I would like to share a situation that happened to me a few months back. The situation is about a misunderstanding between two group members during a project work. I’ll address the two people as “H” and “M”. The conflict started when “H” was giving a frank suggestion that our group should have done certain parts of the project earlier so we do not have to rush at the last minute. “M’ was angered by what was being said earlier as our hours in school were quite hectic and there was not much time for discussion. Furthermore, “M” claimed that he had already assigned some portion of work to be done to different members of the group. “M” also added that he already gave “H” a lighter load of the work due to him not coping well in class.
As I was the leader of the group, I tried to reduce the
misunderstanding between both by trying to state that “H” could contribute in
other aspects of the projects that “M” was weak in. I had to intervene the
matter quickly as we were losing productivity and precious time to complete the
project within the given time. I suggested that “H” and “M” to be understanding
for a short moment while the project is ongoing and I was thinking for the best
of the group because it would not be fair for the other group member who is not
involved. The cause for concern is also due to the high percentage of marks
being allocated just for the project. This, in turn, would ultimately affect
our overall grades and this was something that I wouldn’t want the group to be
affected by, even though it was a petty incident.
What would you do when you are facing a similar situation and
you hold a high position, would you rescue the team neutrally or would you side
with a person to remedy the situation?
