Should I dime on my classmates to protect my grade or not?

I’m a full-time adult non-traditional student and I just finished my final group project to get my degree. In this group project I was working with three younger traditional students. During the project I began to realize that these students, although very bright, had the attitude that they knew it all, and nothing I suggested seemed to appeal to them. I tried several times to express to them that based on my 20 years plus experience in the business world that we were conducting the project incorrectly. Well, they rejected all of my ideas because they felt they were swifter than I was, so eventually I gave up trying to tell them. After that I was forced to do the project their way because I was out voted 3 to 1.


I found it very difficult to follow their way which had no logic, no organization and many times they would make decisions and not inform me. They seemed to want the spotlight but resented the work load that came with having the spotlight.

Should I dime on my classmates to protect my grade or not?
I agree with david but I think the others didn't read the question to some extent.





You don't compromise when people aren't following the rules. You can't compromise if they aren't willing to compromise back. You can't work "with" people who aren't willing to work with you - So, I consider SOME of the advice here kind of hollow and very one sided. (Scares me to think of them being in charge actually).





Being able to present your ideas and persuade them IS a skill, but that also depends on the people you're presenting to, so if they really did want to screw around and not follow the rules, then it sounds like it wouldn't matter what you did. You already complimented them that they were very bright - talked about them not informing you.





Talking to an instructor earlier would be helpful and a good business decision, but can't be done now and YOURE A STUDENT SO YOURE LEARNING STILL , so is good info for next time. (So give 'em a break guys! Sheesh!)





Go for the grade though - if they aren't going to support you, you'll have to do it yourself.





Explain to the instructor your concern about "ratting them out" and that's not what you want to be doing and that you're concerned for the grade. Demonstrate your ability behind the scenes to the instructor one on one, that could help you out, and ***I would suggest doing it in person, I don't reccomend letters. Too much is left to chance on interpretation. You can buy yourself an out with doing it in person if you feel it's not going well.***
Reply:Business is Business.... In order to be successful, you must have the ability to work with a variety of different people. If you tell on them, it reflects that you are blaming them, rather than mentoring. If you had found they were not seeing it your way, you should have pulled the instructor in earlier. To see the Titanic sink and not talk to the professor earlier is now going to reflect that you are whiny and just want to punish the other guys for messing up. Well, business is business. Teams are highly emphasized in the business world. If I had an employee no matter how many years of experience say he or she cannot work with the young MBA's well, I'd tell him or her that they aren't finding the skills to work together. There's a key word: Compromise. IF you don't compromise, you aren't doing a very good job of leading or working as a business person ought to. We have business ethics also...
Reply:Young people dont always want to comform to the rules.If this was the problem and that is why you dont feel comfortable then you should have talked to the professor or compromise with the young people ,In this world you have to work with a variety of people.Maybe you should look at talking with your professor before he marks the project.Its your count that counts and you have wisdom and age over the young people.
Reply:Well, if you don't want to look like a "tattle-tale", then I suggest that you tell these people how you feel. Don't be mean, but get straight to the point. If you don't care about being a tattle-tale or not, then I suggest you tell the professor what was going on, but then, if you do that, you wouldn't be acting like a mature adult (in my point of view).
Reply:What do you mean by "dime" on the group your were assigned? I understand that working with young people who do not share your years of experience is daunting but how and when did you, with your years of experience lose site of the big picture? Rejection is something we shrug off and then swing back with a fresh idea.





These young people walked all over you because they have been trained to do just that. Your job was to make sense out of their mishmash of reason (which they do well) and then to make it work for you. Are you under the impression that the business world is waiting for you and not tailored to them? Welcome back to the business world.





On a better note, I really do feel your pain. It is hard to think we are not the ones who rule quite as well as we once thought.
Reply:Speak with your professor. You are a non-trad and bring some maturity to the table. Ask if you can be reassigned to another team. Or, see if your professor is ok with what they are planning. You never know they may be ok with you what they are doing just because its different.


Dont approach it as if you are telling on them, rather ask for your professors advice and find out what he/she would do in your situation. Then you will have your answer.


BTW, next semester you will not know these people, and you have no allegiance to them so its not diming them out. Its getting you the grade you want and the one you can live with.
Reply:if you know their going to talk about you just forget about them and send it without your team knowing if your afraid they'll gang up on you, but if u don kno it depends on ur grade if ur to low take a chance n send it, if ur grade is high..just forget about it