REPLY to 2 of your classmates IN-DEPTH- find new experiences and information from your classmates you can comment on to add value. Don't do the simple answers. Here are the questions they answered and you must respond to: What was the most successful group you worked with and what behaviors made it successful? What was the worst group experience you had and why? How can you avoid the issues you faced in question 2? What is collaboration and how is it different from "divide and conquer"? Why is it important to learn how to work well within a group?

Student 1, Rahmad:

"The most successful group I worked with was last semester and my first semester at CSUMB. What was great about working with that group is that everyone was very organized and on top of things which helped me out a lot because it pushed me to do the same. Other behaviors that made it successful were that every time we met as a group we always checked to see if anyone needed help with the sections they were assigned to complete.

A difficult group experience that I had was a work-study position that I had at a local Community College. What made that experience difficult was the leadership at the top was constantly changing. This caused us to do a lot of things over and over which lowered morale and made us feel like we were getting anything done.

Issues in question 2 could be avoided by having one system of disseminating what needs to be done, instead of the person who happens to be there that day deciding what needs to be done.

Collaboration is very helpful in a group because it allows me to learn things that I wouldn't have on my own. Collaboration is also good because it gets everyone involved and allows everyone to share the best ideas they have. Divide and conquer I feel is more necessary for an individual project because you want to stand out and get the best grade possible.

It is important to learn how to work well within a group because working with other people is something that I will have to do the majority of my life so for me it's good to learn these skills now."

Student 2, Teresa: "The most successful group I worked in was Leadership Carmel. This is a nine-month class that was tasked with presenting a legacy gift to the city of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Although the class was supposed to be nine months long, it ended up taking over one year. Most of our team was two feet in and committed to the project, it was a success. We presented 9 fiberglass hearts that were over 5 feet tall, stood on steel bases, andthe hearts were hand-painted by local artists then virtually auctioned off. We raised over $60k and the proceeds went to local women in the form of college scholarships. The behaviors we practiced that made our group successful were punctuality, loyalty to each other, and devotion to our community. Other successful behaviors were Interaction, collaboration, and communication with each other, vendors, and the community of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

The worst group experience I had was working for a former employer. The team was jealous of each other and constantly throwing each other under the bus. They were not willing to try new and modern ways of business that would make the business financially prosper. These were older women who worked for the company for over 20 years. They would not accept change and rebelled against modernization all the time. It was emotionally draining for everyone in the company and prevented growth.

I can avoid the issues in question two by keeping an open mind, setting a charter at the beginning of each project, and setting a rule in the charter about voting on changes. I can also avoid the issues in question two by setting rules and boundaries before any project officially begins.

Collaboration is working together to produce and create something to reach a destination. Divide and conquer is giving each other a task independently. They do not ask others for help or work together; everything is done independently.

It is important to learn to work well within a group because networking is important and is also considered a personal and business investment. We will work in groups at some point for the rest of our lives and if you work well it can be like building interest on a savings account that will pay dividends."