{"id":201,"date":"2019-11-27T10:25:03","date_gmt":"2019-11-27T10:25:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-skills\/?p=201"},"modified":"2024-04-22T13:30:05","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T12:30:05","slug":"th-five-steps-to-effective-group-working","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2019\/11\/27\/th-five-steps-to-effective-group-working\/","title":{"rendered":"Five steps to effective group working"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Group working is a core activity at university. The group working skills you learn during your studies will also set you up for your future career. It is vital therefore, that you develop effective strategies to establish\u00a0 and maintain effective group cohesion when working on group tasks and assignments.<\/p>\n<p>Follow our<strong> Five Step Guide<\/strong> to help you succeed in group activities.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 1: Get to know each other<\/h3>\n<p>Before you start to work on your group task, take time to work on team building - find out about each other's interests, strengths and preferences when it comes to academic work. For example, one member might be an enthusiastic researcher, while another may be a skilled writer.<\/p>\n<p>Establishing a team identity at the beginning of your group project will help you bond as a team and may save you a lot of potential grief later on in the process.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 2: Establish ground rules<\/h3>\n<p>Another important thing to do before you begin your group working task is to agree on a set of open and fair group rules. These rules should set out clearly what is expected of each member with shared obligations and responsibilities. These rules may include areas such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Respect the views of others<\/li>\n<li>Everyone's opinion counts<\/li>\n<li>Shared responsibilities and workloads<\/li>\n<li>Prepare for meetings and set agendas<\/li>\n<li>Co-operate and compromise - be generous and inspiring - don't compete with each other<\/li>\n<li>Meet deadlines and keep records<\/li>\n<li>Respect the ground rules agreement - don't ignore it!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can further information on the blog post <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-skills\/2020\/10\/30\/writing-a-ground-rules-agreement-for-group-work\/\"> Ground rules agreement for group work <\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 3: Allocate roles and tasks<\/h3>\n<p>Identify the strengths and personal preferences of group members and set roles and tasks accordingly. But be ready to switch if things aren't working.<\/p>\n<p>Roles may include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Team leader\/chair - level of power set by group. The leader may make final decisions, be a motivator, time &amp; target keeper, and\/or\u00a0 mediator, if required.<\/li>\n<li>Editor - collects and collates project materials &amp; check continuity of work to ensure a unified cohesive approach. The editor can also look for gaps, issues\u00a0 and oversee the big picture.<\/li>\n<li>Researcher - the bookworm and google scholar whizz. The researcher digs out relevant and suitable materials to support the project.<\/li>\n<li>Administrator - maintains accurate records of meetings: agendas minutes, actions etc, and is responsible for communication between group members.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Step 4: Plan your project and set interim targets<\/h3>\n<p>Unpack project activities and break them down into manageable sub-tasks with achievable and realistic targets. You can set both individual and group targets.<\/p>\n<p>Remember: be realistic - don't underestimate how long or how difficult tasks can be, and support members if they look like they are struggling.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 5: Meet regularly to check progress, and maintain unity of project and group<\/h3>\n<p>Regular meetings will ensure that group cohesion is maintained and any conflict or inter-group issues can be sorted before they escalate. Meetings help to reduce stress levels, troubleshoot issues and maintain team spirit!<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/unihub.bath.ac.uk\/s\/myskills\/links\/detail\/464\">Effective Online Group Work module<\/a> will also help you to understand the benefits and challenges of working in online groups and explain how to develop effective team-working strategies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Group working is a core activity at university. The group working skills you learn during your studies will also set you up for your future career. It is vital therefore, that you develop effective strategies to establish\u00a0 and maintain effective...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[57,63],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-group-working","category-employability"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2019\/03\/team-3393037_1920.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":203,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2020\/10\/30\/writing-a-ground-rules-agreement-for-group-work\/","url_meta":{"origin":201,"position":0},"title":"Writing a ground rules agreement for group work","author":"Tom Reid","date":"October 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Before you begin your group working task it is important to agree on a set of open and fair group rules. These rules should set out clearly what is expected of each member with shared obligations and responsibilities. A ground rules agreement will help you develop and maintain an all-for-one\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Collaboration and group working&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Collaboration and group working","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/capabilities-framework\/group-working\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2019\/03\/referee-1149014_1920.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2019\/03\/referee-1149014_1920.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2019\/03\/referee-1149014_1920.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2019\/03\/referee-1149014_1920.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2019\/03\/referee-1149014_1920.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2019\/03\/referee-1149014_1920.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1751,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2026\/01\/16\/collaborate-for-success\/","url_meta":{"origin":201,"position":1},"title":"\u202fCollaborate for success!","author":"Justin Alam","date":"January 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"University study is often associated with independence and self-directed learning. While these qualities are important, collaboration is equally essential for academic success. This is firstly because some of your assignments may require you to work on group projects and you may be graded on how well you worked as a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Academic skills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Academic skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A group of students sitting at a table with laptops working together","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2026\/01\/Blog-post-images-29.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2026\/01\/Blog-post-images-29.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2026\/01\/Blog-post-images-29.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2026\/01\/Blog-post-images-29.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":551,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2021\/03\/31\/dont-panic-about-presentations\/","url_meta":{"origin":201,"position":2},"title":"Don't panic about presentations!","author":"Kerry Vevers","date":"March 31, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cYou can have brilliant ideas, but if you can\u2019t get them across, your ideas won\u2019t get you anywhere.\u201d \u2013 Lee Iacocca, leading US automobile executive. Giving presentations is a vital skill that you\u2019ll need in your studies and in your future work. We asked a group of Bath students to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Collaboration and group working&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Collaboration and group working","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/capabilities-framework\/group-working\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Student standing in front of a whiteboard giving a presentation to other students.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/03\/presentation-skills.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/03\/presentation-skills.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/03\/presentation-skills.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/03\/presentation-skills.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1824,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2026\/06\/02\/developing-professionalism-for-the-workplace-at-university\/","url_meta":{"origin":201,"position":3},"title":"Developing professionalism for the workplace at university","author":"Justin Alam","date":"June 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"When you think about professionalism, you might picture formal workplaces, office norms, or expectations that start once you graduate. In reality, professionalism begins much earlier, and university is one of the most important places where you start to develop it. The habits, behaviours, and attitudes you build during your time\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Capabilities Framework&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Capabilities Framework","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/capabilities-framework\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A hexagon with the icon for Professionalism - a clipboard","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2026\/04\/Professionalism.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2026\/04\/Professionalism.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2026\/04\/Professionalism.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2026\/04\/Professionalism.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":68,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2019\/11\/21\/effective-presentations-checklist\/","url_meta":{"origin":201,"position":4},"title":"Effective presentations checklist","author":"Kevin Renfrew","date":"November 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"This checklist outlines how to prepare an effective and successful presentation. Checklist 1. Planning Start early. What are your aims? What is the focus of your presentation? Less can be more. What visual aids will you use and why? Put yourself in your audience's shoes- who are they? How does\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Presentation skills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Presentation skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/presentation-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2015\/11\/mic-1132528_1920.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2015\/11\/mic-1132528_1920.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2015\/11\/mic-1132528_1920.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2015\/11\/mic-1132528_1920.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2015\/11\/mic-1132528_1920.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2015\/11\/mic-1132528_1920.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":491,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2020\/08\/11\/from-undergraduate-to-postgraduate-small-steps-not-a-giant-leap\/","url_meta":{"origin":201,"position":5},"title":"From undergraduate to postgraduate - small steps, not a giant leap","author":"Kerry Vevers","date":"August 11, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"If you're graduating this summer and are looking to continue your academic studies this autumn, you may have lots of questions about what postgraduate study is like. Head of Digital and Academic Skills Dave Busby sets out what to expect if you're making the move from undergraduate to postgraduate study.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Academic skills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Academic skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Photography of person with red trainers walking up a staircase","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/08\/steps.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/08\/steps.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/08\/steps.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/08\/steps.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/08\/steps.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/298"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}