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Team work

Discussion in 'General Support and Advice' started by OhSOCurious, Jul 29, 2013.

  1. OhSOCurious

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    So at work (i'm a coder at a university) we were told to develop a website to replace libraries. So we were given a few weeks (maybe 4) to learn HTML, PHP, CSS, and MYSQL.
    In those weeks i studied hard and think i got alot of it down.

    So now the final weeks are approaching and we were told to get into groups (that they chose) and begin assigning tasks (Main Coder for HTML,PHP,MYSQL and a Group Leader who knows all languages well enough to have the part.) and i was the only qualified for Group Leader in my group. The others, I noticed, had not taken full advantage of our learning sessions and know little to none about their objectives and how to achieve it. Today was our first day coding and I got pretty frustrated with this one group member. This group member knew NOTHING about what he was doing, and was given the EASIEST language. I eventually asked that group member to start creating the power point while i took his job. As the day progressed this group member gave me ridiculous attitude when ever i asked how far he got. It was so disrespectful i felt ashamed for his mother. The other two group members were in and out between gaming and coding and very little work was done, other than me... who created 5 pages and even styled them using one of the other group member's code.
    The particular group member that gave me trouble today didn't realized that i had to write a report today to our mentors (bosses) on our groups progress. And if it's negative, they dock hours off according to severity.
    I'm slightly happy that the group member got what he deserved but i still want to get this project done.... How can i get my group to participate so we can finish this by Thursday (due date)?

    Please help, sorry for another long and boring sob story...
     
  2. Z3ni

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    "a few weeks (maybe 4) to learn HTML, PHP, CSS, and MYSQL".........................

    Wow... 17 at uni already?? Impressive! :slight_smile:


    But if you all are coders, wouldn't they be familiar with it already??
     
  3. OhSOCurious

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    Thanks, and no. We're coders because of the course/job were taking now. Alot of the kids arent even paying attention....
    I'll send a few pics of my site when i transfer them from my flashdrive.
     
  4. Dalmatian

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    This is off the top of my head, but I'd say there are only a couple major reasons anyone would do any work:
    - out of love for the subject matter
    - out of sense of duty towards the team
    - out of fear of consequences of not doing the job

    As a team leader, you can influence all of these. By showing your own interest, which you obviously have, you can spark interest in others. If you do that with even one other member, that makes him/her an ally in affirming the position and in producing the second thing: the sense of unity. For the worst team members, there's fear, but even here you have to play it smart; you know, always talk in positives. For example, avoid "you will be punished because you are not doing anything" and switch to "you will be awarded if you do something".

    So, yeah.. project interest, animate those who are better and alienate those who are not (in terms of being right in not working). If the good ones are gaming too much, set goals which, when reached, allow some gaming as a reward. And then participate in it. You are a part of the team as well, but you need to assert yourself as a decision maker.
     
  5. OhSOCurious

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    I don't tell them they're going to get in trouble. I tell ask them to get to work.
    And I honestly don't want to do ALL this work by myself and let them still get paid and credited for my work. So no i will not leave their negligence unheard. As far as motivating them by doing my own work, I have tried that... With a room full of 24 other students, they should be BEYOND motivated. But more than 3/4th's of them aren't motivated at all. There is only a handful of us who actually code, and want the year long internship.
     
  6. Chip

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    Welcome to the world of working in teams of people where you don't choose the team. Nearly everyone I know in college has had to work with a team not of their own choosing at least a few times in college.

    It sucks, because there's nearly always one or more lazy-assed people who don't want to do crap, or are procrastinators and don't do anything until the last possible moment.

    So the reality is, you can try and motivate them and encourage them and get them to do the required work, but that only works if they give a crap about the grade they'll get. Otherwise, you basically have to reassign the work they're supposed to be doing to other members of the team.

    I personally hate these sorts of situations (and I'm lucky enough to work for myself, so I create the teams, and I replace anyone who isn't working), but for most people, these scenarios *are* representative of life in corporate america, so it is good experience.
     
  7. Dalmatian

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    Sure.. but you know, the job needs to be done and if you give up as well it won't be done. Yes, sometimes people who did nothing will undeservedly get credit. That's how teams work :slight_smile: Just take it as a given that it will happen and do the best you can.

    Twenty four people is far too many to control. Delegate. Make groups report to each other, make them all aware of what each group does and within any group what everyone does. Identify the best people and make them lead a group and report on it (but make someone else present the group's accomplishments to the class - that way there are two interested people in a group, being support for each other).

    There are many ways to stir the class to do some work, but.. forget about any kind of optimal work.
     
  8. OhSOCurious

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    There are 28 including me and my group. Each group has 4 students. And we do have daily reports to send.