Group v. Individual Work

Progress seldom comes from the deliberations of a group. Rather, progress most often comes from the creative thinking of individuals working alone.
Describe a specific situation in which progress might come from the deliberations of a group rather than the creative thinking of individuals working alone. Discuss what you think determines whether the deliberations of a group or the creative thinking of individuals working alone will result in progress.
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One of the key goals pursued in the American education system is to socialize young people and give them the skills to be able to work in groups. The United States is more focused on individual---not communal--needs relative to other nations; however, the ability to work well with others is stressed as a way to achieve better results on a personal and professional level. In school, group work is often emphasized as a way for people to share ideas and come up with solutions that would not have been realized had members worked on an individual basis. Whether group work, as opposed to work done by individuals, results in more progress really depends on the quality of the people within the group. Important factors include each member's initiative, talent and ability to work effectively with others.

Sometimes group work will not result in progress. People often have the tendency to not work to their full capacity when other people in their group share responsibility for completing a project. They might assume that other members of the group will complete their share of the project. When most or if all members of the group carry this work mentality, the project will not be a success. In other cases, groups may be composed of members who are not intelligent or capable of thinking creatively. Even if they work well as a group, the results will still be of sub-par quality. On the other hand, a group composed of high quality people with both initiative and intelligence may come up with better results than if those same members would work on an individual basis.

Furthermore, some people work better on their own. Being part of a group may be a distraction to their innate creative forces. Time alone to contemplate and work on problems for these people may result in progress and the best solutions. Working in groups often poses challenges of veering off topic, interrupting thought processes, and certain individuals dominating the discussion and decision-making. Some people, however, work more effectively when around other people. They receive inspiration from hearing several ideas and can focus more on the task on hand with people having the same goals.

Whether group work or individual work results in "progress" really depends on the make-up of the members. Some people tend to be more effective on an individual basis and receive creative inspiration when having not to deal with the distraction of various members. Other people tend to slack off and rely on the initiative of the rest of the group whereas they would have taken more responsibility working alone. The group's progress also depends on the individual capabilities of members; a group composed of creative, hardworking people will most likely yield progress. As the old saying goes, a group is only as strong as its weakest link.