higher Level Chapter11: Team Leadership/Stages of Team Development (MLO2) Textbook Reference: Blanchard, K. (2019). Leading at a higher level. Pearson Education, Inc. Website Readings Review the follow site(s) and look over the information for the topic we are focusing on this week. IndeedArticle: Group vs. Teams (MLO1) Website References: Herrity, J. (2022). Group vs. team: What's the difference? https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/group-vs-team Team Processes, Norms, and Culture Discussion Post Due on Wednesday, Assignment, Quiz, Response to Peers due on Sunday
6/8 Textbook Readings Read the following early in the week to help you respond to discussion question(s) and to complete your assignment(s). Chapter 8: Building Trust (MLO3) (Please note: The "Trust" assessment referred to on pages 122 and 123 in our textbook does not work. There is a self assessment on Trust located at this link: https://www.blanchard.com/our-content/programs/building-trust/trustworks-book-quiz that you may find helpful.) Textbook Reference: Blanchard, K. (2019). Leading at a higher level. Pearson Education, Inc. Article Readings Review the attached article above "Causes and Outcomes of Conflict" (MLO1) (PDF file posted above) Reference: University of Minnesota. (2017). Causes and outcomes of conflict. In Organizational behavior. https://open.lib.umn.edu/organizationalbehavior/chapter/10-3-causes-and-outcomes-of-conflict/ Managing Team Dynamics Discussion Post Due on Wednesday, Assignment, Quiz, Response to Peers due on Sunday
6/15 Textbook Readings Read the following early in the week to help you respond to discussion question(s) and to complete your assignment(s). Textbook: Blanchard, K. (2019). Leading at a Higher Level Chapter 10: Mentoring (MLO1) Chapter 13: Organizational Leadership (MLO2,3) Chapters 14,15, and16: Organizational Change & Transformation (MLO2,3,4) Creating Sustainable Growth, Performance, and Learning Discussion Post Due on Wednesday, Assignment, Quiz, Response to Peers due on Sunday
6/22 Website Readings Review the follow site(s) and look over the information for the topic we are focusing on this week. Five Essentials To Motivating Your Team (MLO1,2) 12 Effective Motivation Techniques for the Workplace (MLO2,3) Articles as PDFs above. Website References: Zamanian, S. (2023). Five essentials to motivating your team. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/01/03/five-essentials-to-motivating-your-team/?sh=49f2c84b354b Herrity, J. (2023).12 Effective motivation techniques for the workplace. Indeed. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/motivation-techniques-for-the-workplace Motivating and Recognizing Team Success Discussion Post Due on Wednesday, Assignment, Quiz, Response to Peers due on Sunday

The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.