I had promised myself that no matter what, I would keep up my weekly blogging throughout the duration of Launch Academy. That, of course broke down when it came time for group projects.

My group project was frustrating. From what I’ve learned talking to the EEs, this is a normal reaction. Actually, reflecting on it now, now that it’s over and done with, I’m glad for the experience.

Somebody made a comment about my group, that the four of us were the biggest introverts in the entire cohort. Fair enough, though the phrase I used was “independent workers”. I enjoy being an introvert, even when I also enjoy working with others. Usually, I let more outgoing people take the lead and offer support, creativity and reliability. I know my strengths.

Being in a group with no natural leader forced me to step into the role - in my own way - and made me realize what I value in group work.

I like using collaborative brainstorming as a way to generate ideas and solve problems. In my group it felt like hitting a brick wall when we were coming up with our project idea - I was the only one offering suggestions and they were all torn apart with criticism. I’m more inspired to work on a project when my coworkers are offering creative input as well.

I also appreciate structure in the workflow. Having set milestones and goals that everyone knows helps the entire team stay on track. For my individual project, I have a running to-do list and a daily list of objectives.

Communication is vital in group work. It has been something in the past that I’ve had a hard time with, but I’ve learned to make it a priority. A few times, we had a team member who would work on a feature, only to find out that someone else had already finished it. He was frequently absent and late, and didn’t make much of an effort to communicate (mostly listen) so wasn’t able to contribute much to the project.

In the same vein, feedback and self evaluation is important as well - both of the work and the group dynamics. I called a meeting to discuss our communication issues early in the second week, and while it didn’t solve all the problems, it got the entire group on the same page.

I felt like I stepped into a leadership role for the project, though in a hands off way. I suppose I was just taking initiative and being proactive, which is what I would hope anyone working in a team would do. It was very frustrating dealing with a team member who refused to do that.

I do enjoy working alone. For bigger projects, I really do like working in a group, knowing that project features will be added while I can focus on my own task. A good group, in my opinion, is one where team members can come together collaboratively, but also can work independently.

So, while my group project was so very frustrating, and while I’m proud but not ecstatic about the end result, I learned so much from the experience that I will take with me into my future jobs.