C
oming into college, it’s safe
to assume you’ll have a group
assignment or two. They can go
in many directions: some nice, others
painful. In my experience, everyone just
wants to get the work done as quickly
as possible — with as few conflicts as
possible. More motivated members
pick up the slack for the less motivated
ones, and so the vicious cycle of disdain
toward group projects begins. Last year
when an assignment in one of my class-
es called for pair work, we would switch
partners throughout the semester to get
to know all the people in the class. The
assignments were short and I’d meet
with my partner for an hour or so to get
the job done, refraining from talk of our
personal lives, where we were from or
even what brought us to the University
of Michigan.
During the second rotation, my part-
ner took the time to ask me how my day
was, which was weird. I was used to get-
ting straight to business, not dabbling
in something as wishy-washy as the
quality of my day. Why would we waste
time on this? It wasn’t going to change
anything and would only detract from
the time we had to complete the assign-
ment. But as we asked each other ques-
tions, delving into one another’s lives,
the conversation became more natural
and enjoyable. Suddenly, 30 minutes
had gone by and I’d made a connection
with someone who is still my friend
today. In taking the time to learn about
this person’s life, I found that he was
an international student here and had
lived in many different countries before
coming to the University of Michigan. I
remember thinking how cool that was,
that someone would choose to come all
the way to Michigan out of all the uni-
versities in the world to choose from.
Fast forward to winter semester of
last year. As part of my involvement in
the Center for Positive Organizations —
a research center in the Ross School of
Business — I was taking a class called
The Foundations of Positive Organiza-
tional Scholarship. We examined the
research behind positive leadership and
positive business, learning that every-
one you interact with has a story that is
unique to them. According toresearch,
there’s strong evidence to support that
connecting with people can elevate your
mood, build resilience, increase creativ-
ity and even improve your health. That’s
amazing to me. By talking to others, and
listening to their stories, we can feel
better about ourselves in multiple ways.
The business program at the Uni-
versity is extremely group-oriented.
I have group projects for almost all of
my classes, and I’m constantly meeting
different people; however, oftentimes
we aren’t really talking to one another.
When I met with my partner for The
Foundations of Positive Organizational
Scholarship, I at first didn’t take the
time to learn about who he was, what
his purpose was in the Business School
or what made him tick. I cared about
what he brought to the table and how
he would help me get the A I so badly
wanted.
Taking a step back, I realize how
much healthier and productive we are
when we get to know one another and
indulge in each other’s stories. After
learning about positive organizational
research, my eyes were opened to this
unique background people are con-
stantly carrying around on their shoul-
ders. I thought about the myriad types
of students we have here on campus
and how they have such different life
experiences than mine. We have in-
staters, out-of-staters, first-generation
students, fourth-generation students,
transfer students, graduate students
and people from all over the world here
in one place, with so many different sto-
ries and purposes.
With recruitment for summer intern-
ships in full swing, classes, homework
and extracurriculars, I know I’m not
alone in forgetting about self-care.
However, it only takes a few minutes
to chat with someone in the Starbucks
line, or reach out to an old friend you
haven’t spoken with, or even call your
grandmother to say hello. After learn-
ing about the type of impact these con-
nections with others can have on the
mind and body, there’s no reason not to
take a chance and learn something new
about someone each day.
3B
Wednesday, September 28, 2016 / The Statement
All Around the World: Rethinking Group Work
B Y I S O B E L F U T T E R
“This is a man who has called women pigs, slobs
and dogs and someone who has said pregnancy is
an inconvenience to employers, who has said that
women don’t deserve equal pay unless they do as
good a job as men.”
— HILLARY CLINTON, Democratic presidential nominee, referring to GOP
presidential candidate Donald Trump’s comments toward and about women.
on the record: presidential debate
“I think my strongest asset by far is my
temperament. I have a winning temperament.”
—DONALD TRUMP, to which the live audience at Hofstra University audibly
laughed.
“African-Americans, Hispanics are living in hell
because it’s so dangerous. You walk down the
street, you get shot. We have to take the guns away
from the people that shouldn’t them. These are bad
people.
—DONALD TRUMP, describing what he said is the everyday reality for
communities of color.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY EMILIE FARRUGIA
COVER DESIGN BY SHANE ACHENBACH