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How To Survive (And Thrive!) Completing A Group Project: Four Successful Groups To Learn From
How To Survive (And Thrive!) Completing A Group Project: Four Successful Groups To Learn From
How To Survive (And Thrive!) Completing A Group Project: Four Successful Groups To Learn From
) Completing a
Group Project
You arrive at class to learn that your teacher has assigned a group project. Your
heart drops. You know that one of two things will happen: 1) you will have to do most
of the work or 2) the bossy student in the group will do everything.
For many students, working on a group project can be a nightmare. Not only is it
hard to divvy up the work evenly, but it can also be impossible to meet everyone's
expectations. It can also be difficult to find time to meet to complete the project, not
to mention to avoid coming to blows over opposing views, ideas, and abilities.
To learn how to get along in a group, let's look at a few examples of successful
working groups
Living in a colony, each ant works to benefit the group. Young worker ants start by
looking after the eggs that are laid by the queen and eventually graduate to foraging
for food. When a forager finds food, it leaves a communication trail of pheromones
for its fellow ants to follow.
Ants even organize themselves into groups to move a morsel of food much larger
than themselves. First, a leader ant directs the group to move. Once all the ants
have been mobilized, they follow instructions and do their share of the work. Clearly,
they recognize that they must work together to move big items. For ants, being small
is no barrier to moving mountains.
For humpback whales, working together means that everyone eats together, too!
The researchers reviewed academic studies and the dynamics of groups within
Google. Although no patterns could be discerned about what made a group function
well together, the researchers determined that the key factor to a group's success
was a set of norms or rules that guided the group's behavior. These norms affect
how group members treat and interact.
They also found that groups in which the members communicated equally and were
sensitive to the needs of others were the most successful. Clearly, successful groups
require respectful communication.
For example, successful teams usually have great communication. Each player
understands the particular role that he or she plays, and all the players work together
to achieve a common goal: win!
The most successful teams also have an effective coach who makes sure that
everyone knows that they're expected to work hard to help the team succeed.
Let's look at 10 strategies you can use to work efficiently in a group. By following
these strategies, not only will your endeavor be successful, but you may even find it
enjoyable!
3. Assign roles.
There's a saying: "Too many cooks spoil the broth." For a group to work, there needs
to be a leader, an organizer, a presenter, and various researchers and writers.
Everyone needs to understand the role that they will play, what they need to do, and
how they will do it. In this way, members can be held accountable for their tasks and
understand how their work will contribute to the success of the project.
7. Be dynamic.
Issues may arise that require changing something about the group. A successful
group recognizes when something isn't working and rectifies the situation.
8. Set deadlines.
Setting timelines for specific tasks will help the group stay on track. Deadlines also
make sure that each member pulls his or her own weight.
9. Solve problems.
In any group, problems are bound to arise about the quality of work or the lack of
effective communication. For a group to be successful, it needs to have guidelines
for dealing with these problems. Try to work out any conflicts respectfully.
10. Be positive.
While all group members should work hard and be responsible, there's no rule that
says working in a group has to be a terrible experience. By staying positive, each
member can make group work fun and enjoyable.
Conclusion
It's likely that you've experienced the challenge of working as part of a dysfunctional
group. Most people have! However, by following these 10 strategies, and by learning
how some of the most successful teams operate, you may not only find yourself
surviving group projects but thriving in them as well.