GEN / Skills for Student Success: Working in Groups

Working in groups is a great way for everyone to share their skills, experiences and knowledge. Students can learn from one another and also gain a better understanding of themselves. Skills such as delegating responsibilities, communicating clearly, as well as giving and receiving feedback can be honed through interacting with your peers in groups. Above all, the ability to work in teams is highly valued by employers.

In the beginning

• Set some basic ground rules for the team, but be prepared to modify them, if necessary, along the way, e.g. importance of punctuality; showing respect for one another; how everyone should have a chance to speak rather than one person dominating the entire discussion.
• Discuss about the project topic and ensure that every member understands the requirements.

Get organized

• People work best when they have a common goal that they all agree to.
• Break down the project into smaller, more manageable tasks. Try to make use of the strengths of each member.
• Decide which task of the project each member of the group is responsible for. Make sure the work is equally distributed.
• Assign due dates for each task.
• Find a way to share your files online, such as by using Google Docs.
• Have a timeline with checkpoints. Add some buffer time to the project due date as the all the members' contributions need to be put together, and there may be some negotiations and further discussions needed.

During a meeting

• For a meeting to be productive, everyone should know the agenda that will be discussed during the meeting.
• Ensure that everyone has a say, even the quieter members of the team.
• Take simple minutes of the meeting to record the decisions and what needs to be done by a certain date. Ideally members of the team should take turns to write the minutes of each meeting and email them to the other team members by an agreed-upon time, e.g. within two days.

After a meeting

• Members should update one another regularly about the progress of the task that they have been assigned.
• If one of the members is having issues completing his or her task, discuss with him or her how to resolve the issue. Try to be supportive without doing the other member's work for them.