Tips for Working in Teams or Groups

1. Tips for Working in Teams or Groups

2. Not always easy • What challenges have you had when working in a team or group?

3. Be PRESENT • Respect others time • Be on time to meetings • Be THERE…not distracted by other classes or situations going on • Participate • Contribute • Pay ATTENTION to what is being said to you* • Stay on topic

4. Choose wisely • If you are given the chance to choose groups, choose wisely. • You may feel some pressure to choose certain people, but: • your choice of team members should revolve around who has the right skills • and who has the motivation to excel in the team assignment.

5. Your Team • Get to know your team members. • What kinds of activities are they involved in? • What are there favorite or best subjects?

6. Contacts • Write down everyone’s contact info- • phone numbers, • email addresses, • IM screen names • other important pieces of data, such as class, activity and work schedules, and best times to meet. • Create a master list with all the key information and email it to each team member.

7. Choose or agree on a leader. • Every groups needs a leader to be the key point. • Make sure to choose someone you can count on, who will be supportive and kind but get the job done and do their part.

8. Identify the team strengths. • Some people are better writers while others are brilliant at researching, • Some love to make presentations, while others would rather design the presentation (but not partake in it). • Once you have identified each other's strengths, divide the critical tasks according to abilities and interests.

9. Don't Monopolize Conversations. • Even if you think you have the best ideas -- or even if you are the best student in your group, do not monopolize the team meetings. • The best teams are the ones in which team members collaborate -- and share ideas and decisions. • Some members who are shy or introverted will not speak up if you don't stop talking. • Remember YES AND!

10. Be flexible • Group projects are ALWAYS a compromise of ideas, so you should go into these situations with the idea that even if you have a brilliant idea for the project, it might not be chosen by your team. • The key here is accepting the idea and moving forward with whatever decisions the team makes -- and fully supporting those efforts. • Remember YES AND!

11. Slackers • It’s true, teams have social loafers -- slackers -- that will not complete their tasks. • If you are the team leader, one of your key roles is making certain everyone in the team is completing their assigned tasks. • Use peer pressure -–the power of the entire team to motivate them to work equally.

12. If all else fails, let your teacher know: • Show the teacher the list of who was responsible for what and what you have done to get the other person to do their work. • Make sure to communicate to your teacher that you have tried everything else and you need their help. • Be professional, don’t whine or use it as an excuse that your group failed to get the work done.

13. Presentation Time • When it’s time to present • Practice • Don’t memorize – don’t recite – just speak! • Instead of having notecards with your speech on it, try having leading questions about your topic • TRUST YOURSELF. You KNOW your topic! • It’s much more entertaining AND interesting to hear someone speak instead of recite