This past semester, my daughter shared with me some of the challenges that she experienced in working on her marketing group project. There was one individual that was notably absent. Another just cut and pasted words from other sources. The quality of the work was not meeting what she felt was the standard. The more she seemed to push, the more the work seemed to suffer. She even tried to enlist her professor’s assistance without success. As we talked through her project, you can imagine how dejected she was when I explained that group projects are not just something that happens in school but will be a part of her work life and beyond for decades to come.
My daughter is not alone in her experience. Most of us have had the experience of the challenging group project. What is it that makes group work frustrating at some times and invigorating at others? Why do some individuals appear to come to do minimal work, and are labeled as “lazy”, while others take full ownership, to the dismay of others for being “bossy”? Why do some teams achieve success quickly and others appear to spin without results?
Happiness in groups is like happiness in life. It has been suggested that happiness equals reality minus expectations. If your reality exceeds your expectations, you feel happy. When we do not clearly define and communicate our expectations, we can end up with different expectations matching up differently to our one reality. For example, if we decide with a friend that we are going to cook dinner for one another and one of us heats up a can of soup while the other makes a gourmet 5-course meal, there is a mismatch between the expectations. Neither one is incorrect, but they both had different requirements for how they each defined success.
The great news is that there are tools to level-set expectations and make teams more successful and rewarding. Two basic tools that are easy to utilize are working agreements and RACI. Working agreements are a list of the fundamental elements of how we are going to work together. By defining how we are going to show up for one another and contribute, it helps to manage expectations and prevent resentment. I have found that utilizing an anonymous polling tool, like Mentimeter, helps to develop this list. Individuals can share the expectations they have of team members and group leaders. Prompting questions can also be created to address specific work group needs. In a world with hybrid and remote work, this can be even more critical. Do we want to have cameras on? Is multitasking allowed? Is there an expectation to contribute? How do we make space and encourage those who are more reserved? Based upon this input, a draft list of working agreements can be constructed. The group can then review, comment, and make recommendations. If the team is in unanimous agreement, then they are adopted. The working agreement is then reviewed at the beginning of meetings to help set the tone of collaboration. The leader and facilitator are then responsible for ensuring they are adhered to. Working agreements are dynamic and can be modified during the duration of the work depending upon the needs of the team.
RACI is another tool that can assist in expectations by more clearly defining roles and responsibilities of the team members. The “R” in RACI identifies the working members of the group. These are the individuals that are going to be accomplishing most of the work of the group. They will be there for meetings and work in-between. All of the “Rs” should be clear on why they are there and what they bring to the team. The “A” is the accountable member of the team. This is the individual with whom the “buck stops here.” There is only one “A” to lead the team. Naming the “A” can ensure that there are not multiple leaders pulling the group in different directions. In addition, it provides a point of contact for those outside of the team. Consulted, or “C”, members of the team are the individuals that should be weighing in on key milestones. They are not at every meeting or contributing to the regular work but are able to provide insight and guidance as the project moves forward. One of the most important groups to define is the “informed” group. This group needs to be comfortable with not weighing in on the work of the group and with the results the team delivers. If they are not, they may need to become a “C”.
Working in teams does not need to be as challenging as my daughter experienced. Utilizing structure and process through tools like working agreements and RACI, we can establish clear expectations of one another. When we meet or exceed these expectations, it leads to stronger relationships. Safe and trusted relationships lead to higher quality work and allow us to deliver upon more meaningful outcomes. In addition, we feel more in control of our work, which can decrease burnout, a critical issue in healthcare today. Oh, and despite the challenges, the marketing project passed!
