Summary: | Why work in groups:
- To improve communication, analytical and interpersonal skills which is highly valued by employers.
- Learn to listen, question, persuade, share, participate and respect opinions of others.
- Complex or difficult tasks can be broken down into a series of simpler tasks that can be distributed among the team.
- Workload is distributed evenly
- Tasks can be allocated according to each members skills thus making the team achieve more than what individuals can do on their own
How to make a group effective:
- Get to know each other. Invite members to speak about themselves and exchange communication details. Good communications (establish regular meetings, email, phone etc.)
- Establish guidelines/ground rules to interact, such as taking turns with discussions, and encouraging open discussions
- Clearly define the problem. General problems are too difficult to solve. Clarify the purpose of the project and what skills are expected to demonstrate. Set individual goals.
- Break down tasks into sub-tasks and make sure you understand the sub-tasks. Identify which ones can be done individually and which ones needs group work. Determine a timeline for tasks.
- Identify individual skills and capitalize on strengths of each member. Choose a leader.
- Implement a plan
a. Set regular meeting dates
b. Define effective communication method
Resolving Problems
- Member of team not contributing: Refer to ground rules; find out why they are not contributing (Shy/Needs encouragement/lazy/needs help with the problem/not enough time).
- Conflict in the group: Conflict can lead to a deeper understanding of the problem. Do not mistake legitimate criticism for personal attack.
- Share information on work styles and accommodate different work habits
- Set time limits in order to give each member a chance to speak and refer to ground rules
- If certain tasks are falling behind schedule, deal with them quickly
What makes a group ineffective?
- Lack of commitment in some group members
- Objective not clearly identified
- Un-coordinated group
- Misunderstanding about responsibilities/personality clashes
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