How to Finish Group Projects Efficiently

In high school and university, work will not be as independent as you might think it is. There are many instances where students have to work collaboratively and that can be either a successful effort or a disorganized and tense conflict. Group projects can be time-consuming as well. Here are a few steps that you can take to reduce the stress of group work.

1. Contact your group as soon as possible.

In some instances, some instructors will not announce or explain group projects during classes but post a description of the group project on the online homepage of the course. Not many students will be immediately aware of this which can lead to lost time for connecting with your group members.

In your online classroom portal, there will be an assigned list of group members organized by group number or some type of organization system to find your group. After finding your group members, message them through their school emails by introducing yourself and asking for further contact information.

2. Form a group chat

Forming a group chat on an instant messaging or social media platform such as Discord, Instagram, WhatsApp, or iMessage will be very beneficial so that you can send online meeting links and update your group about anything related to the project. You need to communicate often if you want to finish the project. This sounds obvious but many group members can be aloof or unengaged with their group members.

3. Read the group project description

Make sure that all of your group members have read the project description and requirements before meeting together. When your group does meet, they can discuss and brainstorm ideas during the planning stage of the group project. Your group should be aware of the rubric designed for the project, the deadline, the requirements, and the type of deliverables (poster, presentation, report. etc) to submit.

4. Create a planning document to assign tasks and come up with ideas

While meeting as a group, you can use note-taking apps such as Google Docs or Evernote to organize ideas, designate tasks, and paste external resources that will be useful for completing the project.

5. Stay on task as much as possible

While it's fun to have conversations unrelated to group work, they can be a major distraction if they last longer than expected and significantly reduce the time needed to collaborate on the group project. If you notice your group is off-topic for a long time, try asking questions related to the group work, telling your group members that you finished a project task, or informing the group to re-direct their focus towards the project.

6. Assign and distribute tasks equitably

Assign and distribute tasks as equitably as possible and allow group members to choose tasks that exemplify their strengths so that the project can be finished faster with better quality. You should ask your group members which tasks they find the most suitable for them to work on. If there are an odd number of tasks to work on, you can assign two group members to work together on a task.

7. Set deadlines for certain tasks

Another important part of project management is to set mini-deadlines for parts of the group project before the official deadline so your group can identify the amount of progress made and remaining. Setting mini-deadlines can also better create a sense of urgency as opposed to just the major deadline for the group project and can make procrastination less tempting.

8. Adopt a democratic form of decision-making within your group

There should not be one person making all of the decisions or people overshadowing other group members' input. Ensure that all group members are involved in delegating tasks, discussing ideas, and clarifying any conclusions.

9. Resolve group conflicts immediately

Having drama or tension in your group can not only slow down the efficiency and progress that your group is making with the project but can also make it more difficult and unpleasant to work with your group members. Oftentimes, the conflict will arise from members' underwhelming contributions or completely ignoring their assigned tasks.

If your group is in this situation, try to resolve it by talking to team members who aren't contributing sufficiently to the project by asking them about any reasons that the group should be aware of as to why the work isn't completed. If your group can't resolve this on their own, talk to an instructor or write a reflection and rate their work as needing improvement when given the chance to peer review.

10. Meet with your group members in quiet places

If you have the option of working in person with your group, why not try a quiet place such as an empty classroom or an open space in the library where you can converse? Working in quiet places reduces distractions and leads to more productive group meetings.

11. Revise and review the entire group project as a group and individually

Proofread and edit as much as you can. Inspect for grammatical errors, contradicting statements, and ways for more concise writing. While reviewing the group project, ensure that all of the aspects satisfy the project rubric.

There should be one person who submits the project but before they submit the project, they should ask for the permission of all group members in case they want to continue editing their parts.

Conclusion

Following these tips effectively can lead to better project management, productive collaboration, and possibly friendships if your groups work very well together. How do you effectively manage group projects? Let me know in the comments below!