20 How to Build a Strong Team
Cascadia College COLL101 Team
Click the Speaker Icon below to listen to this chapter [13:44].
Introduction: Why Do Some Group’s Succeed?
Take a moment and think of a group project you’ve completed that went well. Maybe it was a class assignment, a volunteer event, a sports team, or even a group at work.
What do you remember about that group?
- How did you and your teammates organize the work?
- How did you communicate?
- How did you handle problems that came up?
Chances are, your team used some key strategies, whether you realized it or not! High-performing groups share common traits. these teams communicate effectively, hold each other accountable, provide support, and balance both task completion and group maintenance.
The good news? These are skills anyone can develop. Whether you’ve had great group experiences or struggled with groups in the past, the strategies in this chapter can help your team succeed.
Traits of Successful Groups
Remember that group project you thought of at the start of this chapter? The one that went well? Chances are, whether you realized it or not your group used some of all of the five traits that researchers have identified in high-performing teams.
Over decades of studying teamwork in classrooms and workplaces, researchers, like Felder and Brent (2016) have identified five key characteristics that successful teams share.[1] These aren’t just theories; they’re practical habits you can built into any group project.
| Trait | What it Means | Example |
| Positive Interdependence | Group members rely on each other to succeed. Everyone’s contribution matters. | A science team assigns each member to a critical experiment task. The project can’t be completed unless everyone participates. |
| Individual Accountability | Each member is responsible for their own work and meeting deadlines. | A team agrees that each person will update he shared document and check in with each other to confirm progress. |
| Repeated Interaction | The group meets and communicates regularly to share updates, give feedback, and adjust plans. | A marketing group holds weekly check-ins to review progress and solve problems together. |
| Development of Interpersonal Skills | Team members communicate clearly, listen actively, and resolve conflicts respectfully. | When two ideas clash, the team discusses pros and cons rather than ignoring the disagreement. |
| Self-Assessment | The group reflects on what’s working (and what’s not) and makes changes. | Midway through the project, the team holds a brief meeting to identify obstacles and adjust roles if needed. |
When groups adopt these five traits, they’re more likely to:
- Complete tasks successfully and on time
- Maintain positive relationships, even when disagreements arise
- Achieve higher academic performance and report greater satisfaction with the group experience
Quick Reflection:
Which of these five traits did your positive group experience contain? Which trait would you like to be sure to use in your next group project?
Building Group Culture
Start Strong: Building your Group Culture
High performing groups succeed because they pay attention to two things:
-
- The task (what you’re trying to accomplish)
- The group itself (how you work together)
In other words, the best teams focus on both getting the work done and building positive relationships.
Simple Steps to Build a Positive Group Culture
- Get to know your teammates
- Learn names and share a bit about yourselves
- Ask: What are you most excited for this project? What’s one strength you bring to the project?
- Set expectations together
- Discuss how often you’ll meet or check in
- Agree on how you’ll communicate (text, email, another platform like Discord)
- Decide how to handle missed deadlines or no-shows
- Create ground rules
- Keep it simple: “communicate early if you have a problem,” “everyone contributes,” etc.
- Make a list so everyone remembers
- Schedule regular check-ins
- Block out your group meeting times
- Even short updates help prevent last-minute surprises
Working Together in Online Classes
You’ll need to be even more intentional about building your group culture in an online or hybrid class. Without in-person chats or casual meetings, clear communication is essential. Communication is often slower in online classes because everyone works at different times.
💻Online Group Tips
- Pick a primary communication tool
- Agree on whether you’ll use Canvas messages, email, texting, Discord or another application
- Make sure everyone has access to the tool and feels comfortable using that method
- Establish response time expectations
- Example: “Let’s reply to group messages within 24 hours.”
- Briefly share your usual classwork schedule. “I usually do homework in the evenings,” or “I work mornings and check messages after 3pm.”
- This helps your group understand each other’s work rhythms and helps avoid frustration when someone doesn’t reply right away.
- Schedule virtual check-ins
- You’re not required to have synchronous meetings in an online class, but even a brief 10-minute check-in can improve accountability and prevent misunderstandings.
- If you can’t meet as a group, try to coordinate a time where everyone is available to message or work collaboratively on a document. That way you can ask questions and share feedback right away.
- Document your agreements
- Keep a shared Google Doc or Canvas discussion post summarizing your groups expectations and task assignments.
Group Roles (And Why they Matter)
Defining roles and tasks for a project helps the project stay on track and get completed. If your group doesn’t talk about who’s doing what, people make assumptions and that’s where things start to fall apart. Oftentimes in this situation, one person ends up doing most of the work.
While you don’t have to hand out formal job titles, you should make a clear plan for who’s doing what and how you’ll work together.
The table below highlights a few common roles in groups. Keep in mind this list is not exhaustive!
| Role | What They Do | Example |
| Organizer | Helps keep track of what needs to get done and when | “Hey, let’s make a quick timeline so we’re not rushing the night before!” |
| Facilitator | Guides groups discussions and prompts group members to participate. | “Safiya, what do you think about the presentation format?” |
| Researcher | Gathers information on a topic and shares it with the group. In large projects multiple people may complete this task. | “I’ll dig into the sources and drop summaries into our doc tonight.” |
| Supporter | Checks in, keeps morale up and makes sure that no one is left out. | “I know you’ve got work this week, Aditya, want me to take notes this time and you do it next time?” |
| Editor | Reviews everything and keeps an eye on quality and detail. | “Can I look this over before we turn it in, I want to make sure we answered everything and caught grammar mistakes!” |
💡Tip: Most students shift between these roles depending on the week, the workload, and where they are in the project. That’s normal!
Dividing the Work: What Needs to Get Done?
Instead of assigning roles, assign tasks.
Try this simple group process:
- List everything that needs to be done
- Example: Research, outline, slides, script, proofreading, submission
- Let people volunteer
- Ask: “What part do you want to take on?”
- If multiple people want to work on the same part, ask if they’re willing to work together.
- Write it down
- Use a shared doc or group chat to list who’s doing what, and the timeline of when they’ll get it done
Do We Need a Group Leader
Not necessarily! Some groups work best with one person keeping everything organized. Other groups prefer to share leadership depending on the task, week, or deadline.
Here are a few ways your group can approach it:
- Single Leader: One person tracks the plan, reminds people of due dates, and checks in.
- Best for groups that want clear coordination.
- Rotating Lead: A different person takes the lead on each week or task.
- Great for fair workload distribution or groups with strong time management.
- Shared Leadership: Everyone takes responsibility for their own part and checks in with each other regularly.
There’s no one “right” structure. What matters is that someone is keeping things on track, and everyone knows how you’re working.
Giving and Receiving Feedback
Great teams don’t wait until the end of the project to figure out what’s working. They check in early, make small adjustments, and create a space where feedback is normal, not awkward.
Why this matters:
Giving and receiving feedback isn’t about blaming people. It’s about building trust and making the project better together. If your group gets in the habit of asking “Hey, how’s this working for you?” or “What do you think about this?” early on, you’re way more likely to stay on track and stay friendly.
The short video [5:32] below was created by students for students and shares ideas for how to give and receive feedback:
Tips for Creating a Feedback Friendly Group
- Start Early
At your first meeting, talk about when you’re going to give feedback to each other. Plan for a mid-project check-in. Encourage each other to ask for feedback or ideas throughout the project. - Keep Feedback Specific and Useful
Type
Example
Positive
The way you organized the doc made it easier to follow! Can we keep using that layout?
Constructive
Hey, I noticed your slides have a lot of text, maybe we could simplify the wording or turn some of it into bullet points? That might help the audience stay focused when we present?
Supportive
I saw your section was blank, do you need help getting started?
- Ask, Don’t Assume
Invite feedback on your own part:- “Is this part clear?”
- “Did I include what we needed?”
- “Anything I should tweak?”
- Focus on the project, not the person
Use phrases like:- “Let’s adjust the plan…”
- “We could make this even stronger if…”
- “What if we tried…”
Common Pitfalls (And How to Fix Them)
Looking Ahead
Group work doesn’t have to be perfect to be successful. You’ve now got the tools to communicate clearly, divide work fairly, handle issues early, and support your team. In the next chapter, you’ll reflect on how your own group worked this quarter, what went well, what could’ve gone smoother, and what you’d do differently next time. Real teamwork isn’t just about finishing a project. It’s about learning how to work with all kinds of people and learning something about yourself in the process.
- Felder, Richard M. and Brent, Rebecca. “Cooperative Learning.” Active learning: Models from the analytical sciences, edited by P.A. Mabrouk, American Chemical Society, 2007, 34-53, http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Papers/CLChapter.pdf. ↵
