Pet Peeves in Team Working

I have noticed quite a few things working with my peers while creating our company. It wasn’t so much on what I learned but more on the patience I gained for us to function well as a group. And I came to the realization and the key to not go crazy from a group project. The goal is to succeed in provoking a team spirit, which is born more easily if you take some good habits from the start.

First thing first, ensure the availability of my peers. A pet peeve for all 'serious' students is the availability of people with whom we work in groups. It may sound silly and obvious, and yet I never do it. I realized that before embarking on a joint project with someone, I must make sure that they are ready to spend the necessary time on the project.

Another pet peeve is balancing and dividing tasks appropriately. Working in a group means running the risk that a person voluntary ends up doing most of the work compared to the others. It's not uncommon to see students who are completely relaxing and not doing their work while others to most of it. It can happen because of a lack of motivation or will of the other students. I noticed that the only solution against this, is to give everyone from the start a specific task. In our group there was no specific leader per say, but when I was at one point, and my peers wouldn’t invest after trying the soft and nice method, I would try to put some pressure. For example, in an understanding way, I would check up on them regularly to see their progress of their work.

If despite all our efforts, problems persist, then it is useless to accumulate bitterness, therefor we would speak and be clear about any issue. We did not wait to be completely disgusted with the project before starting a dialogue. Especially if we didn’t all agree. Because once you have engaged a lot of work, it's too late to go back and start from scratch.

But despite the pet peeves, it is an experience. I don’t complain even if the current project is not exactly how I would have liked it. It’s the product of many people, and therefore, a compromise between different visions.

The bottom line of this essay is that everyone should be happy and recognize themselves. Perhaps the most important thing is not what I achieved, but more what I have learned during this experience, which will be useful for my entire life. Working in a group gave me tools for organization and adaptability. Keep in mind that in almost all professions, there is teamwork. Whether in high school or during universities studies, group work is therefore according to me a very good introduction to the professional environment.