There is no 'I' in team, but there is 'ME"...

Group work is a fantastic way to produce a high quality of work. With group work there are more ideas, opinions, to produce a more thought through final product. Know this is great; however, as I have recently discovered it can be one hell of a challenge. As I have noted group work will produce high standards of work; when done correctly!
With all the different inputs, group members are bound to clash. Not everybody’s ideas can go into the final result; it’s much easier to manage yourself. When there are more people, it can take longer to produce your work, this can be frustrating, as many of us in Public Relations Cert III are discovering.
But as group if there are set guidelines/ rules for everyone to follow, this help everyone involved, to be on the same page, as well as keep everyone sane. Everyone’s ideas are different but I have come up with a few guidelines, for anyone and everyone in a group work situation:
• Respect- Respect others in the group; their opinions, beliefs, ideas ect. ‘Always treat others how you would like to be treated’, is what my mother always told me, and this is especially true in a group work situation. As children we are taught this, but even as adults can forget how important it is to respect others.
• Communication- Communication is such an important part of group work. Always make sure there is an open flow of communication, if everyone in the group especially the group leader.
• Equal Input- Everyone individually has their own strengths and weaknesses, keeping this in mind everyone should put in the same effort, and have equal input to the project.
• Help Each other out- If there is someone in the group that is struggling always help them. I f you can help them yourself, advice them to seek advice from someone else, whether it be another group member, the team leader, or someone of a higher authority (ie your lecturer).
• Attendance and punctually- Always do your best to attend every meetings, and be on time. If you are unable to attend or are going to be late make sure you let somebody / the team leader aware. It comes back to respecting others in the group.
• Ethical responsibilities- Make sure the work you are doing is ethical, and meets your own social responsibilities! If you feel that the work your team is producing in NOT ethical, make sure you speak up. (It may help you sleep at night).
• Deadlines- Always, always make deadlines. Remember it’s not only your mark this will affect.


If you follow these guidelines, this will help make group work more bearable, and help you to produce the best work you can. Remember group work is used constantly in the workforce, team work is a fantastic skill to master.