To: New Employees

From: Company Staff

Subject: Successful Strategies for Group Projects
Date: March 3, 2023

This memo aims to provide various effective strategies and documents used by the company
staff that new employees can use to build a collaborative work environment. It is essential to
apply helpful collaborative meth1ods as they build strong employee relationships and expand
company growth.

Discussion on the Most Effective Strategies for Starting Group Projects:

1. Including a Team Manager
A new collaborative team benefits from having a designated group leader as it helps establish a
clear line of command and promotes efficient communication among team members. The
team's leader may aid in defining priorities, setting attainable goals, and establishing clear
objectives. Establishing deadlines, allocating work, and keeping track of progress also assist the
team with time management. In conflict, the leader might mediate to reduce misunderstandings
and settle disputes. This could be done by having meetings regarding the conflicts or even
deciding to solve the conflict if needed. By establishing expectations and tracking results, they
may further guarantee that team members are held accountable for their job. Ultimately, having
a chosen leader may provide the group structure, direction, and support, enabling them to work
more productively and successfully toward their common objectives.

2. Setting Up Meetings
Having frequent team meetings is essential to be on track as it helps the team get a clear idea
of any updates and expectations. Various meeting-related documents can help meetings run
smoothly, such as meeting minutes and meeting agendas. Before the start of a meeting, it is
essential to have a meeting agenda. It contains a list of topics that will be covered during the
meeting to ensure nothing important gets left out and helps to be straight to the point. Having a
meeting agenda allows people to be prepared and think about the items that will be discussed.
Meeting minutes are effective documents that contain four essential parts (1) Action items,
which are lists that identify members' tasks. (2) Decisions, which include important decisions
made during the meeting. (3) Next steps, which contain main topics that will be discussed later.
(4) Attendance, which is a list of people who attended the meeting. This document should be
distributed to the entire group right after the meeting. Without meeting minutes, people might
proceed without agreement and miss important details.

3. Setting Deadlines and Task Schedules

A task schedule is a document that shows how any task can be tracked and managed. It helps
the team members know their tasks and the deadline for each assignment. The team leader
must assign work to team members, update the schedule, and assign deadlines. Without a task
schedule, the team's progress could be slow and hectic. Some could submit their work on time,
and others could miss their deadlines, leading to the team's downfall. Setting deadlines helps
the team become more aware of the workload and communicate with other teammates if they
submit it late.

Recommendation:
Regardless of the collaborative method, it is highly recommended to maintain clear
communication throughout any project period as it leads to every team’s success. Consistently
communicating additionally allows the team to clarify doubts and helps everyone stay on track.