Coping with Difficulties in Group Work
Group work is an essential part of your university experience, helping you to develop skills whilst also helping you to make friends with those on your course. However sometimes problems arise when working in groups. This guide will give some advice for coping with some of the more common difficulties faced by groups, such as non-cooperative team members, dominant team members and silent team members.
Coping with non-cooperative team members
Sometimes members of your group will be uncooperative and may not be doing their part of the project. Sometimes your first instinct may be to complain to your tutor, however most lecturers regard the need to cope with difficulties facing the group as part of the assignment, so avoid complaining to them about individuals unless you feel that you have exhausted all other available options. Instead try to communicate with an individual and try to find out the underpinning reason behind why they are unable to help. It may be that they are struggling, need some assistance from other team members or have other personal difficulties. Whatever the problem, it is preferable to help the person complete their task rather than having other team members complete it for them. This will increase fairness and reduce your overall workload.
Coping with dominant team members
Groups having a dominant member is quite common and there isn’t always a correlation between who is the loudest or talks the most and who best ideas. The best ideas come in a group when everyone contributes and helps to shape the group work using everyone’s experience.
When an individual is dominating discussions, one solution is for other group members to point out that everyone needs to be heard and to ask quieter members for their ideas. Another method is to try timing everyone's contributions and to allow everyone the opportunity to add something after a point has been made.
It is also possible to politely indicate to the dominating team member that they are taking more of their fair share of time in the meeting. Suggesting this outside of a meeting may be more effective and reduce conflict. Suggested reasons behind this could include, allowing others to contribute, increasing the range of ideas and also reducing the workload of the individual who dominates.
To avoid a dominant team member doing all the work, split the work so that every member has specified tasks. These tasks can be discussed in the team meetings and progress can be checked.
Coping with silent team members
Some team members may be quiet during team meetings. This may be for a number of reasons including confidence, other team members dominating or because they don’t feel that they have anything to contribute.
One way to help silent team members is to give them the chance to speak by asking them for their ideas and giving them the opportunity to discuss their specified tasks. Leave a space after each person’s contribution so that quieter team members have time to indicate that they have something to say. When a team member speaks pay attention and acknowledge their contribution, even if you disagree with it.