How To Succeed In MBA Group Projects

Students pursuing an MBA degree have strict guidelines in their Business schools to make them learn about what they will encounter in their future careers. These students are asked to complete their teamwork tasks, given strict deadlines and much more. Group projects are assigned to a group of students to enhance their capability of working and leading a part of the team. However, individuals who work on a group project understand very clearly how difficult it is to work on a project as a group. Every member of a group has different opinions, temperaments, schedules and ideas. It is also possible that one individual in the group needs to be committed to their work seriously. Working in a group to complete a project is not easy for individuals. They need to cope with these hurdles and other difficulties by working on the tips discussed below –

1. Discuss deadlines and expectations before getting started with the project – Individuals who are leading the group project must create clear plans and must know how to work to fulfil the objectives and motivate them, as well as their team members, to finish off the project with their team members before the proposed deadline.

• Determining the goals and expectations – Introducing oneself is one of the most important things to do when assigned a team to work. Individuals need to fix a meeting with the team members and introduce themselves and make them understand what kind of a person the leader is. And try to understand each team member and get to know them. Taking appropriate time to understand and review the project in-depth and ensure that all the team members have a similar understanding of the project and what can be done to fulfil its objectives. Every individual’s working style is different, so the leader needs to establish what he expects from the team members in a particular project. It is required for the leader to recognise the desired result, set the objectives clearly, confer about the project’s overall goal and think and brainstorm creative ideas. Leaders can also discuss what to do in the next meeting, what is important for the project, how much it will take to finish it, or anything else. Regularly checking the team members and motivating them aids in completing their tasks on or before the scheduled time, and this also helps in resolving conflicts whenever any issue arises. When the leader explains what he expects to be done in the project, it gives broad clarity to the team members on how they can work on the project. Explaining expectations helps them understand what they are working on, why they are committed to their work, and why it is necessary. Moreover, it minimises the tension, confusion, chances of conflicts and stress among team members.
• Setting strict deadlines – The deadline for submitting the project is already set by the professors of the MBA course. Yet, it is helpful for the team members if they set another deadline to complete their project one or two days before the submission date so that it can help review the project as it is done in a group. For instance, it may be possible that the team members you are working with complete the project before the submission date, and now you have time left to review and proofread the final project. Projects given in MBA course takes a lot of time to get completed. If it is a group project, then it is easy to break up the project into smaller tasks and allocate time to complete each smaller task. Each task must be divided between the team members, who are asked to complete the task according to the given period. Leaders need to create a timetable which can be realistic as well as achievable, which enables the team members to submit the project on the stipulated time. Focusing and working on these instances can help in describing the importance of explaining the expectations of the project to the team.

2. Determining the role each team member portrays – Students opting for an MBA degree have diverse skills, backgrounds and specialities. Team members may also vary in working habits, interests, learning styles and values.

• Discuss with the team if they need a group leader – The team members must decide if they need a group leader to help and guide them. Even though a group leader is optional, they can help guide the team very effectively. If there is any group leader in the team, it does not mean that the responsibility of the overall project is on their shoulders. All the team members have to cooperate and contribute equally to the completion of the project. One can ask the team members who want to be the volunteer for the group leader. The group leader must have the ability to communicate properly and make better decisions. They should be able to create relationships with every team member, discuss the project’s progress, ask for any advice, suggestions, or distinctive viewpoints, and assign tasks whenever necessary. Leaders working on a group project in an MBA course organise meetings for the group and interact and communicate with every team member to check if they are working efficiently or facing any difficulty in the project. These group projects aid the group leader in practising leadership skills. These group leaders make mistakes, take lessons from them, and understand what they can improve by getting feedback from the professors and team members. Moreover, different students are allowed to become leaders in different projects to acquire leadership qualities. Doing so can allow every team member to establish leadership qualities in them.
• Assigning roles and allocating tasks to every team member – In a project, one member is made the group leader while the other members are assigned different tasks to complete. Similarly, in another project, another member gets the chance to assign the role of a leader and so on. All team members are given different tasks, and they are asked to play the role according to their availability. The roles can be researcher, editor, task manager, time manager, or mediator. If the members are not assigned the tasks, it may be possible that they are not that active, and the group will face difficulty in achieving success. Further, the group leader decides how to structure their work and ensures that tasks are assigned equally among the team members. As everyone has some strengths and weaknesses, the responsibility of the project can be divided among the students by checking on their strengths. The team members need to be comfortable with the tasks that are assigned to them. Leaders understand that their team members are understanding and working on their responsibilities when they make clear expectations about the project. , If any team member is going through a hard time, the group leader can understand their task, discuss it with other team members and ask them to complete it.

3. Using online tools – The team members should make use of online tools to come together and work with the team members throughout the course of the MBA degree. Leaders can benefit from these tools to interact with the team members, keep an account of the project’s progress and share files.

• Using a tool for managing tasks – When students are burdened with many projects in their MBA course, they are asked to get help from online tools to easily plan and organise how to start working on their projects. Students can use an e-calendar checklist to aid in managing their tasks effectively, and they can also use software for work management to track the progress of the project and the important dates. Many shareable and sustainable platforms exist for task management, including nTask, ProofHub, Chanty and Asana. These online tools help enhance collaboration by helping the teams prioritise, assign, and organise tasks. Leaders can also research to identify the best platform or online tool to help fulfil the team’s needs and should work on this platform in the entire MBA course.
• Communicating and sharing documents online – Social media platforms help in better communication, collaboration and sharing of information. It is always not possible for the group to have meetings and discussions over audio or video calls. Online tools are useful for sharing messages quickly or sending emails to team members. For this, leaders can use WhatsApp, Outlook, Slack, Microsoft Teams or any other social media platform. When the team is working on a group project, it is important for the leader to share documents to check the progress of the project made by every team member. Many apps offer this service, such as Microsoft Office Online. Leaders like Dropbox, Google Drive accounts and others can also use other alternatives. Using these platforms helps allow them to work in real-time, and other team members can easily access the file if the link is shared.

4. Working as a team – The team’s success mainly depends on the efficiency and productivity of every team member. Thus, it is crucial to understand that leaders must communicate and trust the team members and make themselves aware of how to be a good team player. It is difficult for the teams to meet the project’s goals, deadlines and objectives if they lack efficiency.

• Trusting the team and communicating frequently – Team members should always come together and work on the overall execution of the project. Interacting regularly with every team member and trusting them are considered important elements responsible for the team’s overall success. Leaders have to trust their team members and believe in them that they will complete their work as per the project’s deadline, but if the leader believes that the team members are facing difficulty, they offer their guidance and help to the team members. Team members can be encouraged and motivated to communicate effectively. Leaders need to explain their ideas to their team members, ask them for their suggestions and advice and encourage them to put their views in front of the team. Doing so will help in getting to a conclusion of what to do. This will ultimately enhance productivity and improve the chances of resolving conflicts when any problem arises.
• Being a team player – Leaders need to explain what it means to be a good team player according to their team and demonstrate what matters most, like what the leader expects from his team members about the work quality and communication terms. An ideal leader becomes a good team player when he meets the expectations of his team members. This starts when the leader follows his commitments and motivates their team members to follow them. Still, if some members do not follow the commitments seriously, leaders can ask them and hold them accountable respectfully. Leaders who are also good team players have respect towards others, behave with a positive attitude and are reliable. They have to make themselves available for the meetings, attend them properly and focus on completing the assigned task on the stipulated time. The team members may also feel encouraged to have a positive attitude towards their project by seeing the positive and respectful nature of the leader. This ultimately brings an encouraging as well as productive working environment. Moreover, the leader and his team members should be committed to achieving excellence in their projects while enjoying the entire procedure, appreciating the learning process and soaking the information.

Conclusion

The projects offered in the MBA course allow its students to fulfil professional, personal, and personal modifications. By solving business cases, prospecting networking events and working on different projects, team members gradually develop various skills and learn while doing these projects, ultimately preparing the students for their future careers. The team will succeed when the leader guides it by communicating their expectations and due dates, determining which role will be played by which team member, utilising online tools and becoming a good team player.

Author Bio: Mark Edmonds is a cultivated writer and a devoted proficient at Academic Assignments, an eminent stage offering top-quality MBA assignment help to understudies around the world. With an abundance of involvement with the field, Mark carries a one of a kind viewpoint to his work on academic challenges and career advancement. His savvy articles dive into the complexities of overseeing work and chasing after a MBA, giving important direction hoping for experts. Mark’s energy for training and obligation to greatness radiates through in his educational writings, making him a confided in asset in the academic local area.