Annoyed. Irritated. Anxious. Ever felt this way when working in a team? Since home-based learning started (HBL), there is no doubt that the difficulties of group work have tremendously increased tenfold -especially for many of us in a new environment. Whether it is laggy WiFi or finding it difficult to connect with someone emotionally via an online platform, here are some useful tips to help you get by your group projects during HBL.
Provide Constructive Criticism
Constructive criticism enables a team to progress. Team members will know what areas to improve on. At the same time, it strengthens the bonds with one another because their respective members care enough to thoroughly examine their work and provide meaningful feedback. It also instils a sense of assurance that you are doing your task correctly when listening to and applying areas of improvements from your teammates.
Communication
Communication is the backbone of every group work. Without it, the team cannot function well. Do make an effort to practice active listening when your teammates are talking and presenting their ideas. Furthermore, effective communication is a great way to open the floor for your teammates to openly discuss their doubts and concerns on certain matters. As a result, your team will not leave any room for misunderstandings; allowing for more time to be focused on other aspects of the project.
Don’t Be Afraid To Make The First Move
You may be wondering this is. A tip to confess to your crush? Well, not exactly. A research conducted by Atlassian stated that teams that use an open work style are 80% more likely to report high emotional well-being and 60% more likely to report being effective and productive. With that in mind, the team members should get to know one another on a personal level to create camaraderie. This will boost group productivity because individual members will take the project with greater commitment. Whether you have a dominant or a timid personality, it doesn’t hurt to say a simple ‘hey’ and have a casual conversation about anything and everything.
While I am no expert in effective teamwork. However, based on research and experiences of working in many different teams, I can vouch that these are some the tips
that can help optimise productivity and effectiveness in a team.
Author: Nur Syafiqah binte Norihan
Editor: Lee Song Yang
