GROUP PROJECTS: WHAT CAN GO WRONG, AND HOW CAN YOU FIX IT

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Let’s say you’ve run your first couple of meetings with your group for the group project. (If you’re just getting started, see last week’s blog.) Last week I focused on setting up for success. This week I’m going to focus on proactive troubleshooting.

First–it is pretty normal for group work, both at school and later on the job, to run into glitches. It’s how the problems are dealt with that determines the level of success of the assignment.

So, what could go wrong in a group project? (Please, save your comments here–and I’d like to hear them.) The problems I hear most often fall into four categories:

Conflict and Disagreement About the Project

  • People have different preferences, different areas of expertise, and like to work on areas of their choice. 

One fix: If the group can’t agree on the topic by the first ten minutes of the second meeting, it’s time to draw straws and get on with outlining and scheduling the work.

  • There can be disagreement about the depth and extent of research that is needed for an adequate grade. Life goals as well as goals for the project can be diverse. Here the C’s get degrees students are going to resent the 4.0 students, and vice versa.

One fix: Guess which students are going to end up doing way more than what they feel is their fair share of the work. Sorry. Unless you are a very persuasive, effective leader, the only fix here is to do the work needed, and document everything for when it comes time to portioning out credit.

  • Which presentation style, academic, or entertainment? Or both? This is where you’ll hear, “I think we should . . . “countered by, “Well, that’s probably going to turn people off/go over their heads/take too much time to prepare.” Discussion can escalate into downright insult: “You could even bring in My Little Pony if you run with that idea.”

One fix: Assign text to one team member, graphics to another, and the presentation role to a third.

Differences in Work Style

  • Differences in time management range from the student who wants to get the project finished before midterms, to the student who wants to start the project two weeks after midterms. Some apparent procrastinators actually do perform well under last-minute pressure, and some procrastinators don’t ever get the work done.

One fix: Assign the early work to the early birds, while allowing for differences in strengths regarding research, graphic design, presentation, etc. Circle back and check back regularly to gently hold everyone accountable to the project, and determine fill-in as necessary.

  • Students also differ in their preference for working with others and working on their own. This may result in the independent achiever inadvertently not providing others with information they need to do their part. At the other extreme, collaboration enthusiasts may want longer, more frequent meetings than everyone else feels is necessary

One fix: Hold regular checkins by ZOOM, Discord, messaging, or email. Set meeting time limits at the beginning of the meeting. Take notes. Send follow-up emails. 

  • People’s perceptions of fair effort vary extensively. This is the single biggest source of frustration in group work. Slackers get the same grade as keeners, and keeners grades can take a hit if slackers have been overly depended upon.

One fix: There is no fix for this injustice. You can hope for eventual karma, but for this project, this term, set your focus on your goals for your grade and for the project. Align with others in the group who are similarly focused (if there are any) and do what you have to do. Keep notes and document everything, as sometimes the group gets to apportion who gets what contribution grade for the project.

Differences in Personality

  • Dominant, assertive people can clash and compete for leadership of the group.

One fix: The group can pick one person to run the meetings, set agendas for each meeting, and set the rule that for each topic, each member states their conclusion. Roberts’ Rules of Order may be overkill, but it’s saved a lot of argy-bargy.

  • Less assertive people’s ideas can get lost or never be heard. Aside from this just plain being rude, sometimes the best ideas are overswept by noisier but less insightful speakers

One fix: Invite the ideas and opinions of less assertive members one on one, by email, messaging, ZOOM, Discord, or phone. Do this before meetings and between meetings. Good ideas can then be brought forward to the group by you, crediting the appropriate member and inviting them to expand. 

Life Intervenes. 

  • It happens. Someone can get sick at a bad time. A trusted source of materials gets hacked. This is when fear drives tempers and conflict heightens.

Three fixes: (a) Build in just-in-case slack while setting up the project schedule and adapt as the term proceeds; (b) call problem-solving meetings with agendas and treat the complication as an add-on to the project that you all will be able to deal with; (c) let the instructor know immediately–not as an excuse, but for their advice on the best way to handle the issues.

  • Relations between group members deteriorate to where the project suffers. The language of conflict becomes dominant. 

One fix: To move away from the language of conflict, I refer you to a style of conflict resolution designed by Harvard’s Law School and its Business School. Fisher, Ury, and Patton’s 2011 Getting To Yes outlines a technique that has been successful in international peace negotiations, labour relations, and marriage counselling. If that approach fails, then you may well need to have your instructor involved.

Looking at the issues and fixes I’ve outlined, this is basic good project management technique, whether you are a freshman, a post-doc, a product engineer, a process implementer . . . and this is why, despite the pain of group work when it goes bad, your work in learning to do good group moves you ahead in your long-term career.

But that is looking at life long-range. Right now it’s this group project, for this term. If you’d like more on navigating or salvaging a group project, connect with me at [email protected]