Purpose Statement: This memo informs other students of some of the potential problems that come with group work, and suggests ways of handling them.
To: Fellow Students in My Writing Class
From: Clara
Date: 28 February 2022
Subject: Potential Problems with Group Work
I wanted to break the ice and make it clear that problems can (and often do) arise when working on group projects, but that we should not be afraid of conflict. It is very likely that at some point during your college education you will have either "hitchhikers" or "couch potatoes" in your group. This can be frustrating or awkward to deal with, but there are solutions!
If you find yourself in a situation where one or more of your group members are not pulling their weight (or are even being a deadweight for the rest of you), there are a few principles you should keep in mind.
1) Have the same expectations for everyone
2) Stick to your guns (from the start!)
3) Know when exceptions apply (there is, of course, a time for grace for a student who has had a hard week)
Attached is a link to a PDF with a more detailed explanation of how you can handle the slackers, and why it is important to take early action. https://www2.isye.gatech.edu/~jvandeva/Classes/4106/CouchPotatoes.pdf
So, next time you feel stuck in a less-than-perfect group, don't worry! You should not have to do all the work, or take all the blame for someone else's bad work.
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