“There will be a mandatory group project in this class”—This common phrase seen on many courses’ syllabi and spoken in various college classrooms often produces divided reactions among college students. While some students zealously approach opportunities to work with classmates, others are wary to rely on their peers to complete class assignments. Nonetheless, group projects are an inevitable part of the college experience and their purpose extends beyond the classroom, as many of us will continue to be members of work-related teams after we graduate.
Although unavoidable and potentially beneficial, randomly assigned projects are often associated with a less-than-ideal sense of uncertainty. However, understanding the types of group members you will be working with as well as the ways in which they can add value to the team may be the first step to success when working on group projects. Below are the 5 primary types of group members (that many of us have probably already come across and identified during our college experiences so far) as well as tips to most effectively work with them. (See if you can identify which group member you are!)
1. The Control Freak
What are the signs?
- Prefers to follow strict directions provided by the professor
- Takes it upon themselves to complete multiple parts of the project
- Willingly leads the group and chooses to own a majority of tasks
How to work with them?
- Use their positive organizational skills and conscientiousness to the team’s advantage by allowing them to delegate tasks
- Ensure they do not decide to take on the entire project by themselves
- Have a voice! Speak up if you feel that your ideas or creativity is being stifled by a leader
2. The Slacker
What are the signs?
- You forget they are even in the group
- Barely shows up to meetings or responds to communications
- Doesn’t seem interested in actively participating
How to work with them?
- Keep tabs on this teammate—text them before every meeting as a reminder
- Assign their tasks quickly and specifically
- Notify the professor if there are no improvements
3. The Idea Generator
What are the signs?
- Spews out tons of creative project ideas
- Sometimes “scatter-brained”
- Offers project ideas that may be unrealistic given due dates and capabilities
How to work with them?
- Continue to remind them of the overall goal of the project and due dates
- Use their creative suggestions to the team’s advantage
- Assign them tasks that allow them to express their creativity (i.e. PowerPoint design)
4. The Talker
What are the signs?
- Has a louder voice and may unintentionally talk over other group members
- Spends a significant portion of project meetings chatting about unrelated topics
- Generally gregarious and friendly
How to work with them?
- Be confident and speak up if your points are not being heard
- Remind them of the importance to stay on topic due to time limits/due dates
- Use their presentation skills to the group’s advantage—they are likely great public speakers!
5. The Quiet One
What are the signs?
- Attends meetings but has minimal input
- Completes tasks when they are delegated to him/her
- Prefers not to present ideas or engage in public speaking
How to work with them?
- Ask them directly to offer their thoughts and ideas to gauge whether they are shy or simply indifferent
- Assign them specific tasks—they will likely get it done and on time despite their minimal commentary
- Assign them minimal public speaking tasks