In school, it's dreaded: the group project can be synonymous with torture. You get shoved into a group or, if you were lucky, get to pick your own. Then you spend half the meetings trying to juggle the generally insane schedules of post-secondary students, only to have constant arguments as to the value of a PowerPoint versus putting the presentation into interpretive dance.
It seems that there was some method to the madness of our teachers and professors, since the workplace is no different. And in this case, you generally don't choose your team.
Teamwork definitely has its benefits; the brainstorming and collaboration generally leads to superior work. Two minds are certainly better than one, but it can be difficult coming to a consensus. Personalities clash and egos get in the way, so learning to survive and thrive can be a challenge. That said, you'd be smart to know this early in your career, as more than likely you will spend the rest of your working life participating in or managing teams.
Communication and accountability
The simplest way to succeed in a group is to keep everyone in the loop as to what's happening on your team. Constant communication via email is even more important if you're working on a team with remote employees. A good idea at the end of every meeting is to have each person state what they are responsible for completing to ensure it gets done. Sometimes what you think is clear may not be clear to everyone, so this ensures everyone is on the same page.
Check your ego
Sometimes when you've worked very hard on something, you can become personally invested in it, only to have it torn apart by your co-workers, leaving you devastated. Discussions about work and projects are a key reason teamwork is so great. It allows us to share alternate points of view and new perspectives you may have never considered. Put simply, it makes the work stronger, but only if you can get over your personal investment for the benefit of the group and the project. Be open to new ideas and other points of view, and thank people for them.
Conflict management
Inevitably there will be arguments and that's a good thing. Conflict breeds superior work and also strengthens the team members' comfort level with one other. However, like in any relationship, everyone needs to fight fair. That means listening to all viewpoints; if a member isn't contributing, someone needs to ask that person what they think.
Working on a team isn't easy, but ultimately can be very rewarding. Bounce ideas around and delegate work (and stress). You have people surrounding you who understand what you're going through. Working through teamwork, whether the team is stellar is struggling, will help you become a stronger employee and readies you for work to come.
Photo: kraphix/Thinkstock, Anthony Capano