Yesterdays lectorial focussed on the positive and negative aspects of the dreaded “group assignment”, as well as solutions for disputes in the assignment, and ways to improve your performance when collaborating with a team. After the week 5 reading on the “group flow” that can be achieved by collaboration, I was greatly relieved to hear that one is able to improve their collaboration skills, as I have always found myself struggling when working with a group.
Here is what Rachel listed as aspects of a positive collaboration:
Good Teamwork Experiences
– everyone is equally invested
– they share ideas/solve problems
– inspiration – when you are able to bounce off each other
– rigour – having a stronger vetting process to evaluate ideas and approaches
– support – having someone there to catch you when you fail
– maintain focus/drive – it makes you more responsible
– speed – can get project done faster – more hands
Having “support” is definitely something I need to work on in my collaboration skills. I often work as if there is no one to help me, and therefore bite off more than I can chew in the project and don’t share enough of the work.
Here is what Rachel listed as some aspects of a negative collaboration:
Bad Teamwork experiences
– you do all the work and other people get credit for it
– the project dies because none owned it
– you rely on other people and they let you down
– the project lacks unity
– you don’t feel comfortable about expressing your opinion
– you can’t reach a compromise – the process either gets steam rolled or comes to to an impasse – logger heads.
I think the only one of these experiences I can relate to is a project lacking unity. It has usually been a lack of communication that has let me down in group collaborations in the past.
Though I have never seen a real dispute in any of my group collaboration in the past, it was good to see Rachel provide an interesting lists of solutions to disputes we could have in the future.
Solutions:
1. You need to establish an environment of trust and unity. Develop an identity
– identify key aspects of the task
– create a timetable
– you need to see the group as special
– establish effective communication procedures
2. Team rules
– people management
– time management
– workload management
3. Dispute resolution procedures
– consensus decision making etc.
4. Conduct good meetings
– having an agenda – pre-arranged
– time estimates for meeting and it’s sections
– review – how are we going
– minutes
– notes on outcomes and who has agreed to what
– future meetings
– in the end – confirm what needs to be done before the next meeting
It was good to see Rachel urge us to solve any disputes by ourselves as adults, as opposed to condescendingly asking us to seek her or Brian’s assistance in any disputes.
Overall, yesterdays lectorial has given me a lot to think about, and to feel a bit better about future group projects in this course. Project Brief 4 (a group project where we must create a portrait of an idea), is on the horizon and this has not only made me feel better about the project, but actually look forward to it. Both the lectorial and the reading have allowed me to understand that our group will need unity, and that I should align myself with people who I know I get along with. It has also helped me understand that we will need effective communication, and have a unified goal.