Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Love it or hate it, is a regular part of university learning. In most employment settings, (co-op or after graduation), employees work as part of a team and collaborate on projects or to complete tasks.
Classroom based group work is intended to help foster the critical collaboration and team skills needed for success in the workplace. However, in school (and in the workplace) there always seems to be one or two difficult team members.
Below are some tips for making group work smoother and more effective:
- Well in advance of the due date, meet to find-out about the demands each member is facing (other assignments, family, work, etc.) and how those demands will impact their availability.
- Learn about each others’ strengths and weakness—who is good at what and wants to take on which roles?
- Think beyond the moment/project – the dynamics of your group can impact relationships for years to come. Consider how your actions impact your teammates.
- Decide what grade you want as a team. (Seriously! If half the group wants an A, and the other half is happy with a C, you are going to have challenges with group dynamics).
- Determine how you will work on the project – does everyone work on everything together, or does each person work on a specific portion of the project?
- Create a for the sections of the project based on the answers to bullet 1, so you can meet the overall deadline easier.
- Establish guidelines for how you will address concerns as a group.
- If you are struggling as a group, seek early, before it becomes a problem.