Group work: everyone’s least favorite thing. Somehow, everyone always thinks they get placed in the worst groups, but is that really the case? Group work is 99% communication, and 1% actually doing, which means you need to know how to communicate effectively with your team members. Here’s a few tips to ensure your group projects go as smoothly as possible.
1. Assign clear roles.
Assign a leader, assign an editor, assign other team members to productive roles. Be honest with yourself and with each other about everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. If you are not a strong writer, don’t volunteer to be an editor. Be honest. Your group will appreciate that much more than getting burned because you said you could do something that you can’t.
2. Set hard deadlines.
People are procrastinators by nature. Set hard deadlines that allow your team to succeed while also ensuring work is done in a timely manner. Hold people accountable. Stick to your deadlines.
3. Recognize different communication styles.
Not everyone works the same and not everyone communicates the same. Some people are more detail oriented while others care only about the end result. Check out this article about the colors of communication. It is important to know about how you communicate, but also how to support effective communication with others.
4. Most importantly, set goals.
If your group doesn’t have anything to work toward, what’s the point of having your group in the first place? Set smaller goals that will help you work toward your overall goals.
Lack of effective communication is one of the biggest frustrations individuals have with group work. If you are unhappy about something in your group, don’t keep it to yourself.
David Starke 