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Challenges of teamwork

Collaborating with others can present a number of challenges. You have probably found that many students often admit to not particularly enjoying teamwork assignments. Besides the usual stresses associated with assignments, teamwork tasks bring yet more challenges:

Such an imbalance can arise because one or two team members take on all the work and others are left with nothing to do. Or, tasks are completed sequentially, meaning most group members do nothing for long stretches of time, and delays by any individual on their “part” causes delays for everyone.
Often the result of team members dividing up subtasks and then treating each subtask like an individual assignment and not spending enough time as a group bringing all the pieces together into a cohesive whole.
Some team members may be negatively critical of others and provide what seems like unhelpful and hurtful feedback. Disagreements can also lead to conflict if not managed appropriately.
Often the result of not clearly identifying the means and frequency of communication early in the teamwork process. Poor communication can lead to a disjointed final product (see above), or additional stress for team members.
A breach by one team member (either accidental or deliberate) can have ramifications for the whole team. This can happen with teams who do not effectively collaborate with each other, leading to team members working on their own to manage any challenges they may encounter working on “their part”.
A student in this situation may feel isolated and overly stressed, and thus, unable to reach out to their team for help. This, in turn, may lead the stressed student to breach academic integrity. If that happens, all team members will experience the consequences.

Working towards a common goal

For the best teamwork experience, you need to be proactive in collaborating with others.

Four tips for being proactive in collaboration:

Ensure all team members have the same understanding of the instructions, aims and objectives of the project.
Be organised.
Work and communicate effectively.
Seek support or advice from your tutor, lecturer or a learning adviser.

Using these tips will help you work towards a common goal as a team. A common goal will help to ensure your collaboration runs smoothly and all team members are satisfied with the final product.

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Challenges of teamwork

Working towards a common goal

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