The individual
An effective group is considerate of the needs of each individual within
it. At the same time, each individual takes responsibility for making
a full contribution and ensuring that - as far as possible - his / her
needs are met.
The detail in which you follow this guidance will depend upon the nature
of your task, and the period of time for which your team is together.
Before a meeting
Make sure that you:
- prepare all that the group requires you to do
- complete all necessary tasks on time, eg reading, preparing questions,
thinking about a subject.
If you've taken on a particular role:
- complete all tasks associated with it
- make sure that you know what's expected of you in the next meeting.
During a meeting
Check that you can see and hear everyone, then be prepared to:
- join in, making a full and active contribution
- trust, encourage and value other people's contributions (eg 'I found
it interesting that …')
- speak out if you think there's discrimination or unfairness in the
group
- be creative
- give and receive constructive feedback, eg on conflicting ideas
- listen actively, asking questions where necessary
- be assertive, express your ideas / feelings with confidence
- be open to hearing new ideas / opinions / information
- share your knowledge, skills and ideas.
Avoid:
- aimless chatting
- destructive conflict
- being aggressive / domineering
- taking criticism personally
- taking sides in personal arguments
- seeing a person as difficult because their ideas conflict with yours
- competitiveness
- collusion and plagiarism.
After a meeting
Ensure that you:
- know what you're expected to do for the next meeting
- review your notes from the meeting, summarise them, add new ideas
/ information, etc
- plan exactly when you'll do any activities / tasks arising from the
meeting.
Other Study Skills units that may be useful here are:
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