# Category:Teamwork

**Source**: https://blogs.qub.ac.uk/careers/category/teamwork/
**Parent**: https://blogs.qub.ac.uk/careers/2020/06/11/alumni-inspiration/

**Tips for the first meeting**

✔️ **Make a positive start**: Smile, ask questions, offer suggestions, make notes, talk predominantly about your group project

✔️ **Introduce each other**: Some people might not know each other

✔️ **Take time**: Don’t rush into the first meeting, first impressions are important

✔️ **Identify the task**: Make sure everyone understands the assignment and what is needed to successfully complete the group work i.e., read the assignment instructions together

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✔️**Agree on rules**: Everyone should be clear on what to expect, how to contribute and what happens if he/she does not participate appropriately

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✔️ **Identify areas of expertise**: Who is good in what? Look up *Belbin’s*[Team Role Inventories](https://www.belbin.com/about/belbin-team-roles/) to help you with that process

✔️  **Identify common practice**: Who will be taking notes, who are you going to decide on things?

✔️ **Make a plan**: In one of the earlier meetings agree on a schedule e.g., when is what finished by whom?

✔️  **Have a set agenda:**Agree at the beginning of the meeting what issues need to be addressed

✔️  **Be organised**: Leave the meeting knowing what each of the group members has to do

✔️  **Evaluate:**Start off the meeting with a summary of what has been achieved so far

✔️  **Be democratic:**Let all people have a say and be polite to each other

✔️  **Keep records:**Keep clear records of meetings and attendance and make sure there is a record of who has done what

**Things to consider**

✔️ Before you submit or give the presentation make sure\
you’ve met all the demands set out by your lecturer or school

✔️ In case you are asked to work on a written assignment be aware that in should be a coherent piece of work i.e., allocate who will proofread, who edits the paper, how are you referencing, what kind of abbreviations etc. you will use

✔️ Email communication can be a challenge. Be aware of\
your tone of voice as written words can often sound harsher than intended

**Group work will be successful if you…**

✔️ Have clear objectives, agreed goals and allocated roles \
✔️ Reach agreements at most meetings\
✔️ Complete tasks as agreed\
✔️ Are all participating \
✔️ Are listening to each other\
✔️ Generate an open and trusting atmosphere \
✔️ Allow opinions to be questioned\
✔️ Respect each other\
✔️ Use your time effectively\
✔️ Have a systematic approach to discussion \
✔️ Regularly review the process\
✔️ Share information\
✔️ Can keep up a good communication

**Group work will go wrong if you…**

✔️  Are wasting time

✔️  Are not taking the task serious

✔️  Have no clearly articulated roles and tasks

✔️  Have a weak leadership

✔️  Lack planning

✔️  Have no clear agendas

✔️  Lack support

✔️  Isolate certain group members

✔️  Are going into too much procedural detail

✔️  Shot down ideas of each other

✔️  Lack innovation and communication

[Learn more about Teamwork and other vital personal attributes to develop at university](https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/ImproveYourEmployability/ProfessionalAttributesandAttitudes/)

- [advent](https://blogs.qub.ac.uk/careers/tag/advent/), [advent calendar](https://blogs.qub.ac.uk/careers/tag/advent-calendar/), [group projects](https://blogs.qub.ac.uk/careers/tag/group-projects/), [group work](https://blogs.qub.ac.uk/careers/tag/group-work/), [learning development](https://blogs.qub.ac.uk/careers/tag/learning-development/), [personal skills](https://blogs.qub.ac.uk/careers/tag/personal-skills/), [teamwork](https://blogs.qub.ac.uk/careers/tag/teamwork/)