Team Dynamics in Group Projects

Level Playing Ground

Students cannot rely on their track records when groups are formed. You must go into a group project willing to work and prove yourself for the first time. This is the challenge.

Basketball's best player ever, Michael Jordan, did everything imaginable as a star guard for the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Chicago Bulls. After his "final" retirement, he did the unimaginable and returned to play for the team he co-owned, the Washington Wizards. His partner in Washington, Ted Leonsis was once asked what the dynamic was like when he had a conflicting view with his "Airness." Leonsis went on about their exchanges, but Jordan had the final word: "At some point he just puts up his two hands, showing off the 6 rings." Enough said.

You can put up either hands or one finger; chances are that you will have no Championship rings to show off. So be diplomatic and let your performance do the talking.

Motivation

The next stumbling block is ensuring that each group member ends up tackling a task that interests him or her. Or at the very least, that they can handle. Group work has both sexy and mundane aspects. The former should be assigned to the most bored students. From then on, you can determine who the more eager, ambitious and driven students are, and then determine what gets their juices flowing.

Cheerlead

Whatever you do, be positive and encourage others. There is nothing more valuable than a pat on the back when the going is tough. Make people feel like stars when they are doing well, but also make them feel confident when they are having some trouble.

Teamwork

Chances are that you will end up with a lame topic to address, but hey, at least everyone is happy and the division of labor is done. Maybe you would have liked to go out as the star quarterback but find yourself blocking for the running back, but this is trivial in hindsight.

By being able to motivate others, you end up honing your skills and become a complete manager, in terms of business acumen and people management. It is unreasonable to expect the least motivated students to give a hoot if you give them the boring parts and you demand to take on the more interesting topics. By volunteering for the mundane subjects, you emerge as unselfish and will end up having more clout when you make recommendations.

If your position is based on what benefits you most, you will emerge as nothing but a selfish dictator. Business colleagues and business school classmates want a leader who leads for the greater good. Everyone despises a despot.

This illicits a crucial point. In school, the spoils are often split. In business, they are not and this impacts motivation and teamwork substantially. General Electric's Welch was legendary for compensating his lieutenants with widely disparaging remuneration.