And how to work with them!
I’m sure most of us have opened up the course syllabus, saw there was a group project and had a moment of panic. Perhaps you even thought about dropping the course. But now the time to do the group project has come, and that potentially means working with various types of people and hoping the work gets done. I’ve had more than my fair share of group projects, and I feel like I have encountered each type of person you may have to work with. Here is my list of the five types of people you might work with in a group project and how to deal with them.
1. The type A
If I had to be someone on this list, this is probably me. The type A is extremely organized and wants everything to be done the right way, even if that might (and probably will) annoy their group members. You can expect to see them often in the group chat and Google Doc. They can be bossy and may try to dictate the project to match their vision. But despite how abrasive they may be, they will get the job done to an excellent standard. How to deal with them? Get your tasks done on time, go along with them if you like their ideas, and don’t be afraid to question their ideas if you don’t.
2. The ghoster
Your group might allegedly have five people, yet only four people are talking in the group chat or doing work. Does this fifth person even exist? The ghoster just won’t do their work or respond to the chat. Sometimes there is a legitimate reason for their absence, and they will tell you if that is the case. However, more often than not they will just try and mooch off your team’s work despite not carrying their weight. How to handle them? Try talking to them individually and see if the ghosting is intentional. If there was a personal emergency, be sympathetic and try to help their workload. If they ghost you when you reach out and never contribute, tell your professor. They do not deserve your grade if they did no work.
3. The procrastinator
They may seem like a ghoster at first, but lo and behold they will put their work in—an hour before the deadline. You can expect to see “I’m still working on mine” messages in the chat often and will probably panic as the deadline is getting closer and closer and one part of the project is still not done. The procrastinator’s work will either be so great that you can look past the fact you submitted the assignment with 10 minutes left, or it will be clearly rushed and lower your team’s grade. How to handle them? Try to give gentle reminders when the deadline is approaching, offer to help them with tasks and make sure that your sections of the project are good to go.
4. The person that says they are fine with everything (and actually are)
This is also me if there is already a clear type A in the group. This is the easygoing and chill group member. They will get their work done and probably won’t cause any issues. But don’t expect them to come up with the big ideas or lead a section. This person will avoid confrontation and will just go with the flow. This is not a bad thing, but having a whole group of people of just “yes men” could be frustrating if no one has major input. How to handle them? Honestly, there isn’t much that you can do except asking for their feedback specifically.
5. The person that says they are fine with everything (but actually aren’t)
This person will seem like number four, but just can’t seem to speak up during group meetings even if they do not like the idea. This may lead to being passive aggressive or trying to change the plan last minute. You might even see some sneaky changes to the group doc with their ideas even if the rest of the group had a different idea in mind. How to handle them? The best thing to do is ask for their input early on, especially if you can see they have something to say but are scared to say it. If they try to change their project late in the game, be firm with your original idea and explain that the rest of the group had already put in the work and it is too late to change the idea.
Group projects can be a frustrating yet rewarding experience. Now that you know how to recognize and handle different types of group members, working as a group will hopefully be easier for you. Good luck!