The skills required to be successful in a
group setting are essential life skills. Students today struggle working in
groups, to the extent that parents are often opposed to the practice, and many
teachers have chosen to stop assigning group projects. The concern with this approach is that
students are losing or not developing the skills they will need to be
successful in a group setting. As students enter the work force, employers have
been questioning why these new employees struggle so much with communication
and working with others.
Group work skills are important because
the job of a high school is to prepare young citizens to be successful in life
and the work force. In most occupations, the level of success and income is
often dependent on the ability to work with others. As social skills and face
to face interaction diminish, an employee with strong group work skills will
quickly set themselves apart from many of their peers. In addition,
communication is the foundation of all relationships, not just working
relationships. Therefore working on these skills can lead to happier personal
relationships. Working with others also gives people a chance to meet new
people and exposure to diverse views and approaches.
Objectives of Group
Work
· Effectively communicate with partners to successfully
create a product you are proud to have your name on
· Work on as much of the project together as opposed to
splitting up the work
· Step up to take an active role in the brainstorming,
planning, creation, and practice of your project
· Be a strong communicator with group members
· Stay ahead of the due dates
· Utilize the directions as your guide
Common Group Work
Mistakes
v Having a bad attitude towards group work from the
beginning
v Putting forth little to no effort to help carry your
load
v Complaining and negative attitudes
v Assuming a group member will not do their work and not
giving them a chance
v Dividing up work at
the beginning of the project
v Only being concerned with your portion of the work
v Members of the group who passively listen and do not
offer any initiative or ideas, waiting to be told what to do
v Not communicating with the teacher when a group member
fails to follow through
v A group member deciding that they are going to do a
large portion of the project because they concluded that others will not
Did your parents raise a leader or follower?
Take the initiative to be a leader in the
group. A leader not only makes suggestions and keeps moving forward, but they
also listen to others and get everyone involved. Doing all of the work or
bossing people around is poor leadership. A leader delegates tasks or helps
decide on jobs for group members. This is done through conversation with others
as opposed to telling people what to do. A leader develops the conversations
that establish due dates and meetings times. Each group should set goals and agree
on a timeline for completing the project. A leader speaks for the group if it
is necessary to talk with the head teacher or a boss. The world needs leaders
and while some are born, most leaders emerge through hard work and practice.
Group
Work Tips for Success
o
Work on as much
of the project together as possible, at least the planning and organization
o
Read and follow
directions, they will guide you through the easiest route to success
o
There will always
be lazy people, always. Communicate with your teacher or boss if this happens
to cover your back
o
Strive to do a
little more than the bare minimum, this will always set you apart from most
other groups
o
Focus on yourself
as a member of a team as opposed to an individual
o
Maintain an open
line of communication, exchange phone numbers and emails at the beginning of
the process
o
Follow through
with your obligations for the group
o
Check over the
final product together before you submit it
o
Get an early
start on the project, especially since you are juggling busy schedules of many
people
o
Seek out help and
guidance when it is needed
o
At the end of
each group meeting, plan the next time you are going to meet and detail exactly
what each person should complete before then
