For most college students, group projects are not the ideal way to earn a grade, especially when one grade is given to the entire group. If one of the members does not cooperate, group work can be very challenging.
However, frustrating as group projects can be, they teach students important job skills that every college student needs, as almost all career choices require collaboration, cooperation, and the ability to compromise. In other words, working with groups doesn't get any easier in the "real world," so learning how to deal with difficult group members is more helpful than you realize.
So what do you do when you have a group member who's causing a problem? Here are some of the difficult group members you might come across, and some strategies for working with them.
The Slacker Group Project Member
For most students, this is the group project's worst nightmare. A student who refuses to pull his or her weight can really drag down the group, and it's infuriating to know that someone who didn't contribute will benefit from your hard work.
So what do you do when you have a slacker? First, find out if there's a problem. Perhaps this student isn't really a slacker, but simply someone with an overloaded schedule. Or perhaps this student is avoiding the group because of shyness. If there's a reason why the student isn't contributing enough, try to offer some reasonable accommodations. if your "slacker" isn't working because she has a huge paper due next week, allow her to sit out for awhile until her paper is finished.
It's important to be firm with a slacker. Confrontation is hard, but it might just be necessary. Inform the student politely that the other group members are feeling overburdened and would like him or her to pitch in more.
However, if persistent firmness doesn't work, consider getting the course instructor involved. Instructors should only be consulted when there's a serious problem because you need to learn how to deal with group problems yourself. Nonetheless, a group member who blows off all the work is a serious problem, so if you try to deal with the problem yourself and nothing happens, go ahead and get help.
The Busy Group Project Member
Group projects pose a special problem to students who are balancing school with full time jobs, family, or other major commitments. If members of your group are in this situation, your group will not be successful unless you make accommodations. For example, you can arrange to have as few meetings as possible and instead communicate through email. You can also assign these busy students tasks that can be completed at times that are convenient for them. Communicate with group members about what they need, and understand that reasonable accommodations are expected when you're working with a group.
The Chatty Group Member
Some group members see meetings as a great time to socialize. To somedegree, this is okay, as a group of people who like each other may work together well. However, if a group member is steering everyone off task and wasting valuable meeting time, this is a problem.
Communicate with chatty group members and politely tell them that the group needs to stay on task. It may be helpful to create strict meeting agendas to help facilitate efficiency. You also might suggest a fun social outing after the group meeting or project is over, as in, "Let's concentrate and get this done, and then we'll go out for beer and pizza."
The Bossy Group Project Member
Does a group member insist on always having his or her way? Unfortunately, learning how to collaborate with someone who doesn't want to collaborate is an important skill.
So what do you do? First, try some friendly but direct negotiation. Let the group member know what the rest of the group doesn't agree with, and offer some compromises that allow everyone to have some of what they want. Keep in mind that some people who come across as bossy don't realize this, and that this person may be easier to work with than you realize.
However, if you have someone who refuses to negotiate, you have a problem. Although you should take the higher ground and be polite, stand up for yourself and do not let the bossy student take over the group. If worse comes to worse, get the instructor involved.
Difficult Group Members are a Learning Experience
Group members who are lazy, over-scheduled, chatty, and bossy are difficult to work with. However, keep in mind that learning how to deal with these situations will be important in the working world. While these difficult group members aren't exactly doing you a "favor," they are providing you with a learning experience. Do you best to handle the situation, and when this problem reappears at work in the future, you'll be better equipped to act.
See also:
Ten Study Skills Articles Every College Student Should Read
Naomi Rockler-Gladen - Instructional designer and freelance writer, Naomi Rockler-Gladen writes some of Suite101's most read work.
