How to have cooperative group mates?

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I am someone who doesn’t really fond of the idea of doing group work as it can be rather mentally draining to coordinate with others to get the task done. However, lately, it has been troubling me as some of my groupmates are observed to be slacking, by the means of playing games or even just doing the work last minute. I have also tried to let them know that the project is due soon but all I received was just unpleasant stares and derogatory comments from them. How can I better convey my message to inform them to do their part and what are some things I can do to avoid a similar situation from occurring again?

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Hi @laserjet ! Yea I think this relates to me as I have my fair share of dealing with unwilling teammates. Unfortunately, most assignments will come in the form of groupwork, so it is something that we can’t really escape.

I believed you tried your best to let your team know that the deadline of the project is due soon. Here’s what I think you should do:

  1. Have a short face-to-face meeting and check with your team what is the motivation towards the project. If they are not so keen to push their grades up, I think you can tahan a bit for this period and try to do what you can for the project. But should you be allocated with the same teammates, try to negotiate with your tutor for another group. In fact, I believe that having an initial meeting to align the goals with your teammates is important.
  2. Set hard limits - derogatory comments are a hard no. I think you should make it known that any disrespectful comments from your teammates be reported to your tutor.

I am sure this period must have been very frustrating and tiring for you, but hang in there! Hope that this reply helps a little bit.

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Hi, i think one thing you can do is by giving them step by step instructions, maybe conduction group project calls to do work at the same time. Alternatively, you may chose to talk about them to find out their barriers, if they continue to not do anything, can talk about it to your lecturer, and mark them down during peer evaluations

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Hi @laserjet, this issue which you are facing is very common. However, there are actually some ways that I have used that you can consider using to avoid this type of situation from occurring again.

  1. Before ending every team meeting, you can summarize the team members’ roles and responsibilities. Never assume every member knows their roles, and what their contribution suppose to be. There are possibilities that the member who does not contribute a lot does not have a good understanding of what they are supposed to do.

  2. Be a good leader and a team player who is the one that is flexible, adaptable, and also trusts the team. Communication is one of the factors which actually determines how the team progresses.

  3. If it is a particular member which is not contributing much, you can speak to that member privately and try to find out the cause. Talk gently and try to find out the real cause. Offer your help if the problem the member is facing is something you are familiar with.

This is part and parcel of life. In the real world, we do not have the choice to pick who to work with. We got to learn to adapt and that is how you will flourish. I believe you can do it!! :slight_smile:

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Hey @yxtralala ! Really appreciate your response and the advice you’ve provided. Also, thank you for sharing that you are experiencing similar sentiments as me as this ensures me that I’m not alone when encountering issues like this. Will attempt to heed your suggestions for my future projects and hope that things will work out for you as well, cheers ! :slight_smile:

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Hey @icemilo ! Thank you for your valuable insights and sharing on how to handle situations like this. Will attempt to heed your suggestions for my future projects, cheers ! :slight_smile:

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Hey @Darrenlee! Thank you for your sharing and it has definitely made me feel better with a greater sense of assurance that it is a common sight. Really appreciate your kind wishes and hope things will work out for you as well, cheers ! :slight_smile:

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Hi, I think everyone has discussed good points so far, and I’m just here to share my two cents’ worth :slight_smile:

What you’re experiencing with group mates is unfortunately a common sight, although I hope you know that your concern is completely valid. Aside from working with them from a task-oriented point of view (where you focus solely on the project), I think sometimes you may also need to look at the working relationship amongst members. Some members may value the feeling of connection with other members, even when working on a group project, so maybe you can also consider trying to engage and check in with them on a more personal level if they’re agreeable / forthcoming to do so. When a good working relationship is established, they may also be more willing or motivated to put in good effort for the project

Wish you all the best for your projects! I hope you manage to address this issue with them and other group mates, should the situation arise

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Hey @butterfly_verbena ! Thank you for your kind wishes and advices, this has definitely aid me a lot and make me feel a lot better about myself. Hope it goes well for you too! :slight_smile:

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