We often think that working in a group is at best an inconvenience and at worst a big impediment to our success. However, have you ever considered the possibility that a group can be more effective than working alone? If done properly, a well organized group can spark creativity, enhance IQ, bring more skills to the table and accomplish more work.
In the animal world, many types of individually powerful animals hunt in packs to increase their chances of success. They do this typically because the game they’re hunting is too large for them to attack on their own. By joining a group, these animals (for example wolf packs) can out-maneuver and overpower their prey. Of course by joining forces animals take on some risks as well. They must share any food they kill, even if it is a small amount and they ALL suffer if any of the animals fails to do their job in capturing prey. These risks are worth taking if the pack (or group) is successful. We should think of our groups in group projects in the same way; as potentially being able to achieve much more than individuals, but not without risk.
The Roman army, which was once the most powerful force in the world, was based on the premise of groups. The army was broken into a 
number of groups of various sizes. The smallest of these groups were called centuries, which were made up of approximately 100 soldiers. These centuries worked as a cohesive unit with one leader, who was called a centurion. The soldiers in these groups operated in a box formation with their shields lined up side by side. By operating in this way the soldiers could defend themselves better while also being able to break through enemy lines. These simple concepts were applied consistently and very precisely, which is one reason why they were so successful in battle.
Centuries working as a group, moving in tandem and all following the same strategy were able to defeat armies across the world. Their enemies were often unorganized and fought as a group of individuals. The difference between the Roman soldiers and their enemies were primarily better training and discipline. Training and discipline will distinguish an individual from his peers or his competition, however; What distinguishes a successful group from an unsuccessful one?
This question can be answered if we first understand why people join groups and what their motivations are. If you’re a student then the answer to the first question of why is obvious, you have no choice! You were given an assignment to do and you must do it. Also if you’re an employee, it’s likely the same answer applies; you’re in a group because you were given a project to complete and you must do it or get fired! It’s fair to say that there is motivation in not failing or not being fired. However, human beings tend to strive for something positive as opposed to avoiding something negative. Isn’t it more likely that you will work hard to achieve a good grade as opposed to working just not to fail? Also, won’t you work harder to get a raise or promotion as opposed to just keeping your job and current status? Quite simply, human beings are motivated when they have the opportunity to achieve significant goals.
If people are given clear goals then they have something to strive for and this gives us purpose, not only in our group projects, but also in life. Therefore, a successful group should have a clear goal of what they intend to achieve and this goal should be meaningful for everyone in the group. In the example of the wolf pack, the goal is to kill their prey and eat. In the example of the Roman centuries, their goal is to win the battle and in the process not only survive, but also bring honor, prestige and wealth to the Roman Empire. Therefore the first rule of a successful group is having a common purpose or goal.
While goals are extremely important, the truth is that they can only be achieved through some form of strategy. A strategy is a method of achieving a goal. An example of this concept would be someone who wanted to travel from point A to point B. This is the person’s goal. Her strategy may be to get in car, consult her GPS and drive there. The strategy of a group is something which needs to be formed by discussing the problem at hand and the various ways of solving it. The methods of solving a problem are going to be based on the skills and number of people available in the group. The formation of an accepted group strategy will be a compromise based on trial and error. Ultimately the group’s strategy should be formed clearly and there should be consensus across the group.
Thus the second rule of a successful group is an accepted and unified approach. Take again the example of the Roman century, if any of the soldiers in the group decided that the Roman approach to battle was wrong and went their own way, what do you think would happen to them? Well if they broke off from the box formation and went off on their own it is likely that one of two things would have happened; they would have been killed in battle or if not, they would be executed by Roman commanders after the battle. In either situation, the result is not desirable. Therefore there is a strong pressure to conform to a group’s strategy once it has been decided upon.
In conclusion, we should overcome any prejudices that we may have regarding the potential power of working in groups. Even if our beliefs are the consequences of negative past experiences we should remember that groups can accomplish more than individuals. Furthermore we should remember that very successful groups can even go so far as conquering the world, turning a company into an industry leader or quite simply achieving top grades.
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