Organisational tips:

• Develop ideas together and then divide tasks up. Be clear about who is working on what. Make sure you focus on co-production and see your tasks as part of a wider picture for the team. 

• Take time to consider how different tasks depend on each other, and plan deadlines accordingly.

• If you've finished something early, or if you're not going to finish on time, let others know so they can adapt. 

• Make sure you coordinate with other all the way through!

Creating the best work:

• Play to everybody's strengths - if someone is great at design or writing, let them take the lead in those areas.

• Be open to other perspectives. You might have a clear vision of how the project should look, but so do others, so stay open-minded and focused on the best outcome for the organisation, rather than your preferences.

• Listen as much as you talk. Be conscious of not dominating the airtime in the team - a great way of managing this is to invite others to share what they think.

• Remember that not everybody responds quickly. Some people prefer to take time to process and then contribute. Make sure they can still feed in.

• Discuss ideas openly and coordinate team activity

Keeping the vibe positive:

• Being supportive is just as important as doing the work. If someone seems stuck or stressed, ask if they need a hand.

• Offer help before being asked. 

• Everyone works differently - some people need a quiet 20 minutes with their headphones on to focus, while others like to chat while they work. Some people need time to think and others prefer to work rapidly. Try to find a balance that works for everyone.

• Celebrate small wins: when you finish something or get positive feedback, take a second to say "well done" to the group. 

• Don't be afraid to navigate disagreement constructively - differences of opinion can be exciting and useful 

In our experience, these are the areas that teams sometimes struggle with - and some suggestions for what to do if this happens.

Something hasn't been done on time.

• Look at the other tasks needed for the project and consider what the impact might be. 

• Plan for a new deadline for the task.

• Be prepared to reprioritise - if something is more 'nice to have' than 'essential', it may need to take a back seat.

You feel that somebody isn't pulling their weight.

• Take the emotion and your preferences out of the situation - is the work being done, even if it's not to your preferred timescale or in your preferred way?

• Check in with them - is everything okay and can you or somebody else on the team offer help?

• If something is badly wrong, flag it with a member of staff.

• This is normal in the workplace and the main goal for you is for the outcome to be achieved. It can be frustraiting but focus on how to move forward. 

Somebody in the group is being very dominant.

• Deliberately invite others into the conversation, especially if they're being quiet.

• Ask the dominant person to give others time to speak, reminding them that others may need longer to consider their viewpoint.

• Look for alternative ways for people to contribute - for example by contributing via Google Docs. 

• If something is badly wrong, flag it with a member of staff.