Case 1:

Team Members Droping Out.

At the start of the project, our team consisted of six members, but by the end, only three remained. The main reason for the dropout of the other three members was a lack of commitment.

A, B – Actively communicated and fulfilled their responsibilities.

C, D, E – Frequently absent due to just LAZY, ultimately leading to them dropping the course.

As a result, the remaining three of us had to complete a workload originally designed for six people. Additionally, we needed to quickly restructure role assignments to ensure project completion. To address this, I organized a face-to-face meeting with A and B, where we shared our strengths and weaknesses. Based on this discussion, I redistributed tasks in a way that suited each member's abilities.

At the same time, to ensure transparency and accountability, I established a system where each member shared their weekly progress and upcoming tasks. I also fostered a supportive environment where we could help each other whenever needed. By maintaining close communication with both my team and the professor, I was able to facilitate an efficient workflow, allowing us to successfully complete the project despite the challenges.

Case 2:

Lack of Time Management and Communication in the Team

In this project, we worked with Python and had a team of three members, including myself. The team was made up of the following members:

A: Had too many casual jobs and couldn’t secure enough time for the project.

B: Very skilled but shy. He wasn’t good at sharing information and often worked alone, which sometimes caused confusion.

In this situation, I did what I always do—I shared my availability and skill level openly with my teammates. I then helped the team set up regular online meetings and assigned roles clearly.

For A, I gave him a role where, even if he fell behind, B and I could keep the project going smoothly, reducing stress for him as much as possible.

For B, I had regular 1-on-1 chats and meetings to make sure we stayed on the same page. He had great ideas and skills but wasn’t comfortable sharing them so I helped translate his technical ideas into something the whole team could understand. In a way, B was the technical idea generator, and I acted as the final decision-maker who kept everything on track and communicated it clearly to A.

Because of this approach, the communication within the group improved, and the project turned out really well.

However, because B is extremely shy, he didn’t attend our final face-to-face presentation. I presented his work along with mine, and since we had such strong communication throughout the project, I fully understood his contributions. As a result, we received a good grade with no issues.

In the end, B and I became good friends, and we still keep in touch and respect each other even outside of class.

Case 3:

Lack of Skills and Time Management in the Team

This happened during a C++ group project, where we had to submit deliverables every two weeks. Our team consisted of the following members:

A: Due to working too many casual jobs, she didn’t have enough time to study and lacked the required skills. She often submitted work that was copied directly from ChatGPT.

B: Also had limited time due to work and didn’t have enough skills to meet the task requirements. He didn’t know what was wrong with his code or how to fix it.

C: Actively participated in group work but wasn’t confident in programming.

In this situation, I first focused on communicating closely with C to make sure we had the same understanding of the project. Then, I organised a team meeting where we shared our availability and agreed on regular meetings. I also asked everyone about their strengths and weaknesses and took the lead in assigning roles.

At first, things didn’t go well. We divided the project into sections and submitted our work individually, but we received a low grade. I identified the reason and decided that from the next submission onward, I would review everyone’s work before submission.

Unfortunately, none of the other members were able to write code at the required level. However, I still wanted to make sure that everyone felt they were contributing. So I asked each member to write their section first, and afterwards, I revised or rewrote the code to meet the standards.

Since I noticed that A was fully relying on ChatGPT, I paid special attention to her work to avoid any issues related to academic integrity. In most cases, I had to completely rewrite her code.

This process helped me better understand my teammates' skill levels, and I was able to give them feedback on what areas they needed to improve.

In the end, I practically completed the entire project myself, but I also created an environment where everyone could still participate and learn. As a result, we received a Distinction or higher, and the project was a success.

When I am not leader.

There was one project during my university life where I didn’t take on a leadership role. It was a group of six members, and we were tasked with developing a restaurant booking system.

The other five members were already friends and had a strong understanding of each other’s skills. Among them, two had excellent leadership, communication, and development skills, so they naturally took charge and led the project.

As a developer, I focused on completing the tasks assigned to me with full effort. I also actively shared ideas whenever I could, always showing respect to my teammates and keeping communication smooth and friendly.

If any teammate needed help, or if we had to work on code together, I would reach out individually and collaborate to make sure everything went smoothly.

I also made sure to attend every scheduled meeting, and followed Agile principles sharing what I had completed since the last meeting, and what I would finish before the next one.

Even though I wasn’t a leader this time, I still gave my best as a team member and contributed to the project’s success through reliable work, respectful communication, and strong teamwork.