How to Survive Group Projects

By Nathan Binder on February 13, 2016

We’ve all been there– the announcement of a group project, the anxious anticipation of finding partners, the painstaking process of communication– group projects are the worst. Professors pretend they’re preparing us for the collaboration that will be required of us in the “real world,” as if the real world is compromised of highly specific PowerPoint projects to be completed alongside strangers. In reality, they’re just pawning the education process off so they can kick back and enjoy several days of group work and presentations. I have a vendetta against useless group projects, and as such, I have a methodology to slay them. Pick up a few of these tools and tactics, and you may find the compulsion to brutally murder your group-mates diminishing (though never completely gone).

Slack

No, I’m not referring to the guy that shows up late to every meeting, just to binge Clash of Clans for an hour. Slack is a super useful communications platform. Communication is often one of the biggest struggles in any group affair. Some folks will want a group chat, but not everyone will have an iPhone, some folks will want a Facebook group, some will want email, etc. Slack eliminates this issue through utility and functionality. Once you create a Slack group, you’re given a specific URL that your team can bookmark. Members can message each other individually or all together, create separate conversations threads for different elements of the project, and integrate a number of services like Google Docs to store project files. With a variety of programmable bots and emojis, Slack also makes communication fun, helping to counteract the stress and tension of project deadlines. For example, if you type “giphy/” followed by a word, it will automatically generate a random gif related to the inputted word– just one fun little quirk of the platform. Another intangible benefit of Slack is in separating work from pleasure– having a dedicated platform for project communication, as the familiarity of Facebook or phone-based alternatives can be distracting. Of course, Slack does have a comprehensive mobile app, and you can enable email notifications.

Wunderlist

I’m using Wunderlist as an example, but really any similar service will do. Wunderlist is a collaborative task management tool– essentially a live-updated, sectionable to-do list. It’s also available as a Slack integration so you can keep all your organization tools in the same place. An editable to-do list allows your group members to have a clear understanding of their responsibilities, and leaves a clear trail so no one is assigning blame when someone drops the ball; the blame was pre-assigned. If you find that you’re the only person with any reasonable ambition within your group, you can set reminders to prod the lackadaisical into action.

Be a Leader

Often, a leader will naturally arise in a group, usually the person with the most dominant type-A personality. The sad truth of reality is that there aren’t enough type-A folks in the world to make up for all the lazy, apathetic people out there. If you’re stuck in a group with floundering leadership, swallow the bitter pill of leadership and become the callous, demanding, confident leader you were always meant to be. I myself have a very laid-back, type-B personality, but I’m so sick of group projects that I become an entirely different person within them. Even though I’m usually in a group with my friends, I don’t account for their feelings at all if something needs to get done. Your group-mates may grumble about you being controlling, over-bearing, and taking life too seriously, but when the project is over they’ll remember you as the person that held everything together. I know, because I’m used to owing immense gratitude to many Hermione Granger-esque classmates. They’re frustrating, and at times infuriating, but at the end of the day you’re left with a grudging respect, and a passing grade.

Be Nice

I know this tip is somewhat contrary to the one above it, but both are necessary to achieve balance. If you do assume the role of leader, think of yourself like a manager; you need to be strict enough to ensure everyone is working, but if you push them too far, low morale can lead to mutinous action. This balance can be achieved by occasionally bringing snacks to meetings, or simply acknowledging that you’re being a pain, and you recognize the stress everyone is under. That said, donuts will go further.

Play to Your Strengths

Most of this article is focused on folks that want to take a dominant organizational role in a group project to ensure its completion, but some people just can’t do it. That means they excel elsewhere, often in a creative role. In the first meeting, get everyone to talk openly and honestly about their strengths and weaknesses, and assign roles based on that. That way, the art student with his head in the clouds isn’t responsible for something like project management.

Group projects are often something we struggle through, and feel immense joy at their completion. Follow these tips, and you may find joy in the process of creating something as a group instead!

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