Projects that involve working as a group should benefit everyone involved since each member in the group can work on different tasks at the same time. These projects promote skills such as leadership, and should help office workers learn how to cooperate with each other. However, if the group members are not able to cooperate, the project can derail. If you have trouble working in a group, these tips can help keep everything on track.
Set Up a Game Plan
Before you start working on your group project, set up a plan so everyone knows what needs to be done. Meet with everyone in your group to discuss the tasks that need to be completed. Write down specific deadlines so everyone knows when each task need to be finished and who will complete them. When you are assigning tasks, try to assign them to the group members who can handle them the best.
When there is a plan to work from, it will be much easier for each group member to stay on track.
Assign a Leader
If you want your group project to be a success, you should assign someone to be the leader before the work begins. Having someone who can coordinate everything throughout the duration of the project will ensure that every member stays on course. This person will assign tasks, keep track of all the work that has been done, and check in with the other group members to ensure that things are on schedule.
To ensure that things run smoothly, assign this role to the most responsible and reliable person in your group.
Keep Communicating
Strong communication is necessary for everything to run smoothly in any kind of group project. If no one is communicating in your group, then it will be difficult to determine how the project is coming along. Schedule regular meetings with your coworkers to review the progress that has been made and determine if everything is going as planned.
A problem you may run into is that someone might call in sick for a day or more. To try and combat this problem, set up a group chat online or on your phone so everyone can discuss the project, even when one person is not able to meet, if possible. Finally, if you are having trouble meeting deadlines, don’t be afraid to ask one of your coworkers for help.
Make Sure Everyone Contributes Equally
One reason why some people dislike group projects is because there is always a chance that you could get stuck working with someone that doesn’t contribute their share. You are working on a group project, which means everyone in the group should be contributing something substantial. When one person starts falling behind, someone else has to catch up with the extra work, which can lead to stress.
If you find that someone in your group is not contributing, it should be discussed to get things back on track. If someone still refuses to do the work, discuss it with a supervisor so the proper action can be taken.
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