Human Factors in Project Management Session 5 team working issue 1

MSc Project Management

MANG6311: Team WorkingDr. Ian [email protected]

Session Objectives• To appreciate the nature and role of teams in project work

• To develop our appreciation of effective team working behaviours

• To reflect on our contribution to teams

Context:• Scientific Management

– Division of labour, repetitive, precisely measured

• Hawthorne studies– Effect of environment

• Do not work too hard• Do not take it too easy• Do not tell anybody anything …

• Japanese production teams– Foreman, detailed procedures, continuous

improvement (kaizen)

Sociotechnical teams

FlexibilityIntegrationKnowledge

TeamplayersCulturalcohesion

TeamleadershipDelegated

powersCitizenshi

p

Technical

Norm

ativ

e

Gov

ernan

ce

Marks et al (1997) cited in Linstead et al (2009) p. 549

Team working = an effective working group?

The Team Performance Curve

Katzenbach and Smith

Working group

High-performing

team

Real team

Potential team

Pseudo-team

Team effectiveness

Perf

orm

an

ce im

pact

Focusing on Team Basics

Katzenbach and Smith (1993)

Problem solving

Technical/function

Interpersonal

Mutual

Small number of people

Individual

Specific goals

Common approach

Meaningful purpose

Skill

s

Accountability

CommitmentCollective work products

Personal growth

Performance results

Group Vacuums

Structure: who has authority? Who will pay what role? What role will I play?

Emotional: how do I feel about the people in this group? How do they feel about me?

Knowledge: who has the key information, knowledge, skills & expertise?

Power: who controls the group? Who has influence? Who are potential allies / enemies?

Structure & Governance

Who has the power to direct resources, approve, release work?

Sources of Power

Physical Force Allies Position PersonalResources

Rational Ecology Procedures Magnetism

ExchangeForce

Methods of Influence

Team Roles

Source: http://www.loosetooth.com/Viscom/gf/belbin3.gifDownloaded 13th August 2014

Belbin Roles

Source: based on idea found on http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/mjose/entry/p3_working_in/

Team role Description Weaknesses

Allowable Not allowable

Plant Creative, imaginative, unorthodox. Solves difficult problems

Preoccupation with ideas and neglect of practical matter

Strong ‘ownership’ of idea when co-operation with others have yielded better results

Resource investigator

Extrovert, enthusiastic, communicative. Explores opportunities. Develops contacts

Loss of enthusiasm once initial excitement has passed

Letting clients down by neglecting to follow-up arrangements

Co-ordinator Mature, confident. A good chairperson. Clarifies goals, promotes decision-making, delegates well

An inclination to be lazy if someone else can be found to do the work

Taking credit for the effort of a team

Shaper Challenging, dynamic, thrives on pressure. Has the drive and courage to overcome obstacles

A proneness to frustration and irritation

Inability to recover with good humour or apology

Monitor/evaluator Sober, strategic and discerning. Sees all options. Judges accurately

Scepticism without logic Cynicism without logic

Team worker Co-operative, mild, perceptive and diplomatic. Listens, builds, averts friction. Calms the water

Indecision on crucial issues Avoiding situations that entail pressure

Implementer Disciplined, reliable, conservative and efficient. Turns ideas into practical action

Adherence to the orthodox and unproven

Obstructing a change

Completer/finisher Painstaking, conscientious, anxious. Searches out errors and omissions. Delivers on time

Perfectionism Obsessional behaviour

Specialist Single-minded, self-staring, dedicated. Provides knowledge and skill in rare supply

Acquiring knowledge for its own sake

Ignoring outside own area of competence

Belbin Roles

Source: based on idea found on http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/mjose/entry/p3_working_in/

Out of C

lass A

ctivit

y: In

dividual

Use th

is Role Q

uiz to eva

luate your p

refere

nce

http://w

ww.123test.co

m/team-ro

les-test/

Comment on how yo

u can deve

lop effective

working re

lationsh

ips with

other

role ty

pes

Team Formation (Tuckman)

Forming Storming

Norming Performing

Source: http://www.umich.edu/~scps/html/02chap/html/prof.htmDownloaded 14th August 2014

Source: http://www.catalystonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Catalyst_Desk_Ref.jpgDownloaded 14th August 2014

A typical diagram of team formation …

Failure

An alternative view …

Source: http://www.mgtaylor.com/index2.htmlDownloaded 14th August 2014

Helpful and unhelpful behaviours

Resources for future use

Team effectivene

ss

Perf

orm

an

ce im

pact

iwise2_word_questionnaore_-_team_effectiveness_v4.pdf

Microsoft Excel Worksheet

Team effectiveness briefing.pdf

Source: http://www.iwise2.com/team-effectivenessDownloaded 19th August 2014