Be Fair to All!

Positive feedback in a group is always a good thing. When working in a team, one should always have the opportunity to speak their mind, and one should always expect the team to listen attentively; it is a right to be expected of receiving a fair hearing rather then to have the team ignoring and interrupting one's ideas. It will be a great loss if one team member was not able to share their ideas, because what if that team member's ideas would have gotten you a great mark? Not everyone work well with others, but one should always give chances to others when working in a team. It is an ethical thing to do; give and receive the opportunity of providing ideas and sharing thoughts with everyone.


The listeners do not always have to agree but listening could impact one's perception or outlook on things. The team with the most ideas can achieve a lot more because they broaden their scope a lot. It is a great advantage that not everyone seems to care about. When you are in position of giving ideas, you should speak your mind and share everything. You will be given a chance and then you will do the same for others. This would apply to all situations, not just in a group assignment, but business environment or office work as well. Listening to ideas of others and then applying all the ideas into one big picture, this would benefit all.

Guffey, M. E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2008). Ethical Responsibilities of Group Members and Leaders. In M. E. Guffey, K. Rhodes, & P. Rogin, Business Communication Process and Product - Sixth Canadian Edition (p. 49). South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning.

Be a Leader, Not a Boss!

A boss only sits back and gives orders while a leader guides. When working in a team, I believe, being a leader is a great responsibility for anyone when they are a part of a team. A leader in a group should always be an encouraging guide to those who are working with them. Every group needs a person to guide them, appraise them, and coach them with everything they need help with. It means a leader should always keep a teamwork environment and always have a goal set in mind as to how the group will achieve their goal.  

I believe the leader needs to be a great observant who can share their knowledge with the team members, who can provide assistance at any time, and who can always provide good appraisal when necessary. A group can accomplish so much when there is a positive and model leader present. 

When problems arise, a leader will need to stay cooperative and patient while solving the issues in front of them. The leader will need to show how appropriate team behaviour looks like while working with their team. Collaborating with everyone is never easy because not everyone thinks alike, everyone has different personality traits. The leader does not have to be like them as long as they are cooperative and willing to provide good behaviour. If the leader can show its team members how he/she can keep the group stable and organized, and if he/she can lead them to achieve their goal; this will definitely benefit them all in a great manner. 

Guffey, M. E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2008). Ethical Responsibilities of Group Members and Leaders. In M. E. Guffey, K. Rhodes, & P. Rogin, Business Communication Process and Product - Sixth Canadian Edition (p. 49). South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning.

Always Stay Meticulous!

One great skill one should have is being able to analyze what they learn and use it to their benefit. This would be a great factor in working with others as a team. This means, while working in a group, one should pay attention to all the details surrounding them, and always stay meticulous. Play a analyst role in a team, because this would help in so many decision making and analytical thinking.


I believe, when we are put in a group, we tend to rely too much on others and expect them to stay sharp at all times to catch any mistakes or issues. This could lead to many problems, and every team member should make this their responsibility to always be attentive.


A group assignment will be easier to do when you are extremely attentive and observant to detail. Not one, but all of the group members will be able to work and give feedback to each section of the assignment because they will be able to observe and carefully evaluate each detail; helping them make good decisions and working to the best of their ability.

These characteristics in a person are very important I believe. Even when working with people at work or in a business, office environment, these skills are extremely necessary for an individual. One that is always meticulous and attentive can never make a mistake or run into any issues. You might be doing yourself a favor by taking on a role of a analyst, because then you will become a perfectionist. To me, being a perfectionist is a good thing, because this means one will always have a analytical and observant mindset. That is a great advantage when taking on hard and difficult tasks.

Guffey, M. E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2008). Ethical Responsibilities of Group Members and Leaders. In M. E. Guffey, K. Rhodes, & P. Rogin, Business Communication Process and Product - Sixth Canadian Edition (p. 49). South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning.

Unlock Your Full Potential!

The key to unlocking your full potential is the constant effort one puts towards a goal. When you are in a team and you start on a group project, it is important that you strive to do the best because these projects are given to you to test your knowledge and abilities in every way possible. It'll take a lot of effort on your part as well as others to reach success. The only way you can achieve that level of success is to plan everything accordingly.

Do not worry about what others will think when you show all the skills you need to offer. I believe you need to think about how your skills will benefit the team and the goal your team is trying to reach. Is it not better to do the best you can rather than doing the bare minimum? Well, it will benefit your group members as well when you show them how much effort you are willing to give in the project, you will be encouraging your team members to work as hard you are; plus, you will also be able to see their skills and abilities that they may have been hiding.

I am not saying each team member will contribute as much as you will, but knowing that you put in all of your effort will help you understand the importance of this responsibility. With this, you will never hold yourself back in anything I believe. Working with the best of your ability will not only benefit you now, but later on in the future as well. Who knows what future lies ahead, but believing you will always put your best foot forward is a great achievement.

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Guffey, M. E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2008). Ethical Responsibilities of Group Members and Leaders. In M. E. Guffey, K. Rhodes, & P. Rogin, Business Communication Process and Product - Sixth Canadian Edition (p. 49). South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning.

No More Social Loafing!

Social loafing, this concept basically describes people who join a group and end up placing less effort in group projects knowing that the work is divided evenly; instead they should be assuming responsibilities of the work provided and putting in their share of work along with the group. So in this blog of mine, I will do my best to explain in detail the ethical responsibilities everyone should understand before joining a group.

I understand that many people assume responsibilities and follow through when they join a group but this blog will be for those certain people that still need some knowledge about ethical behaviour. Some people do not come through with their responsibilities and I am sure many people have gone through this situation with their group members. 


I myself have had bad history with group members in the past; I was stuck with these under-achieving students who would do the bare minimum and sometimes not do anything at all. Forget not paying attention, they would not even show up to attend the classes; I did not expect to work with students like that and I wish no one goes through that. I remember I had to do their work for them and received good grades with their names removed from the assignment. It was tough! So now I take interest in explaining to others how one should behave in a group; it is important to understand some concepts of group behavior and responsibilities. Every week, on this blog, I will list and thoroughly explain multiple ethical responsibilities of group members so there will no longer be social loafing.

Guffey, M. E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2008). Ethical Responsibilities of Group Members and Leaders. In M. E. Guffey, K. Rhodes, & P. Rogin, Business Communication Process and Product - Sixth Canadian Edition (p. 49). South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning.