Successful Team

I consider myself a social creature, and thus teamwork is often enjoyable and fruitful for me. In a college setting most teamwork revolves around group projects. I find that I have the most success with group projects when I have a genuine connection with each and every member- this leads to an emotional bond that most people feel uncomfortable throwing away for the sake of laziness/not doing their work. One of my favorite group projects was one done in one of the first econ classes I’d ever taken; some lower level econ courses are required for a wide range of majors, so I had many real-life friends in this course as well. 

The project was Excel heavy and full of necessary research, so we all had our own little portions to do. The project was meant to culminate in a giant paper that needed graphs, linear regressions, and data coupled with the writing portions (introduction, breaking down our model, the results, conclusions, etc.). These various tasks were delegated to each member and we would all come together, discuss while working, and then contribute individually to a Google Doc. I would say that our team structure was an all-channel network configuration, as we all shared our findings with each other while also making all decisions as a group. 

Katzenbach and Smith’s distinguishing features of high functions teams was an interesting read, and it was fun to look back at this particular group project and compare it to their list for overlap. The group dynamic of all being incredible friends (we all still live in the same apartment building, to this day) coupled with our shared goal of crafting a successful project made it a cohesive effort that had a unified purpose. This common purpose was translated into measurable performance by our allocation of the work. We also provided (soft, but we would nudge) deadlines for each other’s work, as much of it was interlaced and the group’s success relied on the effort made on the individual level. This kept everyone accountable for their portion while also encouraging everyone to keep up with the project. Our group consisted of five members, which I deem a “manageable size”. 

One thing I would say is that our group may not have had the exact “right mix of expertise” that Katzenbach and Smith refer to. Due to our first priority being to work with good friends, it was not on anyone’s mind to make sure we had a perfectly balanced group with varying proficiencies. I didn’t find this to be a hinderance, however, as our cohesive work and efficient environment more than made up for it.

I think being a good teammate means being proactive about your work. It can prove to be annoying if one has to babysit group members into contributing their share, so everyone must be diligent in making sure they aren’t slowing things down for everyone. Another characteristic of a good teammate is reliability- it is integral to the success of the group that the teammates are doing what they said they would exactly when they said they would. I also think being communicative is imperative to having an enjoyable experience with group projects. If a group member is struggling, has a different idea, or has constructive criticism for another member’s work, it is best to be able to express that respectfully and efficiently. I believe that these behaviors are encouraged through either self-motivation or external motivation- namely, having an emotional connection with your teammates. I recognize that this may not always be possible, especially for bigger classes in which group project members are randomized, but it is something I still strive for. I often get coffees or lunch with my group members before/during the project, as I firmly believe that strengthening these interpersonal connections leads directly to better work output. It also has the sweet side effect of making the work more enjoyable and less stressful, as you’re completing it with friends!