The initial group meeting is an awkward experience for many college students, especially students who are wrestling with social anxieties or have little prior experience working in groups. You can relax this experience with a little proactive group attention. Shake hands with each member, introduce yourself and ask each member for her name. Encourage each member to repeat her name, home phone and cell phone numbers, so each team member can write down this information for later contact during the project. Use this introduction, and the activity of trading information, to relax your group and give each of them the feeling of being part of a team.
College students have busy lives, and as a strong team member, you have to be aware of this. Begin dividing work by asking if any group member has a specialty he would like to incorporate, such as a special talent for PowerPoint, video technology or public speaking. Assign people with these preferences responsibilities first, based on their specialties, and then divide the rest of the work evenly between your group. Provide clear instructions for each part of the project, and make sure each member is comfortable with his work load.
Some college students require special accommodations, and part of building a strong team requires you to consider those accommodations. Discuss any special situations with team members, such as a student’s inability to speak in front of the class or a student being confused about the project goals. Show your team you are willing to work with them by making changes to the work divisions in order to help those students, such as taking on a little extra work yourself or letting students unable to speak in front of the class manage the PowerPoint demonstration while others speak.
Trust can be a difficult group aspect to build in your team, but you can play a proactive role during the project development stage. Begin each meeting describing what you have done for the project and letting each member contribute with her own descriptions of her work. Use this activity to show each group member that the project is moving forward and that everyone is contributing. If a member has nothing to contribute to a meeting, encourage her to update your group at the next meeting. Schedule several group meetings before the project due date, and let each team member describe her recent contributions at each meeting.