Mon Sept 26

Why work in groups?

If you’re in business school, you will almost certainly find yourself engaged in team-based activities. And, “in the real world, you have to work with people. You don’t always know the people you work with, and you don’t always get along with them. Your boss won’t particularly care, and if you can’t get the job done, your job may end up on the line. Life is all about group work, whether we like it or not. And school, in many ways, prepares us for life, including working with others.”

 Working in Groups

“The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.” A phrase attributed to Aristotle. The phrase is also used to explain the importance of Synergy.

Teamwork brings people together to work towards a common goal. The importance of teamwork and collaboration does not go unnoticed in a real world work environment. When people work together, they can feel like they are part of something bigger.

Working together entails all of the following, plus more:

• Leadership: Leaders emerge in teams. They help to motivate team members and keep everyone aligned on the path to success.
• Communication: When working together, you open up lines of communication. In this way, you can share your ideas and express your concerns.
• Benefit Of Different Skill Sets: People can definitely work alone. But when you bring people from diverse backgrounds together, you get the added value of mixed skill sets. This can create better outcomes.
• New And Creative Skills: Through communication, team members can come up with creative ideas.
• Problem-Solving Is Maximized: Since everyone approaches a problem with a different perspective, working together makes problem-solving easier. Your teammate may see a solution that you otherwise wouldn’t think of!
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• Following these steps will help you and your group to work effectively together.

1. Set clear objectives. At each stage you should try to agree on group goals and objectives
2. Set ground rules. ... ( everyone has a role and participates)
3. Communicate efficiently. ( everyone should have a say, the loudest person should not control the group) ... 
4. Build consensus. ... ( this means all people should agree on the plan)
5. Define roles. ... ( each person has a job to do, play to your strengths)
6. Clarify. ... ( make sure everyone understands the assignment and expectations)
7. Keep good records. ...