How do you deal with unproductive teammates?

[Omgodzilla]

I'm doing a group assignment for a senior undergraduate Biochemistry class. I haven't done a group assignment in a while but I was hoping that by this point in university, I wouldn't have to deal with lazy or unproductive team members anymore. Turns out I was wrong. My team mates spend half of our group meetings talking about off-topic things while I'm just sitting there, waiting for them to get it over with. They try and bring me into the conversation as well sometimes but I tend to respond by telling them that we're wasting time. They don't like that I'm constantly focused on the assignment and on nothing else. They've even chastised me for being too focused. The other day, they spent the first 15 minutes of our meeting talking about Game of Thrones. I got frustrated enough to raise my voice and say "Lets move the fuck on". I kinda felt like an asshole and they definitely looked at me like I was an asshole but it did work and we finally started to get things done. In the past, I would deal with lazy group members by doing the whole assignment on my own. This time, that really isn't possible. Or maybe it is but I don't feel like doing work that was meant for 5 people. The deadline for this thing is in two weeks and we're currently behind schedule.

I'm just curious on how to handle this situation. Should I be more aggressive with them? I was thinking I should record their off-topic conversations and then show it to the professor so I have proof that my teammates are lazy bastards. Or would that be an asshole thing to do? My prof is SUPER strict so they might lose a good chunk of their grade on the project if he finds out they're being lazy.

[Rukentuts]

You talk to the Prof/TA about it. Had an experience in a CprE class where they then gave the teammate in question sorta an impromptu quiz about the project content and his contribution. After it became obvious he hadn't a clue, they failed him. It was glorious.

[Jester Joe]

Farm harder, try pulling off solo ganks, make sure you don't slip up...

Oh, wait, real life teammates?

...try pulling off solo ganks...

You can try telling your professor if it's really that bad, but maybe try talking to them more about it? Like how the grade is really important to you or something, and maybe you can work something out where you can set aside a small break every meeting for them? Or just keep doing what you're doing, it seems like you're getting them to work to some degree.

It really depends on the professor I'd imagine and whether they'll believe you that the other teammates are slacking.

[wowaccounttom]

/vote kick

- - - Updated - - -

You can also start documenting meetings, present evidence, do all the work yourself, get them a 0

[Deleted]

Stop being a dork king. You won't do well in the real world when if you can't deal with some idle chat. Your professor will undoubtly tell you to get a life.

The whole point of those groups is to work well as a team, it sounds like they turn up, chill out and do the work. Hell half the work I did at uni was in a beer garden (standard meeting place unless we really needed to go to the library). We did the work whilst talking shit and you know becoming friends since you got paired with randoms.

You sound like a dweeb so hand over your lunch money now please.

[Jester Joe]

Stop being a dork king. You won't do well in the real world when if you can't deal with some idle chat. Your professor will undoubtly tell you to get a life.

The whole point of those groups is to work well as a team, it sounds like they turn up, chill out and do the work. Hell half the work I did at uni was in a beer garden (standard meeting place unless we really needed to go to the library). We did the work whilst talking shit.

You sound like a dweeb so hand over your lunch money now please.

If they feel like they're doing work for 5, chances are, the rest of the team isn't doing any work and is just talking instead.

In which this case, your advice would be considered trash, because it's basically saying suck it up and do the work for the rest of the group.

And I'm not sure what kind of professors you've had, but like 85% of them want you to eat and breath their classwork basically, and would get extremely annoyed if you're not taking their projects seriously.

[Pull My Finger]

Students are germs and rabble, that's a fact of life. When I was at the uni, I bullied them constantly into getting their fucking work done, turning their crap music down at night, not disagreeing with me publicly etc. Worked great all the way through, can only recommend.

[Ktperry]

Stop being a dork king. You won't do well in the real world when if you can't deal with some idle chat. Your professor will undoubtly tell you to get a life.

The whole point of those groups is to work well as a team, it sounds like they turn up, chill out and do the work. Hell half the work I did at uni was in a beer garden (standard meeting place unless we really needed to go to the library). We did the work whilst talking shit and you know becoming friends since you got paired with randoms.

You sound like a dweeb so hand over your lunch money now please.

Well some people just want to have the perfect grades, and while some lazy cunts come along fucks up your plan you'll be pissed aswell.

They could just go and do the project for 1 week, then chill the other 2 weeks until the dead line come.
I also hate people like this.
Im all about do the job now, and slack later.

[Deleted]

If they feel like they're doing work for 5, chances are, the rest of the team isn't doing any work and is just talking instead.

In which this case, your advice would be considered trash, because it's basically saying suck it up and do the work for the rest of the group.

And I'm not sure what kind of professors you've had, but like 85% of them want you to eat and breath their classwork basically, and would get extremely annoyed if you're not taking their projects seriously.

Looks like they are just talking and making pals whilst getting the work done and johnny control freak has poor interpersonal skills.

[Ktperry]

Looks like they are just talking and making pals whilst getting the work done and johnny control freak has poor interpersonal skills.

He said they have 2 weeks until deadline, and are behind on the project.
So no, they're not getting the work done.

[Independent voter]

I was watching this Japanese show about making anime, they said 90% of the problems during production are caused by poor communication. If you learn how to communicate it will make your whole life a lot easier. Looking back at the dozens of times I was fired, most of those were due to poor communication.

"Can you deliver those 20 panels on time?"

"Sure!"

"It's Thursday, I'm here for the panels."

"I thought you were going to pick up the panels on Monday, they aren't done."

"I told you Thursday."

"No you didn't"

"Argh! You are so hard to work with!"

[Holofernes]

undergraduate work is done the last 2-3 nights before deadline as far as i remember. I hope you have your stryer http://www.amazon.de/Stryer-Biochemi.../dp/3827429889 at hand, everything you will need is in it.

[Gaman]

I'm doing a group assignment for a senior undergraduate Biochemistry class. I haven't done a group assignment in a while but I was hoping that by this point in university, I wouldn't have to deal with lazy or unproductive team members anymore. Turns out I was wrong. My team mates spend half of our group meetings talking about off-topic things while I'm just sitting there, waiting for them to get it over with. They try and bring me into the conversation as well sometimes but I tend to respond by telling them that we're wasting time. They don't like that I'm constantly focused on the assignment and on nothing else. They've even chastised me for being too focused. The other day, they spent the first 15 minutes of our meeting talking about Game of Thrones. I got frustrated enough to raise my voice and say "Lets move the fuck on". I kinda felt like an asshole and they definitely looked at me like I was an asshole but it did work and we finally started to get things done. In the past, I would deal with lazy group members by doing the whole assignment on my own. This time, that really isn't possible. Or maybe it is but I don't feel like doing work that was meant for 5 people. The deadline for this thing is in two weeks and we're currently behind schedule.

I'm just curious on how to handle this situation. Should I be more aggressive with them? I was thinking I should record their off-topic conversations and then show it to the professor so I have proof that my teammates are lazy bastards. Or would that be an asshole thing to do? My prof is SUPER strict so they might lose a good chunk of their grade on the project if he finds out they're being lazy.

Well you answered how to handle the situation in the first paragraph, I highlighted it. No need to be more aggressive, but be strict, and simply give them task and name a date when you expect them to be done with it (before the due date obviously). Just become the natural leader of the group, alot of people that does little in group projects simply needs someone to lead them, someone to tell them what to do, and they do it.

If it doesnt work, and they still dont do anything, then start consider talking to the professor, but thats the last option on a pretty long list of options.

Communication is key.

[Belize]

Just do all the work yourself if you have to. Especially if it's a presentation. Give them their part and watch them fumble every word.

Make sure the teacher is in on it too.

[Deleted]

You split the assignment into smaller sections and assign parts of it to certain individuals, and then you cancel on any group meetings, and just show up for the last meeting where you assemble the project.

Being a dick about it or going to your teacher isn't going to do you any good.

[the game]

Is there a fire handy to throw them in?

[Grummgug]

In most cases, the only way to solve this is to make friends with hard working classmates ahead of time so when the project comes you can rely on them better. But you are basically stuck with them. Just do the entire project yourself, let them take their credit, move on. If they are that lazy, the free boost you are giving them won't matter and they will fail later on anyway. Don't get mad, its pointless. Just get through this as fast as you can.

[Barnabas]

First off you need to delegate parts of the assignment to the rest of the group. Be specific about what each person needs to contribute. Give them a realistic deadline to complete said task(s). Have a short meeting once a week to check progress. You could do this by phone but you can never physically see that anything has been done.

[Garnier Fructis]

I can't really say I agree with the advice of splitting up or delegating parts of the assignment. You end up with a clown project where you've got well written sections followed by sections that look like they've been fed through an English-to-Engrish translator.

Just do it all yourself.