06 PROJECT TEAMWORK

Managing TeamsManaging TeamsSession 6Session 6

1. Effective Team Characteristics

2. Why Join Teams?

3. Team Development

4. Keys to Managing People

5. Managing Project Teams

6. Project Team Conflict

7. Project Team Pitfalls

1. Effective Team Characteristics2. Why Join Teams?

3. Team Development

4. Keys to Managing People

5. Managing Project Teams

6. Project Team Conflict

7. Project Team Pitfalls

A team

is a group of individuals who cooperate and work together to achieve a given set of objectives or goals (Horodyski, 1995).(Horodyski, 1995).

Teamwork

is close cooperation between cross-trained employees who are familiar with a wide range of jobs in their organization

Team-building

is high interaction among group members to increase trust and openness

Effective Team Characteristics

–1

–Project Team Size

–2

–Common Characteristics

Too small and too large…

Project teams of 5 to 12 members work best

There are problems you encounter as size increases

1. It gets more difficult to interact with and influence the group

2. Individuals get less satisfaction from their involvement in the team

3. People end up with less commitment to the team goals

4. It requires more centralized decision making

5. There is lesser feeling as being part of team

Assigning more programmers to a project running behind schedule will make it even later, due to the time required for the new programmers to learn about the project, as well as

the increased communication overhead.

- Fred Brooks

Balance is the key

Belbin

Characteristics of high performance team

Goals are clearly defined and matched with measurable outcomes

Accurate effective 2-way communication

Co-responsibility and participative leadership

Effective problem solving and decision making

Team identity and cohesiveness

Diversity and balance

Cooperation and collaboration

They share a common identity

1. Effective Team Characteristics

2. Why Join Teams?3. Team Development

4. Keys to Managing People

5. Managing Project Teams

6. Project Team Conflict

7. Project Team Pitfalls

1. Individual reasons

2. Security

3. Status

4. Self-esteem

5. Affiliation

6. Power

7. Goal achievement

Why do teams work well for organizations?

1. Effective Team Characteristics

2. Why Join Teams?

3. Team Development4. Keys to Managing People

5. Managing Project Teams

6. Project Team Conflict

7. Project Team Pitfalls

Project teams usually come together for a project and then disband. What challenges does this create?

Project team

Tuckman (1960s) published five stage model of team development

Tuckman (1960s) published five stage model of team development

• A project manager needs to devote initial attention to helping the group evolve quickly to the (performing phase).

• This model provides a framework for the group to understand its own development.

• It stresses the importance of the norming phase which contributes to the level of productivity.

Implications for teams

Punctuated Equilibrium Model

Punctuated Equilibrium Model

•(1988) Gersick found that there are natural transition points during the life of teams in which the group is receptive to change and that such a moment naturally occurs at the scheduled midpoint of a project

•By imposing a series of deadlines, with milestones, it is possible to create multiple transition points for natural group development

•(1988) Gersick found that there are natural transition points during the life of teams in which the group is receptive to change and that such a moment naturally occurs at the scheduled midpoint of a project

•By imposing a series of deadlines, with milestones, it is possible to create multiple transition points for natural group development

Training

Team building activities include physical challenges and psychological preference indicator tools

What is your suitability to Project Work?

1. Effective Team Characteristics

2. Why Join Teams?

3. Team Development

4. Keys to Managing People5. Managing Project Teams

6. Project Team Conflict

7. Project Team Pitfalls

• Psychologists and management theorists have devoted much research and thought to the field of managing people at work.

Important areas related to project management include (1)Motivation, (2)Influence and power, and (3) Effectiveness

• Intrinsic motivation causes people to participate in an activity for their own enjoyment

• eg. read, gardening…

• Extrinsic motivation causes people to do something for a reward or to avoid a penalty

• eg. homework

Motivation Theorists– Maslow’s hierarch of needs

– Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene– McClelland’s acquired-needs

– McGregor’s X and Y

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needshttp://talkingtails.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/maslow-greek-philosophy-indian-mysticism/

• In the late 1960s Frederick Herzberg wrote about worker motivation.

• He distinguished between motivation factors and hygiene factors.

Hertzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory

motivation factorsHelp motivate workers directly eg. achievement, recognition, work, responsibility

hygiene factors cause dissatisfaction if absent but do not motivate, eg. Money, working conditions,

Hertzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory

McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y

• In the 1960’s Douglas McGregor popularized the human relations approach

• Theory X: workers dislike and avoid work

• Theory Y: work is as natural as play or rest

• Theory Z: emphasizing trust, quality, collective decision making, and cultural values

McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y

McClelland’s Acquired-Needs Theory

(1961) David McClelland proposed an individual’s specific needs are acquired or learned over time and shaped by life experiences.

Categories:–achievement–affiliation–power

1. Effective Team Characteristics

2. Why Join Teams?

3. Team Development

4. Keys to Managing People

5. Managing Project Teams6. Project Team Conflict

7. Project Team Pitfalls

Project managers must lead their teams in performing various project activities

After assessing team performance and related information, the project manager must decide:

–if changes should be requested to the project–if corrective or preventive actions should be recommended–if updates are needed to the project management plan or organizational process assets

Tools and techniques available to assist in managing project teams include:

observation and conversationproject performance appraisals

conflict managementissue logs

Don’t waste time

Establishing 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 membersCo-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

Look to each other for communication

1. Effective Team Characteristics

2. Why Join Teams?

3. Team Development

4. Keys to Managing People

5. Managing Project Teams

6. Project Team Conflict7. Project Team Pitfalls

Managing Conflict in the Project Team

Managing Conflict in the Project Team

• Encouraging Functional Conflict– encourage 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

alternative

• Encouraging Functional Conflict– encourage 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

alternative

• Managing Dysfunctional Conflict

– mediate the conflict– arbitrate the conflict– control the conflict– accept the conflict– eliminate the conflict

• Managing Dysfunctional Conflict

– mediate the conflict– arbitrate the conflict– control the conflict– accept the conflict– eliminate the conflict

1. Effective Team Characteristics

2. Why Join Teams?

3. Team Development

4. Keys to Managing People

5. Managing Project Teams

6. Project Team Conflict

7. Project Team Pitfalls

Figure 11.5 Conflict Intensity over the Project Life Cycle(Gray & Larson, 2006, p363)

GroupthinkGroupthink Bureaucratic Bureaucratic Bypass SyndromeBypass Syndrome

Team Spirit Becomes Team InfatuationGoing NativeGoing Native