Collaborative vs. Individual

Working collaboratively in groups is often included as an important 21st century skill. Collaboration has many advantages including distribution of work, use of diverse skills to achieve optimal output, shared ideas and problem solving.

Optimal collaborative output happens when a team understands the single goal, shares in the commitment, and desires to advance the project together. The most effective teams share some common traits. Among those are:

1. Team members with diverse skills each contributing in a meaningful way at similar professional levels. For example, an animation team could have writers, sketch artists, character designers, audio engineers, animators with advanced drawing skills, animators with excellent software skills. and others. Even though these are different jobs, the skills in the individual areas may be at a high level. When a team member lacks a skill required of the project, the group suffers. Often group members shun the other team member, or feel they are not working, when in fact, maybe the real problem is a lack of the necessary training or experience. 
2. Often effective teams are comprised of at least 2 people who have worked together effectively in the past. The strength of the two often push the project forward and provide the organization necessary for optimal output.
3. Team members take responsibility and also dig deeply into their area and achieve a state of flow in their work.

In your group, answer the following questions and be prepared to share out responses:

What do you do when you have a team member who either lacks skills, lacks commitment, lacks focus or cannot achieve the desired 'flow' necessary for completion?

What do you do if you are that person, how can you move your skills forward? What if you are not interested in the project, what can you do? Are you powerless?

What do you do if you feel your team is underestimating or usurping your responsibility?

Identify the skills in the individuals in your group. List those skills. How can these skills be used in your PSA?

Think of a group project in which you were a group member that was successful in all ways, successful both in terms of the group and the project outcome. What were the qualities that allowed for the successful collaborative effort?