In every group work there will always be people who are more committed than others. Some people will be more involved than others; it's the way it has always been. Whether it should remain that way is not the subject of this write-up. My focus here is to show you how to make each individual, in any group work or activity you are involved in, give their very best towards the success of the team.
People tend to replicate their attitude towards personal study and assignments to group assignments. Those who never do their personal assignments on time will tend to be procrastinate on roles within groups too. It's what they have been accustomed to; their way of life. But the group will pay dearly for it if nothing is done about that sort of attitude.
Notice that I am writing with the assumption (and I hope I am not wrong) that you are one that takes work, assignment and roles seriously. This post won't be meaningful if you aren't.
The first thing about a group work is that IT MUST BE DONE. That statement is so simple it almost sounds ridiculous. But don't take it lightly, it really must be done. And the only way to get the work done is to do the work. The group assignment, it could be a field work or an essay or some other task, will be graded. And when no work is submitted by the group, no mark will be awarded, and that is bad news for everyone involved. This is why I kept emphasizing that the work needs to be done. Some folks will be indifferent towards it but that must not dampen your resolve; it should not water down your drive.
Volunteer to be the group leader. This gives you a platform to influence the rest of the group on a larger scale. It confers authority on you, and you could use that to steer the whole group in one direction. Though you should keep in mind that you aren't trying to create everyone in your image. That won't work. They can't all have your type of drive or resolve but you can help them give their best.
It is true that the leader of the group has to put in a lot of work compared to the rest of the group, and that can make you want to freak out. You need not be afraid, for on the plus side, the group leader gets to learn a whole lot; from leadership to coordination to handling people and so on. And those are key things you need to learn. And when an opportunity comes in form of a group work, rush towards it. No one can snatch the knowledge and experience you will gain in that role from you.
It is good to pair the group into further mini groups where roles can be split and various tasks given to various mini-groups. This helps get everyone involved. Sometimes people are reluctant to contribute their quota to the success of the group because they believe their ideas are insignificant, especially when the group is filled with people they deem to be more intelligent. Dividing people into mini groups will help amplify their contributions and this will be a further incentive for them to do their best.
Make each person accountable to everyone. Groups wither in productivity because there is no system for accountability. But when they see that what they do, or fail to do, is bound to affect more than them alone, no one would like to be seen as a bad egg, as the cause of the downfall of others. They are bound to buckle up and give their best. That asides, the mere fact that everyone knows who is responsible for which task makes it possible for a thorough check to be done by the group on each member.
As a deterrent to those who still insist on being lazy and doing nothing to contribute to the success of the assignment, tell the group that only those who participated will have their names collated and submitted as participants. This was done many times in my secondary school and brought positive results as many people usually became more committed after such threats.
Do well to encourage one another from time to time. It helps a lot. Show that as much as you are interested in the work being done, you are also interested in the people doing the work.
Group work can be fun, and should be fun. You shouldn't have it any other way. Enjoy the tasks, the roles and the lovely grades from being a part of a group who give their best.
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