Group Work

Most of us groan when the lecturer says, “For this project, I’d like you to work in groups.” Why don’t we like group work? Is it because there is always one person who doesn’t turn up for meetings? Because it’s nigh on impossible to find a time when everyone is available to meet? Or is it because ‘I always end up doing all the work’? If you answered an exasperated ‘yes’ to any of the above questions, below are some tips and strategies to help JUMPSTART your proactive, positive approach to group work. In fact, group work can be a highly effective, enjoyable and irreplaceable way of learning new ideas, testing your knowledge and producing high quality assignments.

Top Ten Tips

• Who am I? We each have different learning styles that affect the way we approach group work. Take a test to find out how you learn. This will also help you appreciate the learning styles of others.
• Choose a group that has a broad range of personalities, rather than your friends or people who share your views. A variety of perspectives and learning styles will enhance the quality and depth of your project.
• Groups go through four clear phases known as: Forming (Initial stage of joining together and approaching the project topic); Storming (Stage of discussion, conflict, diverse opinions and emotional meltdowns); Norming (Harmony, successful task allocation and mutual support); Performing (Constructive work surges ahead to completion). (O’Sullivan, Tim et al. Successful Group Work. Kogan Page: De Montfort University, 1996. p76.) Expect to confront some conflict during group work, but recognise that this is actually an important part of the process.
• Allocate a role to each group member. The fundamental roles are Chair, Timekeeper, Note-taker and Finisher (see How To Survive… Group Work)
• Schedule regular meetings. Do not rely on email circulars or individual task allocation to successfully complete a project.
• At the first group meeting, design a time frame for completion. Start with the submission deadline and work backwards, scheduling the completion of each task as a landmark. Ensure the work is fairly divided according to members’ strengths.
• Use active listening skills. Spend time listening to the ideas and concerns of your group members and reflect upon these. This will help each member to feel understood and appreciated, and should also enable useful discussion. Ensure everyone gets a turn to speak.
• Prepare for meetings by noting which tasks you have completed, and which are pending. Note any difficulties or questions you would like answered.
• If one or two group members don’t participate in the group process, approach them in a polite, friendly manner to find out why. Work together to find a strategy they are happy with and that reflects their strengths. Engaging in angry email wars won’t encourage a lone star to come out of hiding.
• Understand and appreciate cultural difference. Group work is a great opportunity to expand your knowledge and communication skills beyond the reach of the assignment at hand.

Links

Group Work Strategies

Learning Styles Questionnaire

Study Smarter Survival Guides: Communication Skills Series

Review

O’Sullivan, Tim et al. Successful Group Work. Kogan Page: De Montfort University, 1996.

This somewhat cheeky guide to successful group work provides lots of useful examples, tips and strategies for managing ourselves, our study, and dreaded team work. It is cheeky because of its open, honest style that brings us face to face with unhelpful study habits (see p. 12)! But of course, we are reassured that all of these can be overcome by some relatively painless self-analysis, time allocation and goal setting. Moreover, this is an extremely helpful guide for demystifying group dynamics. It includes exercises and quizzes that reveal the roles team members take, and offers excellent, practical advice to reassure us that all teams have the potential to be winners.

It might come as a surprise to some that this book is not focused exclusively on group work. Rather, the first half of the text deals with self-management: specifically, how to manage our own time and learning. We are asked to examine our current habits, and with the help of examples, facts and exercises, O’Sullivan et al offer effective tools for adopting new study behaviours. Once our self-management issues are under control, we can successfully apply them to group tasks!

According to O’Sullivan et al, group work is best managed when we understand how we function as individuals. Belbin’s Self-Perception Inventory is an interesting quiz on p. 60-65 that, although time-consuming, reveals what kind of group member you are. So, if you’re a Shaper, that means you are ‘highly strung, outgoing, dynamic’. A Resource Investigator: ‘extroverted, enthusiastic, curious, communicative’, and so on. Indeed, there are eight team roles, all of which are described in terms of positive qualities, weaknesses and typical features. In short, when we know how we function in a group, we are empowered to choose tasks suited to our abilities!

Finally, O’Sullivan et al include facts and exercises dealing with the need for good communication skills. They also describe the phases that typical groups go through on the journey to completion, and provide helpful, realistic tips for coping with weaknesses. Overall, it is a useful, easy-to-read guide that helps maximise group potential by developing strategies for identifying and dealing with individual and team behaviours.

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