Everyone dreads a group project. Whether it's for a class or an internship program, working together in groups often leads to frustration and disappointment. Either you find yourself pulling the weight of others or struggling to organize what should be an easy assignment. The bane of most people’s existence, group projects bring together a distinct group of characters.
1. The Leader
This person takes control from the first moment the group forms. He or she is planning out a timeline and already has a vision of how the project should go. The Leader is great when something needs to be completed and needs to be completed well. But if things don't go in the direction the Leader wants, no one will be happy. It’s the Leader’s way or the highway.
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2. The Slacker
The foil to the Leader, the Slacker spends most of the meetings on his or her phone, avoiding any real work. The Slacker will go out of the way in order to resist contributing anything to the project. Although it may be nice to have someone so relaxed about the project, when it comes time to complete the assignment you are ready to strangle the Slacker with your bare hands. Nothing is worse than having to pull someone else’s weight.
3. The Tech Genius
The Tech Genius has all of the technical attributes ready and working. Under the diligent eye of the Leader, the Tech Genius creates seamless PowerPoints and incredible videos. Even though the Tech Genius is pivotal in creating a high quality product, he or she is quite condescending about his or her obviously superior skill and everyone else’s lack of it.
4. The Deleter
There is always one person who does it. The night before the presentation, everything is ready and perfect. In comes the Deleter, who erases everything. Everything has to be redone. At least the Deleter usually feels guilty about it and tries to do everything in his or her power to fix what was ruined.
5. The Incompetent
Although the Incompetent tries to be of use, he or she never has the skill or abilities to successfully get anything done. You try and give the Incompetent simple tasks, but somehow those jobs end up being too complicated. It lands on someone else in the group to pick up the slack and leaves everyone wondering whether or not the incompetence is really an act to get out of doing work.
6. The Big Talker
The Big Talker has huge plans. Your group project is going to be the best thing ever. Your supervisor is going to weep with pride when they see your finished product. There will be explosions and sharks and Beyoncé will make an appearance. But when it comes for the Big Talker to come through with their outlandish plans, he or she always falls short.
7. The Secret Weapon
At first, the Secret Weapon is an unassuming member of your group. Happy to pull his or her weight, the Secret Weapon easily blends in. That is, of course, until the Secret Weapon surprises you with a secret skill. They may be a master at brochures or went to camp for public speaking. Either way, you are happy to have the Secret Weapon in your group.
Whether you're one type of person or a combination of a few, your participation in a group project will bring out the best and the worst of you. Remember to remain calm and work together. Keep your emotions in check and try not to be too overbearing or too detached. Heaven forbid you become a tech-savvy dictator or a slacker who deletes the entire project.
