DYNAMICS OF THE GROUP SUPPORT SYSTEM

Executive education is a different ball game altogether and that is why it is mostly offered part-time. ‘Executive’ students usually juggle a lot of balls and so they have to share time between studies and official commitments (whether in employment or as entrepreneurs).

The Lagos Business School support is unique. Students are shared into groups with each group being dynamic and representing an assembly of professionals from various fields. I have been lucky to be a part of Group 2 and below are a few factors that could determine the success or otherwise of groups.

Accountability
Group members have no choice but to be accountable for each other. There are certain assignments in which performance is judged on group performance, not individual performance. The lecturer has the absolute prerogative to make cold calls and choose individuals who will represent the group. The group’s fate hence hangs on the individual’s performance. A stellar performance will earn stellar marks and poor performance will earn the group poor marks.

Welfare
Though not expressly stated, as social beings, humans look after each other. A simple check-up call from a group member will go a long way in boosting the individual’s morale.

Responsiveness
Individual members just have to bring something to the table. There is always room for contribution, no matter how little. Otherwise, it may culminate in a scenario of workload imbalance whereby a few are overburdened, due to bearing the bulk of responsibilities.

Robust discussions
They say two good heads are better than one. Well, we have 11 good heads. The discussions become richer as a result of the depth of thought patterns of professionals who are well-versed in their various vocations. There are always alternative views that further enrich discussions.

Support system
The level of support I have received is simply invaluable. There have been occasions I have been completely lost, and I simply cannot comprehend what has been taught in class. While I can fall back on the videos as a good source of revision, there is always at least one person in the group willing to point me in the right direction.

Information
There are certain pieces of information that can be missed, perhaps due to a student’s from class or even a momentary loss of attention. If the information is lost in the larger class group’s communication channel, the probability of a group member bringing it up is very high.

From friends to family
It is impossible to spend an incredible amount of time with a set of people without the relationship blossoming. At some point, relationships will transcend classwork and become more familial.

Robust arguments
It is quite impossible to deliberate on several cases, topics, projects and assignments, amongst other tasks without differences. There will always be arguments, but the key is in resolving the issues amicably and through avenues that do not breed animosity. The issues are not personal, and the conversations are always geared towards ensuring that we succeed in assigned tasks. One of the assignments we argued over the most, turned out to be the one that earned us the most accolades, both from the lecturer and a few colleagues from other groups.

There are always key learnings from interactions and collaborations with individuals. Harnessing key opportunities is a key factor in human progress. After all, no man is an island