Productive Group Work is an essential part of your studies in the Sixth form and particularly whilst at University. There will be many occasions where you will be asked to do projects with other people some of whom you may hardly know, here our top tips to help you succeed.
For any group to work effectively together on a task or project they must complete it in an agreed timeframe with all the individual members contributing to the team based on their knowledge and skill set.
Firstly assign a team leader, agree your common objectives and what your project involves to make sure you all understand exactly what the task entails. It is also a very good idea right at the start to agree what your group rules are and set up times and dates for regular meet ups.
Planning is the most important part of any group work, discuss how you are going to approach the project and who will be responsible for each element. Brainstorm as a group to decide the best course of action and assign each member of the group their agreed task. Don’t be afraid to speak up if you think you are not the right person assigned to a task, group work is most effective if everyone is honest about their own strengths and weaknesses.
Make sure that each group member is clear on what they are tasked with and what they are responsible for. It is also very important to make everyone aware of the timeframe that they will be expected to work to. It is essential to write all this information down and send it to the group after the meeting so that everyone is accountable for their portion of the project.
Stick to your regular meetings to make sure that the project is on track to be completed on time, it also helps to re-evaluate how things are progressing so that changes to the plan can be made if necessary to make sure the project is a success.
Ultimately the whole group are responsible for the success or failure of a project so sharing knowledge and resources around the group is very important to maintain great team work and a successful project.
