Project Management Chapter 8 Project Resource Management Team

Project Management Chapter 8 Project Resource Management Team Building & Team Development Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Project resource management Team building and team development Who knows the difference? Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Team building and team development Team building • retroactive • focuses on solving problems relating to team members in the short term • short duration Team development • pro-active • focuses on the ongoing achievement of targets (positive motivation) • for the duration of the project Team building is part of team development Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Stages in team development • Like in a personal relationship, teams have to grow through different stages of development before they become effective • The following stages have been identified: – – – forming: of a team identity storming: where individual evaluate their initial expectations; possible dissatisfaction norming: rules and standards are set performing: high commitment and job satisfaction. Team functions effectively. adjourning: closure/disbandment of team. Possibly insecurity about the future. Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Stages in team development Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012 Bruce Tuckman

Forming • Takes place in the first stages of team building • Team meets and learns about the opportunity & challenges, agrees on goals and begins to tackle the tasks • Team members tend to behave quite independently • They may be motivated but are usually relatively uninformed of the issues and objectives of the team • Team members are usually on their best behavior but very focused on self • Mature team members begin to model appropriate behaviour • Sharing the knowledge of the concept of "Teams - Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjounring" is extremely helpful to the team • Supervisors of the team during this phase tend to need to be directive. Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Storming • Different ideas compete for consideration • Team addresses issues such as what problems they are really supposed to solve, how they will function independently and together and what leadership model they will accept • Team members open up/confront each other's ideas and perspectives. • In some cases storming can be resolved quickly. In others, the team never leaves this stage. • The maturity of some team members usually determines whether the team will ever move out of this stage. Immature team members will begin acting up to demonstrate how much they know and convince others that their ideas are correct • Some team members will focus on minutiae to evade real issues Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Storming is necessary to the growth of the team It can be contentious, unpleasant and even painful to members of the team who are averse to conflict Tolerance of each team member and their differences needs to be emphasized. Without tolerance and patience the team will fail This phase can become destructive to the team and will lower motivation if allowed to get out of control. Supervisors of the team during this phase may be more accessible but tend to still need to be directive in their guidance of decision-making and professional behaviour Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Norming Team members adjust behaviour to each other as they develop work habits that make teamwork more fluid Team members agree on rules, values, professional behavior, shared methods, working tools and even taboos and begin to trust each other. Motivation increases. Teams in this phase may lose their creativity if the norming behaviours become too strong and begin to stifle healthy dissent and the team begins to exhibit groupthink Supervisors of the team during this phase tend to be participative more than in the earlier stages. Team members take more responsibility for making decisions and for their professional behaviour. Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Performing • Team members have become interdependent • They are now motivated and knowledgeable. • The team members are now competent, autonomous and able to handle the decision-making process without supervision. • Supervisors of the team during this phase are almost always participative. • The team will make most of the necessary decisions. • Even the most high-performing teams will revert to earlier stages in certain circumstances. Many long-standing teams will go through these cycles many times as they react to changing circumstances. For example, a change in leadership may cause the team to revert to storming as the new people challenge the existing norms and dynamics of the team. Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Adjourning Tuckman later added a fifth phase, adjourning Involves completing the task and breaking up the team Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Team Development Inputs 1. Project staff 2. Staffing mgt plan 3. Project plan 4. Performance report 5. External feedback from stakeholders Tools & techniques 1. Team building 2. Mgt skills 3. Reward & Recognition 4. Co-location 5. Training Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012 Outputs 1. Team performance improvement 2. Individual performance improvement 3. Input to performance appraisals

Barriers to Team development The main barriers have been identified to be: • differing outlooks, priorities and interests • role conflicts • unclear project outcomes and objectives • dynamic project environments • competition over team leadership • lack of team definition and structure • team personnel selection • credibility of project leader • lack of team member commitment • communication problems • lack of top management support Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Team Effectiveness • Project success requires an effective project team, which can be identified by having the following characteristics: – a clear understanding of project objectives – clear expectations of each team member’s role and responsibilities – a result orientation – a high degree of co-operation and collaboration – a high level of trust Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Size of Team • • • It is difficult to suggest the correct size that a project team should be Big teams obviously have all the disadvantages of big organisation like long channels of communication and authority, lack of control The size of the team depends on the complexity and number of deliverables of the project Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Team Effectiveness Review (TER) • • • Periodic team effectiveness review meetings can improve team effectiveness and productivity During these meetings team members effectiveness, progress in general, problem areas solving, planning of project phases and identification of priorities and the team’s general functioning are discussed. The aim of TER is to improve the effectiveness of the project team and to work at reducing those aspects, which if left unattended, could cause team productivity and performance to decrease. Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Role of Project Manager • The project manager has to apply the four basic functions of management: – – manager planning the project (with his team) organising the human and other resources leading a team with different backgrounds controlling: actual performance vs budgets Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Role of Project Manager In order to achieve these functions, the project has to be a – Co-ordinator – Communicator – Leader – Decision maker – Delegator – Technical expert – Motivator – Negotiator – Mediator (conflicts) – Problem solver. Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012

Role of Team Members As an expert in the subject matter As a team member playing a role in the team Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012 As a role model

Belbin Team Roles BELBIN Team-Role Type Contributions Allowable Weaknesses Plant Creative, imaginative, unorthodox. Solves difficult problems. Ignores incidentals. Too pre-occupied to communicate effectively. Coordinator Mature, confident, a good chairperson. Clarifies goals, promotes decision-making, delegates well. Can often be seen as manipulative. Off loads personal work. Monitor evaluator Sober, strategic and discerning. Sees all options. Judges accurately. Lacks drive and ability to inspire others. Implementer Disciplined, reliable, conservative and efficient. Turns ideas into practical actions. Somewhat inflexible. Slow to respond to new possibilities. Completer finisher Painstaking, conscientious, anxious. Searches out errors and omissions. Delivers on time. Inclined to worry unduly. Reluctant to delegate. Resource investigator Extrovert, enthusiastic, communicative. Explores opportunities. Develops contacts. Over - optimistic. Loses interest once initial enthusiasm has passed. Shaper Challenging, dynamic, thrives on pressure. The drive and courage to overcome obstacles. Prone to provocation. Offends people's feelings. Co-operative, mild, perceptive and diplomatic. Listens, builds, averts friction. Indecisive in crunch situations. Team worker Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic Single-minded, self-starting, dedicated. Provides Specialist of Namibia, knowledge 2012 and skills in rare supply. Contributes only on a narrow front. Dwells on technicalities

Belbin Team Roles • Which are you? ? Dr. Jana Jagodick Polytechnic of Namibia, 2012