Managing Project Teams

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Student Version

Copyright © 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

McGraw-Hill/Irwin

11–2

Where We Are NowWhere We Are NowWhere We Are NowWhere We Are Now

11–3

High-Performing TeamsHigh-Performing TeamsHigh-Performing TeamsHigh-Performing Teams

• Synergy 1 + 1 + 1 =10 (positive synergy) 1 + 1 + 1 =2 (negative synergy)

• Characteristics of High-performing Teams1. Share a sense of common purpose

2. Make effective use of individual talents and expertise

3. Have balanced and shared roles

4. Maintain a problem solving focus

5. Accept differences of opinion and expression

6. Encourage risk taking and creativity

7. Sets high personal performance standards

8. Identify with the team

The Five-Stage Team Development ModelThe Five-Stage Team Development ModelThe Five-Stage Team Development ModelThe Five-Stage Team Development Model

FIGURE 11.1

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Conditions Favoring Development of Conditions Favoring Development of High Performance Project TeamsHigh Performance Project Teams

Conditions Favoring Development of Conditions Favoring Development of High Performance Project TeamsHigh Performance Project Teams

• Ten or fewer team members

• Voluntary team membership

• Continuous service on the team

• Full-time assignment to the team

• An organization culture of cooperation and trust

• Members report only to the project manager

• All relevant functional areas are represented on the team

• The project has a compelling objective

• Members are in speaking distance of each other

The Punctuated Equilibrium Model The Punctuated Equilibrium Model

of Group Developmentof Group Development

The Punctuated Equilibrium Model The Punctuated Equilibrium Model

of Group Developmentof Group Development

FIGURE 11.2

Creating a High-Performance Creating a High-Performance Project TeamProject Team

Creating a High-Performance Creating a High-Performance Project TeamProject Team

FIGURE 11.3

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Building High-Performance Project TeamsBuilding High-Performance Project TeamsBuilding High-Performance Project TeamsBuilding High-Performance Project Teams

• Recruiting Project MembersFactors affecting recruiting

• Importance of the project• Management structure used to complete the project

How to recruit? • Ask for volunteers

Who to recruit?• Problem-solving ability• Availability• Technological expertise• Credibility• Political connections• Ambition, initiative, and energy

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Project Team MeetingsProject Team MeetingsProject Team MeetingsProject Team Meetings

Conducting Project

Meetings

Conducting Project

Meetings

Establishing Ground Rules

Establishing Ground Rules

Planning Decisions

Planning Decisions

Tracking Decisions

Tracking Decisions

Managing Change Decisions

Managing Change Decisions

Relationship Decisions

Relationship Decisions

Managing Subsequent

Meetings

Managing Subsequent

Meetings

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Kick-off Meeting AgendaKick-off Meeting AgendaKick-off Meeting AgendaKick-off Meeting Agenda

FIGURE C11.1

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Establishing a Team IdentityEstablishing a Team IdentityEstablishing a Team IdentityEstablishing a Team Identity

Effective Use Effective Use of Meetingsof Meetings

Effective Use Effective Use of Meetingsof Meetings

Co-location of Co-location of team membersteam members

Co-location of Co-location of team membersteam members

Creation of project Creation of project team nameteam name

Creation of project Creation of project team nameteam name

Team ritualsTeam ritualsTeam ritualsTeam rituals

Requirements for an Effective Shared Requirements for an Effective Shared VisionVision

Requirements for an Effective Shared Requirements for an Effective Shared VisionVision

FIGURE 11.4

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Managing Project Reward SystemsManaging Project Reward SystemsManaging Project Reward SystemsManaging Project Reward Systems

• Group Rewards

Who gets what as an individual reward?

How to make the reward have lasting significance?

How to recognize individual performance?

• Letters of commendation

• Public recognition for outstanding work

• Desirable job assignments

• Increased personal flexibility

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Orchestrating the Decision-Making ProcessOrchestrating the Decision-Making ProcessOrchestrating the Decision-Making ProcessOrchestrating the Decision-Making Process

Problem Identification

Generating Alternatives

Reaching a Decision

Follow-up

Nominal Group (Decision Making) TechniqueNominal Group (Decision Making) TechniqueNominal Group (Decision Making) TechniqueNominal Group (Decision Making) Technique

NGT• It is an orderly process for dealing with potentially inflammatory

problems. • It prevents groupthink from occurring and discourages pressures to form

to the wishes of a powerful group member. Steps:

1. Gather team members and/or stakeholders to identify the project problem at hand

2. Each member writes down his/her own solutions

3. Each presents his/her solution to the group

4. (The leader) writes these solutions on a chart

5. Continue the process until all ideas have been expressed

6. Discuss and clarify each solution as a group

7. (All members) privately rank-order their preferred solutions

8. Tally the ballot to create a rank-ordering of each solution

9. Repeat these steps to refine the list until the most preferred solution emerges

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Managing Conflict within the Project TeamManaging Conflict within the Project TeamManaging Conflict within the Project TeamManaging Conflict within the Project Team

• Encouraging Functional ConflictEncourage dissent by asking tough questions.Bring in people with different points of view.Designate someone to be a devil’s advocate.Ask the team to consider an unthinkable alternative

• Managing Dysfunctional ConflictMediate the conflict.Arbitrate the conflict.Control the conflict.Accept the conflict.Eliminate the conflict.

Conflict Intensity Over theConflict Intensity Over theProject Life CycleProject Life Cycle

Conflict Intensity Over theConflict Intensity Over theProject Life CycleProject Life Cycle

FIGURE 11.5

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Rejuvenating the Project TeamRejuvenating the Project TeamRejuvenating the Project TeamRejuvenating the Project Team

• Informal TechniquesInstitute new rituals.Take an off-site break as a team from the project.View an inspiration message or movie.Have the project sponsor give a pep talk.

• Formal TechniquesHold a team building session facilitated by an outsider

to clarify ownership issues affecting performance.Engage in an outside activity that provides an intense

common experience to promote social development of the team.

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Managing Virtual Project TeamsManaging Virtual Project TeamsManaging Virtual Project TeamsManaging Virtual Project Teams

• Challenges:Developing trust

• Exchange of social information.

• Set clear roles for each team member.

Developing effective patterns of communication.• Keep team members informed on

how the overall project is going.

• Don’t let team members vanish.

• Establish a code of conduct to avoid delays.

• Establish clear norms and protocols for surfacing assumptions and conflicts.

• Share the pain.

24-Hour 24-Hour Global Global ClockClock

24-Hour 24-Hour Global Global ClockClock

FIGURE 11.6

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Project Team PitfallsProject Team PitfallsProject Team PitfallsProject Team Pitfalls

GroupthinkGroupthinkGroupthinkGroupthink Bureaucratic Bureaucratic Bypass SyndromeBypass Syndrome

Bureaucratic Bureaucratic Bypass SyndromeBypass Syndrome

Team Spirit Becomes Team Spirit Becomes Team InfatuationTeam Infatuation

Team Spirit Becomes Team Spirit Becomes Team InfatuationTeam InfatuationGoing NativeGoing NativeGoing NativeGoing Native

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Key TermsKey TermsKey TermsKey Terms

Brainstorming

Dysfunctional conflict

Functional conflict

Groupthink

Nominal group technique (NGT)

Positive synergy

Project kickoff meeting

Project vision

Team building

Team rituals

Virtual project team