Being able to work in a team is important in life, school and work. It is a skill that employers look for and working in a team can mean getting things done quicker and making them more enjoyable. A team can be as small as working in a pair or as large as working in a 100 person global team.
Most of us will have experienced different group work tasks. Team members have different skills, priorities and abilities but what happens when one team member isn’t pulling their weight? It can seem unfair that the rest of the team are having to do more work but everyone benefits.
Look at the team:
Has the team got a leader?
Someone might have put themself forward as a team leader but are they up to the job of handling this team? It might take a stronger leader than they first realised and it will mean all team members coming together to support.
Are the team talking and communicating well?
Is everyone comfortable with their job roles and are all team members getting the same support? Team members will naturally get on with some people better than others but be honest is every team member really being included? A team member that is feeling excluded isn’t going to feel they can share problems or feel as committed to the task. This can be difficult if team members don’t show up to meetings or ignore calls or messages but it is important to keep trying.
If communication is the issue try setting a rule that each team member gets to speak for 5 minutes uninterrupted, this will help clear the air and make sure everyone is heard. Sometimes recognising the problem and encouraging all team members to share ideas and issues does the trick!
Is it clear?
Have clear expectations and deadlines been set? You might think it is obvious that things need completing in a certain order or in a certain way but we all work and see things differently. Have you asked if there are other deadlines or problems that are going to impact this piece of work?
Sometimes things are agreed quickly in conversation or next steps are discussed as everyone is packing up to leave. Make sure actions are sent round to all team members after the meeting with clear deadlines and set up mini deadlines to make sure tasks are staying on track.
Are you being fair?
In a team situation we cannot always do what we are best at, we do need to challenge ourselves BUT quieter team members can often find themselves put forward for tasks that are difficult/challenging or boring. Think about how you can include this team member in the interesting parts of the project and make sure that they feel part of the team. When we have ‘boring’ jobs to do it can help to have someone there to help.
What next?
If the team member still isn’t interested you have some options:
Talk to them: this takes some care and consideration, being confronted by 4 people who are all angry is scary! Think about the best people from your team to have the conversation. Keep it light and explain why you think they aren’t pulling their weight and stick to facts, no “he said, she said stories” be kind and think of clear ways to help and support your team member.
Tell someone: a teacher, a boss, the team leader. Stick to the facts on this one, explain that the individual isn’t pulling their weight, give relevant examples and ask what you should do next.
Know when to give up and rally as a team: there will be situations where you lose a team members or you simply can not engage them. In the working world it can be that people are no longer able to support or they leave sometimes you have to work as a team to make sure all the work is down. It isn’t always fair but it is sometimes necessary.
Moving things forward
Hopefully your team member is now fully back on board and ready to help, chances are you’ve lost a lot of time trying to organise the issue and moving it forward.
- Have a clear leader
- Call the team together: cover who is in charge of each action, what has been completed so far an what is still left to do.
- Build in deadlines: make sure you build in enough time for any other issues
- Have consequences for when people aren’t completing work and have a back up plan. A task buddy who can knows about that part of the project and can step in to help.
- Make sure all decisions include all team members.
Challenge:
- Think about the last team you were in:
– Rate the communication skills of the team, were all team members able to share ideas and what would you do better in your next project?
– Rate how clear the actions and deadlines were, how could you improve that for next time? - Think back to when you felt a team member wasn’t pulling their weight and write down three things you would do to help the situation
