Here are some useful tips on how to work well in groups. Definitely, something everyone needs. Follow these rules if you want to pass fellow students.
(Students working together like)
Have Clear Objectives – that you all know what your goal/objective is, and that you are all focused and committed to achieving that.
- Clarity – Goals clearly achievable
- Motivating Value – All believe in the idea
- Attainability – Achievable, you can do it
- Future Potential – Room to move and change
Good Communication – an environment where you can honestly express your opinion without fear of ridicule – others can respond to that be able to criticise without making it a personal value judgment
- Keeping focused on the problem, not the dynamic
- Think about utilising De Bonos hat system
- Listening to people
Solutions
- You need to establish an environment of trust, autonomy and clarity
Trust is built in a climate which includes elements of:
1. Honesty
2. Openness
3. Consistency
4. Respect
- You need to identify and develop an identity and create a sense of unity within your group
- Team rules:
– People management
– Time management
– Creative process management - Dispute resolution procedures
- Conduct good meetings
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I’ve had my fair share of bad group work experiences in school. It’s either been god awful or it’s been ok, it’s never been a pleasant experience. Either someone is painfully late with their work, aren’t accessible, rude, sloppy and dump all the work onto the person who takes initiative (usually me). This. Is. The. Wrong. Idea.
Whilst I can do a certain amount of work, if all the work is dumped onto me and I have to manage everyone’s work, you can be sure a mental breakdown will happen and I will snap at you. This is a slight exaggeration, but still it has some merit to it.
I’m not saying I’m some heavenly angel when it comes to group work, but for it to work best the whole group needs to be on the same page in order for things to flow smoothly. Who doesn’t want that?
I understand that the upcoming project brief 4 is heavily based on group work, and to be quite frank that scares me. But I know the people in my course, and they’re accepting, hard-working and most importantly really friendly. So I’m not too worried about whoever I get paired with, I know it’ll be good.
