Hi there and welcome to the second of three lectures on working in an effective team:
top ten common problems and how to solve them.
My name is Marina Miletic.
In this lecture we'll discuss common problems I've seen over the past ten years of teaching
chemical engineering seniors.
This problem is unfortunately one I see a little too frequently.
Person X did not meet their deadlines and is not showing up to meetings.
This could be a sign that this person is neglecting the project or is very sick, or needs a lot
of help and is afraid to ask.
In this situation I think it's a good idea to set team rules ahead of time.
This may seem tedious and unnecessary, but it becomes very useful when someone is not
pulling their weight.
Discuss how many meetings you're allowed to miss, what will happen if you miss a deadline,
and what qualifies someone to be fired from the group.
This way each person knows there are consequences for abandoning the group, including being
kicked out.
Also, allow the person to explain what happened and a chance to correct their mistake.
If the problem continues, make sure the professor knows about the situation.
Another common complaint I hear is, I don't know why my team doesn't like me.
I do all the work I'm assigned.
When I hear students say this, I tell them to never wait for work to be assigned to you,
take initiative, and anticipate the work which needs to be done.
I'm always worried when I hear this complaint because in almost all cases this is a sign
that the team doesn't trust that person's abilities and they feel they cannot handle
a leadership role.
One of the best ways to resolve this problem is to take initiative in meetings, offer to
take on other critical parts of the project, and if you're finished with your work, help
others on the team.
The next problem is actually more common that one would expect.
The group complained to others about me behind my back, and never talked to me directly.
Imagine if someone were to complain to a supervisor about something you did without giving you
a chance to explain to them what happened from your point of view.
Doing this usually doesn't help anyone in this situation, and leaves the person feeling
like they were back-stabbed.
This is why it's so important to have open communication in your group.
On a regular basis, everyone in the group should ask for, and be willing to give, constructive
criticism.
If, during the entire course of the project, everyone asked "how can I improve?" and gave
honest feedback to everybody, this problem can be avoided.
If you spot a serious problem however, don't wait for that person to ask you for feedback,
instead, if you have a problem with a person, always speak directly to that person first.
Give them a chance to explain and resolve the problem with you.
If speaking to that person one-on-one does not work, talk to your teammates and sit down
as a group and speak to him or her, make sure to do this only after speaking to the person
one-on-one, since a whole group of people confronting someone can be intimidating and
seen as an attack.
Lastly, if speaking to that person as a group doesn't work, go see a TA or professor for
help.
Always follow this order.
Whether you're working in a group on a project in school, or you're out in industry, always
follow this progression to resolve problems.
Make sure the individual has a chance to explain themselves to you, and then discuss the problem
with their coworkers before having news go to a supervisor or manager.
This is probably what you would want for yourself if you were in the same situation.
The next problem involves a last minute crisis.
A few days before the final report is due, emergency, we're having very serious problems
with person X.
It's a bit difficult to do anything about this problem at the last minute, so the best
approach is to never ignore problems for a long period of time hoping they'll go away
on their own.
They won't.
Discuss problems immediately, or they'll probably just get worse.
It's best for everyone if there's a serious problem that you talk about it right away.
Don't wait for it to resolve itself because it most likely won't happen.
When talking to somebody about a problem, speak to the person one-on-one first, then
involve the group if necessary, then involve the TA, professor, or supervisor.
If you need to involve the professor, speak up early, not right before a deadline.
There isn't much a professor can do right before the due date, and they'll be less likely
to have sympathy if it seems like you've neglected this problem for a long time and then expect
them to come in at the final hour and help fix it.
In the next lecture we'll discuss another set of common team problems and how to resolve
them.