Successful Group Projects and The Lazy One
Honestly, group projects are just a fact of life in college - but also in the real world after college. Professors want you to practice working with others toward a common goal to prepare for that. Don’t discount the importance of this skill. Here are the basics:
Agree on a Project Manager: If you are serious about the success of the project, volunteer to be the Project Manager. It’s great leadership experience. Document everything, especially regarding that one student who is lazy and doesn’t participate. You’ll need that documentation later.
Establish Clear Goals and Roles: In your very first meeting, define each member’s roles and responsibilities. Identify each member’s inherent strengths. Be sure the workload is balanced among the team members and have everyone verbally affirm their part of the project.
Communicate, communicate, communicate: Meet in person often, use video conferencing, GroupMe, and other avenues to keep in touch. Discuss productive feedback. Identify possible stumbling blocks. Schedule regular meetings and discuss project updates.
Deadlines and milestones: Break down each member’s responsibilities into smaller tasks and assign interim deadlines to keep everyone on track. It helps with the tendency to procrastinate. Use a project management tool like Asana, Trello, Slack, or a simple shared Google Calendar.
Resolve conflicts: It’s inevitable in group projects. Deal with these in person, not through chat or email where intent is often misinterpreted. Find common ground, compromise, seek solutions that benefit the whole team. Regarding that lazy student, approaching the professor or TA should be your last resort.
About that lazy group member: Professors already know that some students just don’t pull their weight, they expect the group to deal with it themselves first. If you’re unable to solve the problem internally, approach the professor ASAP, not near the final deadline. Be respectful and don’t complain. Ask for the professor’s advice. If all else fails, just suck it up: Sometimes the lazy member just doesn’t care what grade they get and how it affects everyone else. Reallocate that member’s work within the group. I agree that it’s unfair, but it’s life. These people don’t migrate to the working world as well as you will. Learn to deal with it now.
Embrace the opportunities for growth and learning that these projects present, and you will emerge not only with a well-executed project but also with valuable teamwork skills that will serve you well beyond college. As an Academic Life Coach, I help you navigate these steps as you go with advice and accountability. Let’s work together!