Sensing systemic awareness and performance of teams during model-based site design

Operating with systemic awareness is a known factor in the success of large organizations. A similar dynamic could be in effect at the level of teams and teams of teams within organizations. Engineering teams are tasked with solving problems of multidisciplinary nature with multiple stakeholder constraints. To perform at a higher level, teams need to be aware of multiple constraints simultaneously. This paper proposes the design of sensors to measure team awareness using team attention in the problem and solution spaces. A model problem of designing an innovation campus is chosen. Data from 50 teams spending one hour with a model exploration interface are analyzed. Results suggest that strategy discussions help to arrive at more effective problem-solving. These results are not statistically significant but provide direction for further work.