Student Resources : Working in Groups : Common Team Mistakes

Group Roles     •     Group Ground Rules     •     Common Team Mistakes

Common Team Mistakes – And How to Avoid Them

1. You will be asked to take on roles that rotate among group members (facilitator, recorder, timekeeper, and so on). You may be inclined to ignore these role assignments and just do the work in any way that comes to mind, or maybe one team member will actually do the facilitating all quarter no matter who is supposed to be doing it for a given assignment.

That's a mistake! Take the roles seriously – your work will go more smoothly and turn out better if you do. Also, the roles each involve different skills, all of which you'll need to function effectively as professionals. Now is the time to start picking up those skills; you can't do it if you never take on the roles.

2. Some teams like to divide and conquer, parceling out different parts of the assignment, completing them individually, and copying and pasting the material in to a single document for submission.

That's a mistake! On the final evaluation and/or when you report on your work, you will be examined individually on all aspects of the assignment. Your grade will depend in part on how well you understand the entire project – not just the portion you completed. Before you submit your work, go over it in detail and make sure you're ready for the final evaluation!

3. A common mistake is for teams to sit around a table and solve all problems together. What usually happens is that someone on the team is faster than the others, and that faster person will begin every problem solution.

That's a mistake! A more productive approach is for every team member to outline the solutions individually, and then get together to work out the details. This gives everyone an equal opportunity to contribute. In addition, you have the benefit of first hearing everyone's opinions!

  4. A common mistake is for team members to not do their research and reading before coming to class.

That's a mistake! When you try to do your reading in class, you do not have time to discuss the results of your research and to make decisions about how you are going to solve the problems. This may necessitate your group having to meet outside of class on a regular basis. You are strongly urged to do your research and reading before coming to class.

5. Teams that work in computer labs sometimes find that a common mistake is for one member of the team to take the file(s) that you've been working on at the end of the class.

That's a mistake! Make sure each team member has the latest and greatest file(s) at the end of each group meeting. If your school uses a course management system (such as Blackboard or WebCT), use that system as a “holding tank” for files while you work on a project. This way, all team members have access to all files at each stage of the project.