As an interdisciplinary and collaborative program, BIC’s capstone courses are the culmination of how teamwork makes the dream work. At the beginning of their second year, BICsters are divided into interdisciplinary teams that remain intact for both the Fall non-profit and Spring corporate capstones.  Beyond the structural aspects of building high-functioning teams and teaching team dynamics, BIC decided that these teams needed something more if they were going to succeed for the long haul. They needed a coach!  That’s why BIC brought in Certified Leader and Performance Coach, TBWA Chair, and BIC Board member, Rob Schwartz, to our Non-Profit Capstone class on Thursday, September 21st.  

In his long career with TBWA\Chiat\Day, Rob has held a variety of roles including: CCO, CEO, and Chair. After 25+ years on Madison Avenue and recently earning certificates in Leadership & Performance Coaching and in Team Coaching from Brown University, Rob is now TBWA’s first in-house Executive Coach. 

There were two key components to Rob’s team dynamics workshop: Roles and Values. 

Starting with roles, Rob walked through the undefined, but key roles we all play on a team. These roles span far beyond a job title such as Strategist and Art Director. Your role can be either an Idea Engine, Spotter, Expander, Producer/Maker, or Organizer. Most of the roles are self-explanatory, except the “Spotter.” The Spotter is the person who sees an idea and says “This is it.” Everyone then rallies around the idea to expand and build it. 

The roles may happen organically, and you may find yourself being in a different role on different teams. It’s important to note the dynamics of a team and everyone’s role to know how to best function.

Rob also met 1:1 with each capstone team to lead a values exercise. Each team condensed a large set of values they shared to stick to a core seven. The goal was to determine what the team values as a unit. These values can guide the team as they make decisions and move forward throughout the year. 

Thank you Rob, for leading an informative and engaging session!