Disagreements in the study group

The first excitement is gone and the study group has become business as usual. The honeymoon faze is over.

Maybe you thought that the teamwork would be running smoothly by now. You and your group had agreed on how your collaboration should be. You were on the same page, but now you show your ‘true’ sides and push the structures and rules you already agreed on.

Now there is an extra need for alignment of expectations and that you remember to evaluate your teamwork.

Teamwork is a prerequisite for solving complex problems or assignments – it involves flow, team spirit, and inspiration. But it is also hard work, compromises, hassle, frustrations and so much more.

Ideally, everyone in the group would have equal competencies for collaboration, but that is not always the case. In a study group, there will be varying abilities and attention towards a good teamwork. There can also be different levels of courage and motivation to take initiative, being active, and to strive for better collaboration.

The most important aspect is to show each other trust. As you resolve conflicts and trust grows among you, you’ll begin to experience that you are working for each other and your common goals.

Trust is not a thing!

Trust is something you show others – and then it builds from there. If you wait for trust to naturally develop, you actually contribute to diminishing it. But if you show each other mutual trust, help and ideas will flow easily within the group. If the trust weakens, the opposite occurs.

Trusting others is always vulnerable because we can never fully predict the outcome. When we show trust, we assume that the other person will work for the common good, but there’s a risk it won’t happen. So, trust demands something from us! However, trust is also contagious. When we trust others, it tends to foster more trust. The same applies to mistrust.