The overbearing leader, the slacker and the ghost

There are always a few stereotypes of people you get in group projects that you need to learn to deal with: the overbearing leader, the slacker and the ghost. I'll explain what this actually means as their terms I completely made up but people I’m sure we’ve all met.

The overbearing leader
Exactly what it sounds like, they’ve nominated themselves as the leader (without asking) and they’re extremely bossy and annoying as they micromanage every little thing. This person usually means well and just wants to get a good grade, but they can be a pain to work with. To deal with this person, make sure you remember it is a collaborative process and that everyone needs to agree on how you all want the project to turn out. At the beginning of a project, it’s good to sit down and have a chat with your group and discuss if anyone has preferences on how things should run and make sure you voice your opinions, so nobody is getting steamrolled.

The slacker
Takes a back seat for the whole project because they know others will pick up the slack and they’ll get a decent grade regardless. However, being in a group doesn’t always guarantee everyone gets the same grade, for some projects you are marked individually, or your group mates even mark you as a part of the final hand in, so the slacker's negligence will become obvious to tutors. It's good to remind when you notice they're slacking that everyone is graded individually, or you can speak to your tutors if the situation becomes really frustrating to try and find a solution that suits everyone.

The Ghost
The person who just disappears for the whole project and never answers the group chat. However, this person isn’t always a villain, sometimes they’re struggling with something personal so before you get annoyed that they’re not showing up, try and reach out gently to ask if everything’s okay. If you can’t resolve the problems because they have ghosted you, it’s best to go to your lecturers as soon as you can and explain the situation, so they know you’re a man down. But if you are the ghost, please just let your group know what’s going on as best as you can so they can work out to do whilst your absent

We all have a little of these tropes in us, and there's usually at least one in a group project so hopefully these tips will prepare you for dealing with these difficult dynamics that group projects create.

Have you experienced any of the above? What worked for you?

Vee (Kingston rep)