Frustrated

[dposborne]

So my MBA Leadership team is currently compiling final revisions for a group project and one of the members really can't write for crap. We've asked him to proof read his submission and he did (at least he said he did), but it still has a significant amount of errors... Here's an excerpt from a list of many mistakes:

"One trait that provides a roll in effective leadership is emotional intelligence."

I'm afraid to ask where he got his undergrad from and also how the heck he made it through this far in program...

[cookderosa]

So my MBA Leadership team is currently compiling final revisions for a group project and one of the members really can't write for crap. We've asked him to proof read his submission and he did (at least he said he did), but it still has a significant amount of errors... Here's an excerpt from a list of many mistakes:

"One trait that provides a roll in effective leadership is emotional intelligence."

I'm afraid to ask where he got his undergrad from and also how the heck he made it through this far in program...

I hate group projects, I feel your pain.

[bricabrac]

Hi,

Wanted to offer another opinion.

I work with Docs and others who have advanced degrees and there is a common theme - just because you have 16-22+ yrs of education does not necessarily mean you have excellent (or even good) grammatical skills. Admins/Assts do a lot more than schedule meetings. Who did you think really catches the typos, grammatical and formatting errors? That is a key part of the job.

Regarding group projects:
In school everyone seems to hate these tasks but projects are assigned so that you will hopefully gain valuable skills that will prepare you for the business world. You will learn during the project, as a unit, to define the weaknesses/strengths of each member and begin to make decisions as a team. To then assign specific tasks to those with a comparable skill set. The guy who lacks in grammar may very well easily see the big picture. Task the member who is the thinker, with assembling the individual ideas and goals into an outline. Let the person who loves to chase commas edit and proofread. I feel when the team does not act as one, the whole suffers; and that is truly when it becomes a painful exercise.


I would have immediately had a few group conference calls to determine everyone's strengths/weaknesses. Then structure the group. For example in my area this might be an easy outline:

A leader/presenter
A researcher or two
A writer & Asst - assembles/sorts/writes/has to be able to comfortably challenge others
A critical thinker - positive or negative (best if you have at min two on either side)
A problem solver - usually second chair

The eMBA program I have intimate knowledge of requires a two part effort to complete the final degree requirement. Part 1 - A group submission where the members build a company/division/new product from the ground up, which some may actually move forward with after the assignment is graded. Part 2 - an individual submission.

In my work we are actually structured into and thrive in groups, from executive management to project teams.

Just my two cents!

[sanantone]

So my MBA Leadership team is currently compiling final revisions for a group project and one of the members really can't write for crap. We've asked him to proof read his submission and he did (at least he said he did), but it still has a significant amount of errors... Here's an excerpt from a list of many mistakes:

"One trait that provides a roll in effective leadership is emotional intelligence."

I'm afraid to ask where he got his undergrad from and also how the heck he made it through this far in program...

I always hated group projects in school. The argument is that they are supposed to mimic the real world, but they don't. The workplace tends to be more competitive than a non-competitive degree program. I had teammates in group projects at a non-traditional school who would not make it in the professional setting. Even if they got past the hiring process, they wouldn't last long on the job. However, when you're attending school online, you may not know if you're working with someone who speaks English as a second language.

I don't think I would mind doing a group project in my PhD program. We aren't the most competitive, but we are competitive. On top of having a minimum GPA and GRE score, half of the applicants are rejected because we only have so many slots. This is more how the real world works. HR will eliminate those who don't meet the minimum requirements, they may interview all of those who meet the minimum requirements or they may only interview the most impressive candidates, and then they will choose the best person or people for the slot(s) they have open. In private security, however, they hire just about anyone who doesn't have a criminal record. This is more akin to open enrollment colleges and universities. You just have to hope that the really bad employees/students will eventually get weeded out.

[dposborne]

Ok so if one knows they are weak in grammar and sentence structure, why would they not get their work proof read by someone else before submitting?

There are even services like Grammarly | Instant Grammar Check - Plagiarism Checker - Online Proofreader that would catch 95% of the mistakes this guy is making.

His submissions don't count for our individual grades, but it is a little frustrating to have to submit the document with the errors...

I also know that its a team effort, but he won't even take suggestions.

I do understand how a good team should function I see it everyday at work. I also lucked out big time with my Capstone team we are doing quite well together.

[TMW2010]

He may consider 'proof-reading' as being the act of ensuring that Word doesn't have any red, green, or blue underlines.

As to group projects, I never did like herding cats...

[sanantone]

Almost no one except for maybe English majors has perfect grammar. English is one of the most difficult languages to learn. However, there is a point where you have to draw the line. I think it's important for people, especially professionals and those in management, to be able to communicate effectively in writing and vocally. If this teammate's grammar is so bad that his message gets misconstrued, then there is a problem. If the WGU graders are doing their job, they will point out all errors regardless. He should have gotten the hint a long time ago that improvements are needed. My PhD professors still point out grammatical errors because no one is going to take you seriously if your writings are riddled with errors.

[SteveFoerster]

[Maniac Craniac]

"One trait that provides a roll in effective leadership is emotional intelligence."

Your failure to appreciate his analogy does not reflect poorly on his writing skills. Consider the role of rolls. Emotional intelligence is like knowing the correct time to give a man a roll and when to teach him how to bake. Of course, as Jesus said, man must not live on bread alone. That's where effective leadership comes into play.

[LaterBloomer]

Steve,

I was SO tempted to "like" you, but it sounds too much like high-school for me. I did, however, find your post a hoot and a half!