How to Work Effectively in Groups

Working in groups is almost unavoidable today. Often you will be asked to work in groups in school, at work or sometimes when participating in a volunteer activity. Specific and clear communication is the key to successfully working in groups, whether for short term or long term projects.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Get to know each other. If you're going to be working in a group with other people for any extended period of time, spend a few minutes talking at the outset of the first meeting. Introduce yourselves if you do not already know one another.

2. Assign roles if the project requires working together in a group for an extended period of time to reach a specific goal. For instance you might designate one person the group leader or facilitator and another the scribe or note taker.

3. Exchange contact information to enable group members to communicate effectively outside of scheduled meetings if the project is long term.

4. Identify the group's goal. For instance, perhaps a professor asked you to accomplish a specific task within your group, or your company asked you to research specific information and report back. Discuss and document the group's goal to make sure you all agree on the primary goal of the group's work.

5. Divide tasks into steps and assign each member a specific task to attack long term projects. Often this will go easier if people volunteer for tasks they like to do.

6. Listen to each other and encourage each other. Make sure everyone in the group is heard and offer encouragement when others contribute a good idea or perform a task effectively.

7. Deal immediately with conflict if it arises. Although difficult to deal with, conflict or discord in a group can undermine the group's objectives. As quickly as possible, address any conflicts to keep the group members focused on the ultimate goal.

Tips & Warnings

• You may want each member to explain a bit about schedules or other commitments in the first group meeting for long term projects.
• Even if you're working together just for a short time, make sure everyone in the group introduces themselves if people do not know each other.
• If the group work is just during a specific class or meeting, follow any instructions given by the professor or meeting facilitator.
• Depending on the type of conflict, it may be dealt with between members privately or collectively through discussion. Keep personalities out of the picture when dealing with conflict and avoid negative attacks on individuals.

Resources

• Find good information about groups at the San Francisco State University website.