Group Dynamics

Having successfully completed one year of MBA and being a part of different groups for different projects in various subjects, here are my 2 cents on group dynamics and related issues:

1. NEVER in caps, never choose different people for different groups. You will end up doing a lot of running. My sincere advice will be to try out all the people in your class in term1. After working with different people, you will get an idea about the working styles of every group member you had. You will get to know who is a free rider, who is a hard worker, who is a smart worker, who is a JIT believer and so on...But most importantly it will help you to understand whose working style matches with yours the most. From second term, choose the people with whom you can get along very well, or your working styles match, and continue with this core group for all the subjects. This will help you to delegate the work in far better manner for all the subjects.

2. If a group consists of 5 people, don't choose all 5 stud people. If all stars are a part of same group, it is most likely that there will be ego problems about nature and scope of the work. A few might revert to social loafing. (Remember Real Madrid!)
Always choose a combo like 2/3 studs + 3/2 excellent supporters. This way there are no ego problems in the team and the team works excellently (Remember Pakistan's bowling attack in World Cup 1999: Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akthar were ably supported by Abdur Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood)

3. And last but not the least; prefer team players who are not your friends over your friends who are not so good team players.
The reason for the same is that of context. You view your friends through the mirror of friendship/common hobby. So your perceptions about the friend might change when you work in a team in which he is not so good contributor. This may result in heat in the friendship. It is better to choose a person who is a team player, as we don’t happen to view him/her through any specific mirror. And he/she may become your friend if both of your attitudes click.

2/3 cents per bullet point. Over and out!