Hello everyone and welcome to my capstone blog! The goal of this blog will be to discuss unique challenges that I’ve faced over the term and provide some sort of reflection on things that I’ve accomplished. For blog post #1, I’d really like to share what I think is necessary for a group project to be successful.
A History of Group Projects
Ask almost anyone who went to college how they feel about group projects and you usually hear the same response, “Ugh, I haaaaate group projects. They’re the worst!” It’s universal. Almost as unshakable as the law of gravity. In fact when I hear someone say that they liked group projects in college my suspicions of that person are heightened. Why should I trust someone that actually liked group projects?
I mean, we know that the only people that like group projects are the free riders, right? The rest of us (the normal ones) are scarred from late nights trying to throw something (anything) together to be able to turn in because our partners were too lazy or procrastinated too long to be able to do their fair share. It’s because of our partners, we tell ourselves, that we hate group projects. If our partners were just “better” then all of our problems would disappear.
I used to think this way while I was pursuing my first degree in Mechanical Engineering. However, after I graduated and started working for ExxonMobil, I realized that the problem wasn’t with my partners. The problem was with me and how I approached group projects. Throughout my years of working I’ve been on too many teams to count. Some were successful, others crashed and burned. Luckily for you I’m going to share what I’ve learned from these experiences so that you hopefully don’t have to repeat my mistakes.
From what I’ve experienced, there are no bad teams only bad leaders. What I mean by this is that everyone chooses to come to work every day, to try to better themselves and the team. Sure, some people are more motivated than others, but with the right guidance and realistic expectations any team can be successful. There are endless varieties of books around the topic of successful teams, so I can’t cover everything. However, I think the majority of the knowledge out there boils down to 4 simple practices that, when implemented, take care of a lot of the heartburn that comes with group projects. These 4 simple practices are:
- Establish Connections (the golden rule)
- Set Clear Expectations
- Practice SMART Goals
- Communicate Honestly
In the sections that follow I’ll attempt to explain why each practice is important, and what types of problems it will address.
Establish Connections
Be honest, in those group projects that you hated, did you really feel connected to your teammates, or were your teammates just NPCs along for the ride? How do you feel working for someone that views you as a number that’s helping them get farther in life?
I suspect that the answer to both of these questions is no. Here lies the problem at the heart of most short term group projects – we don’t take the time to invest in the relationships. I think that this is the main reason that we all dislike college group projects but seem to be fine with group projects in the workplace. What changed between the two? You see your coworkers every day and are forced to build connections whereas you only see your group partners maybe once a week for an hour.
I know that I work a lot harder for people that I feel connected to. I’m more willing to ask someone if they need help and check in on their progress if I feel comfortable with them. I’m also more honest about my progress and shortcomings and more likely to ask for help when needed. So if you only follow one of these practices, make sure it’s this one. Take the time to get to know your partners on a more personal level and realize that they’re a fellow human struggling with their own issues just trying to do their best. Meet with your teammates more than once a week so that you form those bonds, and don’t only talk about the tasks at hand.
Set Clear Expectations
Admittedly #2 (Clear Expectations) and #3 (SMART Goals) are fairly similar. However, there are some key differences that I think are worth talking about. When I say set clear expectations, what I’m saying is that you should lay out what’s going to happen if you or your teammates fail to meet certain obligations (i.e. the consequences). This establishes accountability and prevents someone from feeling blindsided when the consequences kick in. These consequences are inherent in a workplace setting (you could get fired, never promoted, etc.), but in a less formal setting they need to be spelled out.
During my first degree I was involved in trying to establish a new Fraternity on campus. As part of this process, your group must meet certain criteria for GPA, club 
involvement, and philanthropic involvement amongst many others. When we first started, we had no accountability measures in place and relied on the good will of our members to meet their obligations. Guess what happened – we failed on almost all fronts. It was humiliating but an important lesson in setting clear expectations. Once we established the minimum expectations and accountability measures if not met, then our members started meeting and exceeding these expectations. Those that didn’t meet the standards weren’t surprised when they were held accountable and actually respected the group for holding them accountable. It also eliminated a lot of the resentment some members harbored from a perceived lack of accountability for poor actions.
So how do you set clear expectations? This goes back to establishing connections – talk to your teammates about what can go wrong and what will happen if you don’t meet certain deadlines or obligations. Be open and honest, and make sure everyone is comfortable with the guidelines in place so that they don’t feel as if they’ve been treated unfairly.
Practice SMART Goals
I feel as if everyone knows what SMART goals are by now, but when I was introduced to them in college it changed my life and how I approach my goals. If you don’t know what SMART goals are, then here’s a handy cheat sheet:
If you use this method of thinking with every deliverable, then your team can’t help but be on the same page. Gone will be the days of excuses, and you’ll gain a lot more confidence asking a teammate about their status when there’s a clear due date.
Communicate Honestly
At the end, but certainly not least important, is communicating honestly. If you’ve done a good job of establishing connections, setting clear expectations, and practicing SMART goals during discussions, then this should come naturally. However, we all feel the pressure at times to fudge the truth in order to make ourselves look better or to divert attention from our issues. We don’t want to be the weak link, right?
Team killers are those that don’t communicate honestly. Some of the most frustrating people I’ve ever worked with deliberately misled stakeholders. The truth catches up to everyone, and your job (and the job of everyone around you) gets a lot harder when people don’t trust you.
I have to admit that communicating my shortcomings and struggles has been one of the hardest parts of being in a group project. It’s humbling and uncomfortable. However, the more honest you are the more likely you are to get help when needed. It also builds trust amongst the teammates and establishes connections (we’ve come full circle… nice!).
Conclusion
Like I said before, there are numerous books and lectures on the topic of building great teams. I can’t begin to say that I’ve covered it all, but I think that I’ve covered the start of it. It all comes down to building connections, communicating in an open and honest manner, and holding each other accountable. I know that I’ll be applying these principles throughout the capstone project, and I know it will relieve some of the stress and frustration that seem to present themselves in group settings. Who knows, maybe I’ll be the one drawing side eye glances when I say, “Hey I liked my group projects!”
