Here’s the prompt:  Describe your past experience of participating in groups. What about working in groups did you enjoy or find challenging? What would the ideal group look like to you and what would your role be?  When you are in a group what is your usual role — use a car or a boat as an analogy are you an anchor, a steering wheel, a horn, or what?

My experience participating in groups has heavily varied.  If I am paired with not the smartest people in the world I tend to try to do everything in my own hands. If I am paired with trustworthy people I tend to take a step back and let them control everything.  The most challenging part in a group is getting everyone to contribute.  As everyone knows there tends to be always that one person who wants to get away not doing anything.  However, do you really want to give that person who does not want to do anything work? Chances are the work he does will be “half-ass” and has to be redone anyways.  So the most challenging part of working in a group is getting group members that are all trustworthy.  What I enjoy the most about group work is the fact that you have other people you can ask for help.

I tend to take very different position in a group depending on my group members like I mentioned above. If I am in a group of not so smart people I want everything done in my hands. I am the steering wheel and everything that is in the boat.  I do not care how much work I have, I would rather do it myself than to give it bunch of knuckleheads. If I am with ambitious members I would just try to do my job.  I know other members on my group would probably do better than me so I would let them do what they want and I would just do anything leftover.  So I would be the horn on the boat.  I am there just in case you need me.