Navigating Group Projects
Regardless of your major, you are likely to encounter a group project at some point during your time at Tech. While these assignments aren’t usually a fan favorite, they do prepare you for the workforce by teaching you how to work with others and manage conflict in a group setting. To help ease the anxiety that often accompanies these assignments, here are some best practices to keep in mind:
Don’t procrastinate. You have likely heard this before, but with group projects it is especially important.
You may not know all of your group members super well, and differing personalities
and work ethics may cause issues. Therefore, getting a good jump start on these projects
will ensure you have ample time to complete them on time and according to the rubric
and navigate any hurdles that may arise.
Create a schedule. It is good practice for you to have a rough idea of which project milestones you
want to cross and at what point. If it is a semester-long project, creating a goal
each week can be helpful. A good guideline for semester-long group project milestones
is to be about halfway done around spring break. If the project is smaller and due
in a few weeks, find a good halfway date to mark in your calendar. Regardless of the
project’s length, talk with your team members and come up with some mutually agreed
upon deadlines for yourselves – this will help the project seem more manageable by
breaking it up into smaller chunks and can ensure you stay on track and avoid feeling
overwhelmed.
Assign roles in the group. To prevent one person taking on a bulk of the workload, communication is key. Suggest
setting up an initial meeting with the group to determine an assigned role to fit
each member and assign tasks accordingly. For example, if it’s a group paper, who
will be in charge of the research and writing for each section? Will one person be
the final reviewer/editor?
Address conflict. In any group project or team environment, conflict is sure to arise at some point.
Whether it’s one person not having their assigned part due on time or just not putting
in as much effort as everyone else, it’s important to address the issue up front with
the person, rather than letting it frustrate you throughout the entirety of the project.
It may be best to have one group member address the issue with the person, rather
than trying to address it in a group setting so the person doesn’t feel attacked.
Remember that open and honest communication is key, and always seek to understand
(you never know what someone may be going through). Always try to address any conflict
or issues internally within the group before getting your professor involved.
Keep Professors Updated. Whether it be to ask for feedback on the current state of the project or to discuss that another member isn’t taking their role seriously, reach out to your professor. This will also show the professor that you are engaged in their class and continually putting effort into your work.
