5 Group Project Struggles and Practical Ways to Overcome Them

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For many students, the words “group project” send shivers down spines and bring back anxiety-inducing memories. Although group assignments may seem like a fun way for students to work together, many individuals can attest to experiencing miscommunication, dysfunction, and conflict in such projects. It can be difficult to complete an assignment as a team—especially if your personality and working style differ from those of your groupmates. However, group work is inevitable in life, and it is a great skill to develop early on. If you struggle with group projects in school or at university, this blog post is written for you. Keep reading to learn why you may have trouble with group projects, as well as tips on handling them while staying calm and collected. 

5 common hardships people face while doing group work

There are many reasons why someone may struggle with group projects, such as: 

1. The responsibilities are unclear. Sometimes, instead of getting right to business and assigning responsibilities, groupmates spend time building rapport with one another. While this helps get everyone comfortable with one another, it can also make responsibilities unclear. You may leave the first meeting feeling confused about your role, which can lead to timing setbacks or stress. 

2. There is an unequal distribution of work. Groupmates may successfully distribute work, but do so unequally. This might be intentional, with some eager group members taking the bulk of the work while others slack off and take the leftover bits. Or it could be unintentional, like a group splitting parts up equally without realizing certain parts take much more effort. Whether intentional or unintentional, unequal distribution of work will likely create stress and/or animosity among group members. 

3. Schedules don’t align. One of the hardest parts of group projects is finding time to work on the assignment together. When everyone has a busy schedule, timing may not align to allow group members to meet up and work on the project after class. This might lead to late-night meeting sessions, last-minute cramming before class, or the group not meeting at all. 

4. Differences in opinions and perspectives cause tension. Members with different personalities and perspectives may struggle to communicate effectively or see eye-to-eye with each other. This can lead to conflict, arguments, and hostility within the group, which is not conducive to completing the assignment. 

5. The group is a distraction from work. Unlike the other hardships, sometimes a group jives so well with one another that it ends up creating distractions from work. Groupmates may spend entire meeting sessions joking around and talking, neglecting the actual assignment until the last minute. 

If you relate to any of these hardships, you may feel tempted to beg your instructor for a way out of the group. Sometimes, this is necessary. However, before you speak to them, it’s important to try some coping skills and group interventions. In life, you’ll have to work in a group many times. You will not always like the people you have to work with, and that’s okay. What’s important is that you find ways to get the work done with them without sending yourself into a stress spiral. Try out these techniques!

Self-regulating coping skills

Before you turn toward others, mediate group tension, or solve interpersonal issues, it’s important to regulate your emotions and calm your nervous system. Conflict within groups can stir up a lot of stress and anxiety, which naturally raises your heart rate and can make it difficult to think logically (NHS, n.d.). These stress management techniques can help regulate these feelings: 

• Practicing deep breathing techniques: Inhale through your nose for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale through your mouth for four seconds, and then pause for four seconds. Repeat a few times. This is called box breathing, and it lowers cortisol (the stress hormone) and helps calm your mind (Cleveland Clinic, 2021). 

• Leaning on loved ones for support: Sometimes, we just need to vent to a trusted friend or family member. But instead of gossiping about your groupmates and spreading more negativity, try to focus the conversation on your feelings. It may help to let out your frustration or worries. Your loved one may be able to offer valuable advice. Or, they may simply offer a safe space to feel your feelings. Both can do wonders!

• Journaling about it: Journaling is not only great for emotional release but also helps you reflect on issues and work toward solving them. Getting jumbled thoughts out of your head and onto paper might help you think more clearly about the situation. 

• Shifting your mindset: If you find yourself consumed by negativity surrounding the group project, try changing your perspective. For example, instead of harping on how irritating or lazy your groupmates are, you can think about how this is a learning experience for future situations where you’ll have to deal with people you don’t get along with. 
• Letting go of control: If you’re a “fixer” and feel exasperated that you can’t find a solution for an issue in your group, it might help to take a step back. Instead of micromanaging the situation, try letting go of control. Continue to complete your responsibilities and communicate with your group, but let someone else take the lead. This might help alleviate some pressure. 

Group interventions you can try out

Once your internal stress has eased, consider trying group interventions to mediate conflict and begin working toward a common goal. Remember, not everyone will react to interventions in the same way, and that’s okay. The most important thing is that you remain respectful throughout the process. Some group interventions include: 

• Practicing respectful assertiveness: This means communicating your perspective in a stern, yet calm and courteous, way. For example, instead of being a “people-pleaser” and going along with an idea you don’t agree with, try saying, “Thanks for sharing that idea, but I’m not sure it’s the best route to take. How about we try this…?” When in doubt, always use “I” statements, rather than “you” statements. This focuses the conversation on your feelings, rather than the other person’s actions. For example, instead of saying “None of you are doing the work,” say, “I feel like we need to be more productive, since the deadline is getting close.” 

• Setting boundaries: Making others aware of what is important to you can help reduce the chance of boundaries being unintentionally crossed. For example, say the group wants to meet at 11 pm to work on the project. However, that’s around the time you go to bed because you have to get up early in the morning and don’t feel your best when you don’t get enough sleep. You can set this boundary by communicating what times you are and aren’t available. For example, try telling the group, “I’m free to meet up and work on the project between 2 pm and 6 pm. I’m not available after 10 pm any night.” No explanations or disclaimers are needed!

• Taking the lead: If you typically lay low in group meetings and follow whatever your groupmates decide, but feel agitated by the decisions they make, try taking a leadership position. This doesn’t mean you should boss everyone around or be in charge of all decisions. It simply means starting the conversation about responsibilities, making sure all voices are heard, and volunteering to help delegate tasks.

• Mediating conflict between other members: If things get heated between group members, you can help keep the peace by mediating their conflict. You can do this by ensuring each group member feels they are being listened to and respected, as well as calling out and redirecting disrespectful behavior. 

• Utilizing peer assessments and instructor help: Remember, if you are ever in a group situation where you feel there is serious disrespect, unfair distribution of work, or an inability to collaborate no matter how hard you try, your instructor is there to help. You can contact them via email or talk with them after class about the difficulties you are facing and collaborate with them to come up with a solution. Likewise, many instructors send peer “assessments” after the project is complete. In these assessments, group members get to rate their fellow members’ contributions to the project and log any difficulties the group faced. Don’t hesitate to be honest on these forms. They are typically anonymous, and they help the instructor learn if a specific group member did not participate enough or caused issues for the team. 

Group projects can be tough, but with these techniques, you can make it through! Remember to stay calm, organized, and communicative throughout the process. You’ve got this!

To discuss how therapy could help you during this season of your life, please contact me or schedule your free 15-minute consultation.

References: 

Cleveland Clinic. How box breathing can help you destress. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/box-breathing-benefits 

NHS. (n.d.). Stress. National Health Service (NHS). https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/stress/ 

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