Working in Groups or Teams

Working in groups or teams

NSCC is a community that values diversity of thought and experience. To help you develop important learning and employment skills, we often put you into teams or groups to complete coursework. This is one way to encourage you to learn about others, what is required in the workplace and it’s a way to gain confidence and understanding about yourself.

Some people love working with others and sharing thoughts and ideas. For others, group work may be a source of conflict if they’ve never done it before or prefer to do things on their own, handling every step of the process. Living, learning, and working in a collaborative way happens in a home, in school and at work, so learning the skills to do this well are key.

Need some convincing? Here are some of the skills you’ll learn by being part of a team.

Communication Skills

• When to speak and when to listen
• Giving and receiving feedback
• Learning how we all communicate differently
• How to show respect for others

Presentation skills

• Public speaking
• Organization of material and PowerPoints
• Creating joint speaking notes and sharing the stage
• Working with those who are nervous and those who are not
• Creativity, creative thinking, and idea exchange in a live format

Conflict resolution

• How to disagree while still being respectful
• How a team can continue to its goals when disagreements happen
• How to collaborate when people deal with conflict differently

Decision making skills

• What is important and what can wait
• How frequently will meetings happen, when it’s ok to email, how can we all meet deadlines
• When is it more important that the team wins than a personal win

Understanding diversity

• Valuing and including the perspectives of others
• Understanding that voices have been silenced and giving space now to hear and value those voices
• Valuing the culture and lived experiences of others

Prepare for group work

First things first. How do you determine your own readiness for participating in group work? Take a moment and do some self-reflection by asking yourself the following questions:

• Do I prefer to work alone or in a group? Why do I have this preference?
• Am I ready to jump in and learn about myself and others in a group?
• Do I like challenges or things being the same?
• Am I an introvert or extrovert in a group?
• How will I make my voice heard?

To avoid problems later, take time during the first meeting of the group to set up some group standards. Groups standards are ideas that everyone has and agrees on around how the group will function. If the group starts to go off track, group standards can help remind everyone of what was agreed to so you can get back to that place. Here are some tips to help you set up group standards during your first meeting.

Tips for creating group standards:

• How will we communicate with each other? Is it ok to send communications in the evening/on weekends/holidays? How much is too much? What is our email response time (within 48 hours?)
• How will meetings be held? In person, on Teams? What can we all agree to about meetings, like no phone calls at meetings, be on time or let the team lead know if you are going to be late, no distractions, who is leading the meeting etc.
• How will we make room for everyone to voice their opinion and be accessible for all? For example, some team members may need to go away and think about things before giving an opinion, those with a visual disability may need one person to speak at a time.
• How will we resolve conflict? Do we agree to talk to one another and not about one another? See our Respectful Community Guidelines on Connect for help.
• What roles will we each play? Who organizes the meetings, takes notes, and divides tasks?
• Who is the spokesperson for the team? Can we change this, so everyone gets a turn if they want?
• How will the group deal with underperforming members: students who fail to submit expected work, do their research, miss meetings, adhere to deadlines, etc?
• The Study Skills guide provides tips on forming study groups and doing group work.

There are many supports to help you navigate difficulties you may encounter. Contact your faculty or a student services advisor for help. Remember, this is about learning about yourself and others, so show up as your best self and with respect for others.