Project Team Meaning, Factors and Process

Meaning of Project Team

A project team includes the project office personnel, Project Manager, and functional group members who can be full-time or part-time during or only for specific project phases. A successful project manager must motivate the other team members so that they feel that their efforts are important and directly affect the outcome of the task.

Individuals come together to perform activities contributing to achieving a common task-related goal. Teams must accomplish performance goals, and members must be mutually accountable for achieving them. A variable number of team members and a project manager receive task assignments from the project schedule.

The project manager must inform group members about their tasks and emphasize the importance of their roles. He should make team members feel and believe that they play a vital role in the success or failure of the team. The project manager can win their loyalty to the assignment by working closely with team members. By knowing task force members individually, he can increase their motivation by making them understand that they are indispensable to the team.

A project manager can use various strategies to motivate the project team, some of which are given in the following ways:

1) Providing a proper direction,

2) Giving assignments that provide challenges,

3) Developing a team attitude,

4) Clearly defining performance expectations,

5) Giving honest appraisal,

6) Providing a good working atmosphere, and

7) Giving each person the attention he requires.

8) Giving proper criticism as well as credit,

Composition of a Project Team

A basic project team comprises a project manager and a group of specialists recruited. A project group has both managerial and non-managerial staff who work full-time or on a contract basis. All the team members participate in decision making regarding the team.

The team should include five to eight highly committed individuals. That size often seems to provide the most appropriate range of participation, energy, and decision-making ability. Membership on the team depends on the desired project outcomes and the scope of activities. To enhance team dynamics, assembling a diverse group of individuals from different organizational levels (executives, middle managers, and entry-level employees) is often beneficial. A cross-functional team can help an organization to ensure that all levels of the organization have a chance to provide input to the development and implementation of the action plans for change, thereby increasing ownership and participation. Also, a cross-functional team can bring a rich diversity of ideas that are often useful in generating a wide range of perspectives and opinions throughout the project.

The following guidelines will help construct a project team:

1) Assign responsibility to an individual for ensuring the project’s completion.

Usually, that person is the CEO. If someone else has primary responsibility, find out who that person is as soon as possible – as that individual plays an important role in the success of your project.

2) Include Someone to Help Administer the Project

This individual will be responsible for ensuring the provision of materials and facilities for meetings and the thorough documentation of meeting outcomes. This person can also take notes during meetings and distribute them to key personnel.

3) The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) should be on the Team

The CEO provides ongoing, visible legitimacy and the ability to make decisions and provide historical information about the organization. If there is a likelihood that the CEO will not be on the team, members of the Board and the CEO should have clear and credible reasons for excluding the CEO.

4) Consider including Members from Outside the Organization

External members such as investors and specialists provide valuable expertise and insights that may contribute to the growth and success of the organization. These members can provide valuable insight into how planned changes will be perceived and their potential impact on external stakeholders. Investors within the team enhance the client’s credibility with other potential investors and external stakeholders.

5) Encourage the Board Chair to be on the Team

The board should consistently be aware of and approve project activities, especially if the project involves a significant change in the client’s organization. One of the most effective strategies to guarantee such awareness is incorporating a key board member into the team.

6) Consider having the Leader of each Major Product or Service on the Team

The project must retain or enhance the performance of your client’s services to its customers during the project. One way to ensure performance quality is to involve personnel who provide products and services.

Human Factors and the Project Team

1) Cost goals and meeting schedule without compromising performance is a complex technical challenge that also encompasses a human dimension:

i) Project professionals tend to be perfectionists,
ii) Pride in workmanship leads the team member to improve (and thus change) the product, and
iii) These changes cause delays in the project.

2) Motivating group members of the project :

i)The project manager often has little control over work team members’ economic rewards and promotions, but this does not mean they cannot motivate team members.

ii) What motivates technical employees?

a) Recognition,
b) Achievement,
e) The work itself,
d) Responsibility,
e) Advancement, and
f) The chance to learn new skills.

3)Empowerment is one of the motivational factors for project teams.

i) Empowerment allows team members to manipulate tasks effectively to achieve project goals. It encourages the team to explore and implement improved ways of doing things.

ii) Professionals lean towards self-direction while avoiding direct management. Participative management does not tell them how to work but allows them to choose methods that align with their strengths and preferences.

iii) The group members know they are responsible and accountable for achieving the project deliverables.

iv) There is a good chance that synergistic solutions will result from team interaction.

Process of Building a Project Team

The Project Manager must undertake the following activities to build a team.

1) Make Plans for Building a Team

The Project Manager usually starts the team-building process from the project planning stage. The basic aspects of project planning are important for team building because planning impacts team building. After organising the team, jobs are assigned based on these aspects. Writing a detailed project plan has a profound impact on the team-building process:

i) What: Team goals and objectives are based on the project goals and objectives. There should be compatibility and consistency between the team goals and project goals.

ii) How: Planning and documenting project procedures and controls should be done carefully. This aspect identifies the best way to accomplish the project goals using a group effort.

iii) When: Project schedules should be prepared to keep in mind the abilities of the team members.

iv) Who: Defining project roles helps the Project Manager select the right people for every job. It is the phase in which decisions are made regarding the individuals required to contribute to the project.

2) Negotiate for Team Members

It involves sourcing the most promising project team personnel from the available candidates. While selecting the team members, the Project Manager must consider what contributions each group member can make to the project and the team.

3) Organize the Project Team

Organizing a group of diverse individuals into a cohesive and high-performing team is the responsibility of the Project Manager. In this phase, every individual is assigned a specific job; while organizing the project team, it is essential to design work authorization for every work package in the WBS to be assigned to every individual in the group. After assigning work to every team member, a linear responsibility chart should be prepared and distributed among the team members.

4) Authority and Responsibility

Authority and responsibility are usually two sides of the same coin. Having one without the other is futile. The Project Manager should have authority over the project and be responsible for completing the project within the time budget and according to specifications. Even though authority over the project can be delegated, the Project Manager is ultimately responsible for completing the project.

5) Hold a Kick-Off Meeting

The basic purpose of a kick-off meeting is to get the project started on the right note and initiate the team-building process. The kick-off meeting helps the Project Manager to bind everyone involved in the project under a unity of purpose to achieve the project goals. Though kick-off meetings do not have a specific structure, the following guidelines should be followed:

i) Introduce team members to each other,

ii) Establish working relationships and communication channels,

iii) Set goals and objectives for the team,

iv) Review the project status,

v) Identify the problem areas in the project and

vi) Specify the Responsibilities and accountability of individuals as well as groups.

6) Get Commitments from Team Members

The Project Manager must ensure that the group members are committed to the project. In the early stages of the project lifecycle, individual team members may not be sure how long they will work on the project. It gives rise to uncertainty and, consequently, a lack of commitment. The Project Manager is responsible for removing this uncertainty and ensuring all team members are deeply involved with the project.

7) Establishing Communication Links among Team Members

Teamwork is not possible without proper communication channels. The Project Manager establishes and maintains all communication channels across the organizational hierarchy. A team cannot be effective without effective communication among the team members.

8) Conducting Team Building Exercises

Team building exercises enhance the group’s efficiency, particularly during the initial phases of a project life cycle. Team building proves to be effective when integrated with the regular day-to-day activities of the project. Once the Project Manager completes the section-building process, he has to establish the operating rules for the section.