Group Projects - "Do's and Don't's"

I'll keep this one short and sweet. Being an advertising/public relations major, I've had to work in so many group settings I can't even remember them all. Whether you have to do it for school, work, or in an extra curricular activity, working on a group project usually proves to be tricky. It's difficult to have a good experience, but here are some simple "do's and don't's" to keep in mind.

DO gather contact information for easy communication. Be the person to step up when the group is first formed and get a list of everyone's first and last names, emails, and phone numbers. You can use their first and last name to find them on Facebook and create a group for easy conversation and sharing, and you can also put everyone's email and phone number on the page so the entire group has it.

DO create an account with Box.com or a similar site. Sites like this let you create a file, invite people to share and contribute to it, and upload and download files. This is GREAT for group projects where everyone is going to be doing their own individual tasks. Instead of them having to email everyone and worrying about how long it will take, they just upload it to the box and the entire group can view it and can even download it and make changes if needed. 

DON'T sit back and not speak up. Not only will you not get your voice heard, but you'll be viewed as the person who doesn't do anything. Whether you really care or not, speak up and make sure your group knows you're invested in the project. Even if it's something as simple as what color font to use for the project cover, make sure you let them know you have an opinion and that you are part of the group.

DO your share of the work. Volunteer for the things you're good at (i.e. maybe you love to write so you offer to write all the copy, or maybe you're into research so you volunteer for that.) Most of the time, you're working on the group project for someone higher up, and your group members have access to that person. The last thing you want is them saying you didn't help on the project. If you're uncomfortable with the subject, just pick something you're good at and play on your strengths. You have to realize that you are going to have to do work - just because it's a group project doesn't mean you get to slack.

Don't let this ^ be your train of thought.

DON'T be that guy (or girl.) You know what I'm talking about, the one that takes complete control over the entire project and says they'll do everything and not to worry about it. It's easy to try to be a control freak, but the whole purpose of a group project is to experiment with working with other people. In the "real world," telling your colleagues that you'll do everything on a project isn't going to fly. Do your share and maybe a little more if you feel like someone else in the group is slacking, but be careful when you're dancing on that line. And with that...

DO trust your group members. Like I mentioned before, a lot is invested in a group project, so it's easy to try to take control so that everything gets done the way you want it to. This defeats the purpose of a group project, and the truth is if you overload yourself doing an entire group's work, your final project won't turn out as good as the other groups you're up against who actually shared the load. Three ideas are better than one, and it takes more than one person to put together a successful project.

DON'T complain about your group members. You don't get to choose who you work with in the real world, therefore complaining about your group members in school and trying to get them to change isn't going to teach you anything. Instead, take the challenge and figure out how to utilize the person you're not a fan of. Maybe they are really annoying but they are great at public speaking. Make sure to give them important speaking parts and make them feel like you care about them rather than telling them to shove off every time they speak. 

And finally, DO give credit where credit is due, both to yourself and your group members. If there is any type of evaluation at the end, make it as detailed as you can. You want the people who did a great job to get great rewards, and those who weren't so great to get what they deserve as well. Now, that doesn't mean rip someone apart. Keep it classy, but be honest. In the end, these evaluations will help you, too.

So there are a few tid bits from Mrs. Busy Pants about group projects. Now let me have it, what do you guys think is great advice for working in a group project? 

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