1. How to Succeed While Working in Groups
Business Analysis

2. Brainstorm
What types of groups have you worked in or are you a part of right now?
What made them successful or unsuccessful?

3. Why is working in groups important?
Group assignments are set to prepare you for your professional future,
To give you a chance to tackle significant projects,
To enable you to demonstrate teamwork skills in this classroom.

4. In the “Real World”
In the ‘real world’ you will find that you will almost certainly have to work in groups—usually not groups of your own choosing.
You have to be able to pull together and reach a successful goal.

5. In Groups we get More Done
You can achieve much more if you have a group of people working together,
Contributing their different talents and perspectives and, above all, their time.
In group assignments you can tackle much more significant projects.

6. Get Your Job! Employers are particularly interested in teamwork skills
You can impress them than to show them a really professional piece of work you have produced in a group assignment.

7. The two major objectives of a group project are:
What is learned:  factual material as well as the process
What is produced:  written paper, presentation, and/or media project

8. If you follow each of the following keys your groups in this class and for the rest of your lives will be successful experiences!

9. 1. Get to know each other!
The serious business of work will go more smoothly if you know each other. So the first thing to do is introductions.
Later, you might like to share some social activity.
Make sure you know how to contact each other

10. 2. Select Team Leader
A chairperson should be someone who is strongly committed to the task and has the determination (and diplomacy) to keep things running smoothly.
Don’t just choose the noisiest or most self-confident person.
Must be done fairly

11. Selecting a Leader… Questions to think about:
Who has what skills or resources?
Do you have a good graphic designer?
Who will organize the layout?
Who is a good proofreader?
Who is good at theory?

12. 3. Establish Clear Objectives and Assign Roles/Duties
Spend time together analyzing the task
Make sure that you all have a common understanding of what is required.
Discuss your overall goals too
Are you aiming for the best possible product, or will you be satisfied with a Pass?

13. Class Objective
In this class the goals/objective will be to complete the assignment, but how and to what degree and using what resources is up to your team.

14. 4. Achieve Your Objectives
Remember: not everyone will have the same level of commitment or the same values/attitudes.
You should be able to expect commitment from your team members—
Just as in the ‘real world’, you may find yourself working with some blunders.

15. Achieve with your Objectives
Try to deal with difficult group members as positively as you can
Getting angry or offended is not going to help much, and your lecturer/professor (just like your future boss) is not likely to be too sympathetic if you complain about your group members.

16. 5. Evaluate /Keep me in the loop!
Does the output match the desired objectives?
Is this your best work?
Are you as a group satisfied?
Keep me (Ms. Romas) informed about what your group is doing. If you want advice later, I can probably advise you better if I know the whole situation.

17. Common Mistakes and Pitfalls
Misunderstandings about responsibilities
(Perceived) lack of commitment in some group members
Personality clashes
One person doing all the work

18. Good Information to Remember:
One of the most important points of basic behavior in a group is common courtesy.
Don't be afraid to speak up, but be sure to allow your fellow students time to speak as well.
If someone expresses what you feel is a "stupid" opinion, try to criticize it constructively rather than putting down the person.

19. Good Information Continued
Cooperation is a key factor in teamwork.
Don't hesitate to try to improve the work of your group by making suggestions, but don't needlessly obstruct for the sake of obstruction.

20. Activity
Think of a really good experience you had as a member of a group. What made it good? Think of a bad experience. What made it bad? What can you learn from the comparison?