Working in groups

There is No “I” in Group Work

WORKING IN GROUPS

n Building an effective groupn Communicating with group membersn Handling Disagreementsn Becoming a Leader in a Groupn Common problems when working in groups

Building an effective groupAs a member of an effective group, you should

q understand that success of the group is shared among group membersq understand and agree with the common goals of the groupq be willing to share responsibilities and contribute to the group workq be willing to help each other

Building an effective group

Communicating with group membersThink of the importance of effective communication. It can help you to:

q understand each other’s needsq maintain good relationshipsq share opinions and expertiseq minimize interpersonal conflictsq keep everything going in the right direction

Handling DisagreementsConflict and disagreement should not be ignored in a group. It has to be resolved properly. Otherwise, it can:

q affect the group’s progressq ruin the relationships among membersq create barriers to good solutions and creative ideas

Becoming a Leader in a GroupIn your project group, each member has his/her expertise and should be allowed to take the lead when there is a problem that needs his/her specialties. Therefore, leadership should be shared by members. Shared leadership enables the group to:

q develop the leadership skills of membersq have somebody who has the appropriate expertise to guide difficult

decisionsq enhance members’ sense of responsibilities and accomplishments

Common problems when working in groupsExercise 1:n Divide in groups of 5 membersn Think of what problems can occur when working in

groups. n Rank them in order of importance.

Exercise 2:n How would you solve/avoid the three main

problems.

Common problems when working in groups

Common problems when working in groups

Common problems when working in groups

Common problems when working in groups

Common problems when working in groups

n Be active

Common problems when working in groups

n Be effective