1. The Leader: The moment the group sits down together this person will willingly take control of the project. They will take the biggest chunk of the project to ensure that it gets done. You’ll also receive countless emails and Facebook messages checking on everyone’s progress and confirming that everyone will be at the next group meeting.
2. The Fake Leader: This person will hide behind the Leader, agreeing with everything the Leader says and encouraging others to contribute. They’re reliable and a great asset on presentation day. When the project is divided up, though, they’ll make sure they have to do the smallest amount of work.
3. The Average Joe: Everything this person does is perfectly acceptable. They’ll fly under the radar, only using the group message when necessary and occasionally contributing to group discussions. On presentation day, their section of the project meets the minimum requirements, neither helping nor hindering the final grade.
4. The Busy-Bee: No matter what time the Leader suggests for a group meeting, this person already has something going on. The only time they can meet with the group is around midnight. Eventually they’ll just accept whatever part of the assignment they’re delegated and have it ready for the due-date.
5. The Cheerleader: This ball of energy will be at every group meeting and respond to every email, even if they don’t really understand the project. They’ll do their part to the best of their ability, but they’ll do it with a smile. The Cheerleader is vital in maintaining the group’s moral in the last few days of the project.
6. The Slacker: The Slacker doesn’t pretend to care about the project like the Fake Leader does. During group meetings they will be on their phone or complaining about how hard the project is. The Leader, knowing they’ll have to either fix the Slacker’s portion of the project or do it all together, strategically gives them as little work to do as possible.
7. The Quiet One: They’ll come to group meetings but won’t contribute to the group’s discussion, choosing instead to put all of their effort into whichever part of the project they’re assigned. That’s why the group is surprised when their section of the project is the most compelling. When it comes to presenting the information, though, the Quiet One gladly lets the Fake Leader take over.