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Unread 23-01-2015, 12:06
MrJohnston MrJohnston is offline
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Re: How to deal with unwelcoming Teammates

Quote:
Originally Posted by JamesCH95 View Post
Without specifics as to why one team member doesn't like the other it's hard to make a solid suggestion.

However, I will point this out: sometimes the team needs the student, and other times the student needs the team.

I have watched annoying, aggravating, nearly intolerable students turn into friendly, productive, great team members. Sometimes it happens quickly, other times it takes years, but I virtually always see improvements in students who stick with it. This is why we, on 95, make an effort to bond as a team and be as inclusive as possible. We are a very small team (about 10 active students this year) so we can't afford conflict.

I strongly believe in treating students like adult professionals, and this includes working together effectively despite personal differences.

Sometimes I will team two or more students who don't always get along to work on a project. Usually this helps the students get over their differences because they realize they're working towards a common goal and they have to work together to get there. If it doesn't, they sit down with a coach and talk out how to deal with the situation. Communication is key to solving these sorts of issues, not separation.

I agree with this completely. We have a really large team - some years well over 100 kids. Therefore we have some sort of student-to-student conflict every year. The above approach is essentially what I do - and it nearly always works.
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