Working in Groups Without the Struggle
Starting from a young age, we’ve been taught to work in groups. From building blocks in kindergarten to group presentations in college, we never thought that we would continue to work in groups in the real world. Well, guess what? Working with others and creating presentations are a big deal in the workplace. You might not be building LEGOS in the office, but you will have to put a project together with your colleagues sooner or later. And you thought taking that speech class in school wouldn’t pay off — I hope you were paying close attention.
Working in groups can be tough, especially if you’re the new guy in the office. You will learn new things about your co-workers (good and bad), and you’ll feel there’s no free time until a project is done. Luckily, we have a solution. Here are 6 tips to help you get through working in a group:
1. Assign a leader:
This is the most important part of working in a group because being a leader means keeping the group on the right track. Now imagine if you had no leader. Grab a piece of paper, close your eyes, and scribble away. Open your eyes and see exactly what a leaderless group would look like – unorganized. Being a leader may sound difficult, but it’s an achievement. You have the upper hand in most situations and once your project is over and done with you will feel relieved.
2. Make an outline:
If outlines weren’t possible, my brain would be on system overload every day. Outlines answer questions such as: “Where do we begin?” and “What do we want to accomplish?” Making outlines are crucial when it comes to working on group presentations, especially when you are presenting in front of big clients. Having a plan will give you confidence and make things happen.
3. Start a Schedule:
If your group needs to meet outside of the office, this is a simple, yet difficult task. Not everyone in your group will be available at the same time on the same day, so sitting down at work and drafting a schedule will get the ball rolling.
4. Use document management software:
Someone in the group is sick? Great. Someone forgot his or her papers at home? It happens. Conflicts always occur and we tend to stress over every single detail. We also make ourselves believe that we can’t work without that one person who couldn’t come. Wrong. Businesses that use document management software such as Contentverse are more effective than other businesses. Contentverse eliminates project chaos because it organizes your files and shares files digitally. This helps when working in groups because you can edit documents and access the files anywhere. Also document management workflow can help when tasks seem overwhelming by organizing and keeping everyone on track. So that person who is sick can get on their laptop and check documents from home while the group member who forgot their files can work away with everything readily available on their PC.
5. Research:
One nightmare while presenting or turning in a project is not knowing what you are talking about. Research is a beautiful part of life (well, of work). It can turn a vague concept into commonplace knowledge for you. With researching not only would you sound like a connoisseur of your project, but you would expand your knowledge while putting the pieces together.
6. Rehearse:
This might sound like a drag, but you’ll thank each other when it’s all over. Rehearsing your presentation is important because you don’t want to look lost while standing in front of clients. Do you think that actors don’t practice before they start filming? Of course not. It’s the same for us office employees. Your goal is to knock that presentation out of the park and land whatever deal you’ve been slaving over. You never know, your presentation could open a new world of opportunities.
Working in a group only means working with more brains. More brains means more knowledge! From organizing your project to using document management software such as Contentverse, your deadlines will be met and your presentation will be a success. Plus, the only thing left to do after a presentation is to celebrate with your teammates. It will be worth it in the end. Good luck and happy presenting!
About the Author:
Samantha Lebbos is an experienced writer who studied broadcast journalism at Bradley University. While working as a radio traffic producer in Chicago, she is also a correspondent covering events and interviewing today’s top entertainment artists/athletes. Samantha writes for several different online blogs, including Elite Daily. She loves working and attending concerts, writing, traveling, and learning about new cultures around the world. |