WRAPPING UP THE GROUP PROJECT

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Right now, you and your group can be anywhere along the continuum of “Already presented!” to “Maybe we should think about getting started on that group project.” Your group may be finalizing the last elements, polishing up the details, and meeting to rehearse—all looks promising to present on schedule. Or, at the other extreme, you may feel that the group project is circling the drain.

It’s the circling-the-drain situation that gives students stress equal to or greater than exam stress, so I’m going to talk about that this week. First, let’s consider the worst case: The project is not salvaged, and you get a very low grade that affects your GPA so that you won’t be able to get into grad school, or get off academic probation, or get the gold medal for your field, or get next year’s funding, or have your parents’ approval, or . . . Now, take perspective. If this happens, you will deal. I have seen students deal with each of these unpleasant outcomes. Know that somehow, if the worst happens, you will deal with it. Next, take the long view. Five years from now, how important to you will the grade on this project be? Where you are in five years depends far more on what happens in the next five years and what you do between now and then than it does on the grade for this group project. Keep that long view.

Analyzing the Problem

OK. On to what can be done to minimize the probability of the worst-case outcome.

Looking at some examples of what has gone wrong in group projects that are falling apart, I have seen problems fall into four categories:

Behind schedule

  • The group hasn’t met yet or isn’t meeting often enough.
  • Elements of the project are not close to completion.
  • Unforeseen external factors have delayed or derailed the project.

Group conflict

  • One group member dominates decisions.
  • The project is behind because the group cannot agree about what is to be done, how it is to be done, and by whom.
  • You are being excluded from participation.

The quality of the work

  • The group sets the quality standard so high that other course commitments suffer.
  • The quality of the work completed is low compared to course standards, your standards, or the quality of the work of other groups.

Unfair work distribution

  • Some group members are not meeting commitments or haven’t participated at all.
  • One group member is doing all of the work.

Solving the Problem

Solutions? There are no guaranteed solutions, but there are actions you can take to ameliorate potential damage. For each of the above categories, there are three go-to approaches:

Document the course of the project.

  • Map out a timeline of the project to date, including all emails, group meetings, and a list of contributions of each group member.

Consult the group.

  • Connect with strong contributors in your group, if there are any.
  • Share your documentation.
  • Email the entire group with your concerns.
  • Share your documentation.
  • Suggest meeting dates, real or virtual, in the very near future. Hold the meeting, even if the whole group cannot meet. Take notes of decisions. Plan on informing the instructor of the situations and any possible solutions.

Consult the instructor.

  • The instructor needs to be aware of the situation now, not when it’s too late/ to follow suggestions they may have.
  • Ideally, two or more of you will meet with the professor, but if you have to, go in on your own.
  • Go in with an agenda, but let the agenda be open.
  • Bring in documentation about your concern.
  • Present solutions you may have. It’s ok if all you have is an analysis of the problems.
  • Be prepared for alternate solutions from the instructor. They are there to help you succeed, and they want you to succeed. For example, one instructor has fall-back projects for groups where life has intervened. Other instructors have pulled star sole contributors into better groups, or assigned them work to compensate for the poor quality of their group. Some instructors have recommendations for resolving group conflict.

Plan to salvage.

  • Map out the steps to selvage the project from here to delivery date.
  • Build in contingencies.
  • Build in how you and the group are going to track progress.
  • Do this in a group meet. If this doesn’t work, do it on  your own (see next section).
  • Document atll meetings, emails and group member activity.

Be prepared to weigh justice against your academic objectives

  • Despite your efforts to bring the group together and deliver a quality project on time, you may face the choice of either only doing your fair share of the work for a poor grade or shouldering an unfair burden for a good grade. That is your decision to make.
  • If you decide to bear the larger work burden, ensure that you have documented everything, not so much as to demand that others not get a good grade, but to ensure that you get full credit. I have seen a group attempt to downgrade a top contributor by saying they weren’t a good team contributor.

Maintain self-care.

  • Group work gone wrong is a major source of student stress.
  • Maintain your self-care kit: physical, social, and spiritual.
  • Endorse for every effort that you make, especially efforts made when you are under the pressure of unpleasant social interaction or injustice.  

You will survive even the worst group work experience. Keep your own goals in mind. Keep the long view. You can deal. It may not be fun, but you can deal.

Connect with me to share your group work successes, near disasters, and abolute gong shows   [email protected] 

The information in this blog cannot take the place of support from your own mental health professional or community health resources. Reach out to them. And IF YOU ARE IN CRISIS, PLEASE DIAL 911.