Teamwork

Everyone is familiar with the classic example of high-school group work where, typically, one or two students are forced to carry the weight of the team. Often times this group dynamic is frustrating for the students doing all of the work, and it does nothing to really benefit the students who are slacking off. In my experience, these groups have usually been predetermined, and therefore the dynamic is unavoidable. In high school, I have been a part of many dysfunctional groups that share some key characteristics. These groups usually lacked clear group roles or a clear purpose for the project, the project lacked structure, or nobody knew each other. These are all important aspects of having a healthy, well-balanced group.

Clear group roles are important for allowing group members to know what exactly their expectations are. My first ever group project at Purdue was for a Chemistry lab. While we were not entirely functional, we did have group roles that worked for us. We assigned roles based on our strengths and interests. For example, one of the group members really understood the math principles behind our labs. This teammate often led the discussion on calculations. Another member did not like the calculations but really understood the theory involved in the experiments, and so on. Each of us had our own strengths and abilities, so we assigned roles that worked for us. Even with our established roles, however, we were all still included in the project. We would help each other out when needed, and it was not as if discussion stopped because everyone had separate tasks.

Another reason a team would not succeed is that the project has an unclear purpose or lacks structure. If part of the project was to determine the purpose and the structure, then failure can be due to the group being unable to come up with these aspects or because the group was unable to agree on them. If everyone is not on the same page, it can make communication difficult. Group members may not know what it is they are supposed to be doing or what the overall goals of the project are. To alleviate these problems, groups should be able to communicate openly and be sure to discuss the purpose and structure of the project, the goals the group wants to accomplish, and when tasks should be done by. For longer projects, establishing due dates for smaller tasks will help ensure it is not a rush to the final deadline.

Lastly, another reason a group may have failed in high school is that the predetermined group assignments meant you did not really know your groupmates. My high school was small enough that I knew most of the names of kids in my grade, but not small enough to know very much about them. We did not know what the others were interested in, how they preferred to work, or anything else except maybe which grade they were in and that they were in the same class. Not knowing your groupmates can make communication difficult, as well as it can make it harder to find roles that suit every member.

If new groups are able to consider these aspects when building a foundation, then it is possible to create a functional dynamic. If everyone has a role, knows the purpose and each other, then groups will be able to communicate and work together better.