consistent communication

Group work has never been something I've been good at. Usually someone ends up doing all of the work, or most of it. Usually I find myself taking charge. So far our group project has started on an unsteady foot. While our idea is solid, coordinating everyone is tough and seems, at times, impossible. Our first meeting consisted of distractions but progressive conversation. In a class where being socially aware, sometimes the best ideas come from what seems at first to be pointless conversation. We toyed with the idea of talking about STDs, something that people know plenty about but decided that it could make some people uncomfortable. I personally think that good points can result from discomfort. There are times when pushing someone to their comfort limits is good for bringing out the realities of certain situations. It is easy to ignore painful realities when you don't have to directly deal with them yourself. Then we came up with the idea to research teachers who refuse to teach students who come from families of illegal immigrants. This topic is relevant on a local level but has more national implications.
The second meeting was productive but rushed. We had to repeat a lot of things that we had previously covered in the meeting. It is hard to organize a large group around writing one paper. The natural instinct is to divide the parts up, everyone writes one section. Then we meet and edit it together. When one group member isn't there, it is hard to convey the same types of ideas and feeling in writing. I think the toughest part of working in a group is coordinating time and communicating. When communication is limited is when one group member ends up taking a large portion of the work onto their own shoulders. Although members may not ultimately agree on everything, consistent communication will bridge any gap left open.