Project

Management
Managing Project Teams

Submitted by
Adeel Ahmed Khan CIIT/DDP-SP11-BBA-001/LHR
Muhammad Kashif CIIT/DDP-SP11-BBA-008/LHR
Shanza Haider CIIT/DDP-SP11-BBA-030/LHR

Assignment on:
Project team management with relation to the team's identity, and the
factors that may encourage them to positively contribute to a project
success.
Introduction:
Anyone who has slightest of ideas about how various organizations pursue
most of their activities in todays world would be quite familiar with the
basics of what project is. In simple words a project is a planned set of
interrelated tasks and activities that are to be executed over a fixed
period of time and that too within a certain cost and other limitations.
Most of the projects today are carried in the form of teams. These teams
are normally formed while ensuring representation from various project
relevant departments and those with various relevant expertises. Thus a
typical project team comprises of members who are from different
departments or groups and are assigned the responsibility of carrying out
related activities that will allow them to complete a project. Success of
project relies heavily on careful considerations that have been made in
selecting the team members. Well thought out and properly planned
teams have often resulted in positive synergies thus adding up the efforts
of all its members to give an output that is far more than what could have
been achieved if these members would have worked independently. On
the other hand poorly established teams have resulted in creation of
negative synergies which have ultimately resulted in project failures and
even organizational failures.
Therefore if we are to turn any project into a success than it is very
important to not only ensure establishment of effective teams. However,
only constituting these projects in an effective manner with top
performing and capable team members is not just enough. In fact more
important is to manage these teams in an effective manner as even a
project team comprising of ordinary folks if managed properly can make

miracles happen while on the other hand, the one with top class members
but poorly managed can result into massive failures.
Taking into account the introductory discussion presented above, we will
now first discuss effective team development and then we will move on to
the topic of project team management. Later we will discuss establishing
teams identity while also covering the factors that motivates the team
members to work effectively for the projects success.
Project Team Management:
Managing project teams is not an easy task however if done efficiently
and

effectively

results

in

success

of

the

project.

Project

Team

management starts with the development of project teams. One of the

most commonly known model of effective team formation is often stated
when we talk about team development for the project.

This team

development model comprises of five steps which are as under:

1. Forming: The first stage of team development comprises of
activities that are based on motive of getting acquainted with the
other members of the team. Effectively managing this stage will
ensure that the team members are not only able to establish
linkages with each other but are also able to understand the scope
of the project. Formation of ground rules (in terms of project
performance expectations and interpersonal relations) are also a
part of this stage. With the completion of this stage one can expect
the project team members to think of themselves as part of a group.
2. Storming: After the forming stage, members often find themselves
in a state of internal conflict. At this stage, members often resist the
constraints that the project and the group put on their individuality.
Similarly members show resistance towards the project managers
authority. However, with the passage of time these conflicts are
resolved and the project managers leadership role becomes
acceptable.

3. Norming: The norming stage is the real stage where close relations
and affiliations are developed and the group starts portraying
cohesiveness.

Project

team

members

start

taking

shared

responsibility for the project. By the end of this stage members

establish a common set of expectations about how members should
work together.
4. Performing: At this stage, the team operating structures are fully
functional and accepted. Group energy gets at a level where people
are more concerned about how they will work together for
5.

accomplishing the project goals.

Adjourning: In case of conventional work groups performing is the
last stage of their development. Whereas in project teams the
completion phase is the last stage and during this stage the team
prepares for adjournment. At this stage instead of high performance,
wrapping up the project is the priority.

This model suggests the development of project teams and thus allows
the project manager as well as the projects team members to understand
and accept the rifts and tensions of the project team development phases
and how to overcome any negative effects of the team development
process.
When it comes to developing an effective project team, you have to start
by choosing the best people for the job. This sounds obvious, but
determining the best candidates isn't always straightforward. Many
factors concerning potential members have to be considered, including
factors such as:

The skills required of them to complete project tasks.

Their level of influence in the organization.

Their access to a network of other resources.

Their capacity to participate effectively.

Their ability to work well in a team environment.

Pulling together a group of strong, results-oriented individuals for your

project team is part science, part art. It is important to make sound
decisions about who will perform well on your project team and who might
be better suited to other opportunities. Project managers must rely on
their own and their sponsor's networks and organizational knowledge to
make sound choices for the project.
Sometimes, project managers don't have the luxury of choosing team
members. Resources may be assigned to the project team. If this is your
situation, it is vital that you take extra care to establish a relationship with
your team members before the team begins to meet as a group.
Otherwise, they may not feel connected to the rest of the project team or,
worse, may feel put upon and lack any commitment to the project.
In managing a project team, a Project Manager needs to possess excellent
analytical and organizational skills. A technical proficiency in the specialist
area of their project is also a distinct advantage. Remember, though, that
projects achieve their outcomes through people a variety of people
working together in a coordinated way to produce the desired results.
Part-time project teams:
In most cases, the project team is a part-time work team. Team members
have other work responsibilities and dedicate only a portion of their time
to your project. They may not directly report to project managers, but
instead to a functional manager in their department. Part-time project
team members are constantly juggling the demands of their project
managers and functional managers. It is project managers role to work
with his team members' functional managers to prevent conflicts. This
agreement must be established up-front, before the project team begins
its work. While it may feel awkward or overly formal, project managers
must get commitments from team members' functional managers in
writing. This won't guarantee that people won't get pulled away to do

other tasks, but at least he will have a written document to fall back on
should it be necessary to hold a manager accountable to the commitment.
Roles and responsibilities:
Whether the project team is composed of part-time or full-time members,
defining the responsibilities and role of each member type (such as
technical lead, business process owner, and subject-matter expert) is
critical. The project manager should draft the roles and responsibilities
and use these definitions when discussing resource needs with functional
managers. He should also discuss and agree to these definitions with his
team members.
Project manager can build a foundation for successful performance before
the project kickoff meeting by working individually with the team
members. Often team members will share different information when
talking with him one-on-one than they will in front of a group. He should
take advantage of the time before the kickoff meeting to discuss any
concerns or assumptions made by individual team members. When work
on the project begins, he can continue to build on this foundation by
drawing on the relationships he established.
Establishing a Team Identity:
As can be easily interpreted from our previous discussion, one of the
major challenges project managers often face in building a team is the
lack of full-time involvement of team members. Many team members
work on different phases of the project while also spending majority of
their time and energy on some other task. Similarly many members are
simultaneously members of many other teams. This all leads to a situation
where they are often not interested in associating their allegiance to any
one team. Project managers in such situations have a huge role to play for
ensuring establishment of team identity. Creating a team identity can help
project managers manage their project. But often, the people project
managers collect to work on their project dont know one another. He can

use the tips provided below to help his project participants coalesce into a
team. Committing to work with others to achieve a common goal
encourages people to overcome problems they may encounter along the
way. The following tips can help clarify his teams purpose and encourage
team members to support one another as they work together to achieve
it:

Clarify team vision and working relationships: As soon as project

manager has a team, he should work with the team members to
develop a project mission that members can understand and support.
He must give people an opportunity to become familiar with each
others work styles.

Define team procedures: Project manager must encourage team to

develop its own work procedures instead of allowing people to use the
approaches of their respective functional groups.

Clarify each persons authority: Team members may have to

represent their functional areas when making project decisions. Clarify
each team members level of independent authority to make such
decisions, and determine who outside the team can make any decisions
that are beyond the purview of the team member.

Be aware of and attend to your teams functioning: Help

people

establish

comfortable

and

productive

interpersonal

relationships. Continue to support these relationships throughout the

project.

Be sure one person is assigned the role of project manager

with overall coordinative responsibilities: The project manager
continually reminds team members of the overarching project goals
and focuses their attention on how they influence and affect each
others work.

In addition to this following methods can also be used for establishing

team identity:

Making effective use of meetings: Project team meetings on

periodic basis provide an important forum for communicating
project information. These meetings at the same time can be used
for establishing concrete team identity. During such meetings team
members often witness that they are not working alone and are a
part of a bigger team. The start realizing that the project success
depends on the collective efforts of all the team members. Thus this
allows defining of team membership while also reinforcing a

collective identity.
Co-location of team members: The best possible way to create
team identity is to make project team members work together in a
common space. Though this is not possible in all organizations set

ups but if possible can be an easy source of creating team identity.

Creation of project team name: This is also considered as a

common source for making a team look more tangible.

Get the team to build or do something early on.
Team rituals: Project level rituals can contribute to a unique team
identity. These rituals have also appeared to be a source for creating
team identity.

Merely assigning people to tasks doesnt create a project team. Any good
project manager knows that a team is a collection of people who are
committed to common goals and who depend on one another to do their
jobs. Project teams consist of members who can and must make a
valuable and unique contribution to the project.
As soon as project manager identifies his project team members, he must
take steps to define and establish his teams identity as well as its
operating practices. Develop the following elements, making sure your
team understands and accepts them:

Goals: What the team as a whole and members individually hope to

accomplish
Roles: Each members areas of specialty, position on the team,

authority, and assignments

Processes: The techniques that team members will use to perform

their project tasks

Relationships: The attitudes and behaviours of team members
toward one another

As soon as people join the team, have them review the approved project
plan to reinforce the projects goals, clarify the work planned, confirm the
feasibility of time and resource estimates, and identify any potential
problems. Meet as a group to discuss peoples thoughts and reactions,
after theyve reviewed the plan.
Team members who contributed to the proposal can remind themselves of
the projects background and purpose, their planned roles, and the work
to be done. They can also identify situations and circumstances that may
have changed since the proposal was prepared and then review and
reassess project risks and risk-management plans.
New team members can understand the projects background and
purpose, find out about their roles and assignments, raise concerns about
time frames and budgets, and identify issues that may affect the projects
success.
Team members commit to a project when they believe their participation
can help them achieve worthwhile professional and personal goals. Help
team members develop and buy into a shared sense of the project goals
by doing the following:

Discuss the reasons for the project, its supporters, and the impact of

its results
Clarify how the results may benefit your organizations clients.
Emphasize how the results may support your organizations growth
and viability.

Explore how the results may impact each team members job.

Encourage people to think about how their participation may help them
achieve personal goals, such as acquiring new skills and knowledge,
meeting new people, increasing their visibility in the organization, and
enhancing their opportunities for job advancement. Obviously, projects
arent only about helping team members achieve personal benefits.
However, when team members can realize personal benefits while
performing valued services for the organization, the members motivation
and commitment to project success will be greater.
Factors that Motivate Employees to Contribute Positively to a Project
Success:
Motivation plays a key role in effective teams. A team lead must celebrate
successes along the way to maintain high levels of motivation and
camaraderie. Motivation has been shown to be one of the strongest
factors that determine team effectiveness according to a recent global
survey by the Project Management Institute of 120 project professionals
that included team members and project, program, and portfolio
managers.

The

survey

found

that

two-thirds

of

the

respondents

commented that team motivation was high at the beginning of project

versus the one-third at the end of the project. Additional data gleaned
from this survey found that intrinsic motivation, such as working for a
cause, was much more powerful than external motivation, such as a
financial incentive. A team lead should be aware of intrinsic motivation
drivers and shifting motivation trends throughout the project life cycle. As
the team lead, you must maintain a high level of motivation in order to be
successful. That includes providing public or private praise when
warranted, giving on-the-spot awards, sharing praise from stakeholders, or
providing something as simple as a cake to celebrate a milestone or a
task well done.

The following factors encourage a person to become and remain

motivated to achieve a goal:

Desirability: The value of achieving the goal.

Feasibility: The likelihood that a goal can be achieved.
Progress: Accomplishments in regards to achieve the goal.
Reward: The payoff when the goal is being reached.

When the project meets peoples professional and personal needs in each
of these four areas, it strengthens their commitment to the projects
success. Following are some tips to help motivate a project team:
Increase commitment by clarifying the projects benefits:
Although some people commit to completing an assignment because
someone tells them to do so, there is a much more serious commitment
when a person recognizes and appreciates a projects benefits. When
discussing the projects benefits with the team, consider those benefits
that are most important to the organization, its employees, and its clients.
Encourage persistence by demonstrating project feasibility:
A project is feasible if its possible to accomplish. No matter how desirable
may feel a project is, if the team is convinced that nothing they do can
lead to its success, theyll give up more easily when they encounter the
slightest of difficulties. They dont need a guarantee of success, but they
must believe that they have a reasonable chance at it.
Let people know how theyre doing:
Getting the team members to appreciate projects value and feasibility
helps the organization to motivate them initially. However, if the project
lasts longer than a couple of weeks, the teams initial motivation can die
out without continual reinforcement from the managers.
Provide rewards for work well done:

Rewarding

people

at

projects

conclusion

for

their

effort

and

accomplishments confirms to them that they accomplished the desired

results and met the audiences needs. It also reassures them that team
members and managers recognize and appreciate their contributions. This
recognition, in turn, makes it more likely that theyll welcome the
opportunity to participate in future projects.
Give Everyone a Chance to Speak:
Some team members are naturally assertive and self-confident, while
others are naturally shy and quiet. An assertive and self-confident person
does not necessarily have better ideas than a shy and quiet person, but
assertive people are a lot more likely to be heard and to have their ideas
acted upon. To get the best out of your quieter team members, structure
your meetings so that everyone has an equal opportunity to speak. Give
people time to fully articulate their ideas. Try to assess each suggestion as
objectively as possible based on the idea itself and not the personality of
the team member proposing it. If you don't like a suggestion or choose not
to make use of it, don't criticize it too severely. A shy team member may
take strong criticism as a rejection and may avoid making suggestions in
the future.
Size Matters:
A recent article in the Harvard Business Review by L. Gratton and T.J.
Erickson on team collaboration found that some of the characteristics
previously listed are as crucial to team success can also undermine a
team, depending on the teams size. Therefore, as the number of team
members grows, the number of other talents they brought to the table
because they each had different backgrounds. Some were visionaries and
big-picture thinkers, some were great data crunchers, some were good at
seeing relationships, some excelled at displaying data, some could convey
our analysis process in a simple manner, and others were excellent
presenters. At times, leadership roles are shared throughout the project,

particularly when a task aligned with a members strength. Encourage this

type of behaviour by creating a positive, non-judgmental atmosphere that
allowed members to contribute in their subject matter area and to
exercise their other talents in other areas. In order to build a positive
environment, consider taking an initial inventory at the beginning of the
project to query team members on their strengths and weaknesses and
how they feel they can best contribute to the project. Figure out what
members like to do and what they dont like to do and then assign roles
and responsibilities based on the feedback. And be alert during the course
of the project in order to identify hidden talents. You must have a clear
and compact vision for your team. That fact, coupled with other process
losses, can lead one to understand how actual productivity can decrease
as team size increases. Furthermore, the data from this study indicated
that for large teams, the greater the diversity, the less likely the team
members were to share knowledge. The data also suggested that the
greater the proportion of highly educated specialists on a team, the more
likely the team was to have unproductive conflicts. And finally, their
research found that as teams became more virtual, the collaboration
decreased.
Role of Senior Leaders:
One of the key takeaways from this study was that building large teams
requires senior leaders to play a significant role in ensuring effective
organizational constructs and methods are in place, defining the ways
teams are formed and managed. In order to be successful with larger
teams, a team lead must have strong organizational support and
constructs. Keep the team small if there is a possibility preferably fewer
than 20 members. If there is or its not feasible in relation to the project or
task, then ensure high-level leadership engagement with clearly defined
tasks, timelines, and benchmarks.
Be a Good Example:

Model

the

behaviours

you

expect

from

your

team

members.

Enthusiastically contribute to all aspects of the project. Keep your attitude

positive and your motivation levels high. Don't say anything negative or
damaging to morale. Contribute new ideas and solutions, listen to the
ideas and suggestions of your team members and make it clear that
you're always available to help work through any problems. Use praise
more than criticism and leave room for relaxation and fun. Taking your
team members out for lunch or some other social event sends the
message that you value their efforts and builds a cohesive group. Team
members look to the project manager to set the tone for the entire
project, so all your words and actions need to contribute to the project's
success.

Seek Feedback:
Feedback should be solicited throughout the project and not just at the
end. Waiting until the project is complete to obtain feedback translates to
missed opportunities to improve team performance. It is crucial that the
team lead seek feedback from team members and incorporate that
feedback into the daily functioning of the team.

Team leads should

encourage this type of feedback and be open-minded to constructive

criticism. Do not hesitate to correct confusion or miscommunications;
implement positive changes rapidly.
Motivating Team Members with the help of Rewards:
Getting your team members to appreciate your projects value and
feasibility helps you motivate them initially. However, if the project lasts
longer than a couple of weeks, the teams initial motivation can die out
without continual reinforcement from you.
In general, people working on a particular task need to know how theyre
doing over time for three reasons:

Achieving intermediate milestones provides personal satisfaction.

Recognizing their successes confirms theyre on the right track.
Successfully completing intermediate steps reinforces their belief
that they can accomplish the final goals.

Have you ever seen a 12-month project in which all the major milestones
occurred in months 11 and 12? When do you think people got serious
about this project? Months 10, 11, and 12 (if they were still around by
then)! Obviously, you want your team members to stay interested and
motivated throughout the life of your project, not just at its climax.
Do the following to help keep people on track and excited about your
project:

Establish meaningful and frequent intermediate milestones.

Continually assess how people are doing.
Frequently share information with people about their performance.
Continually reinforce the projects potential benefits.

Rewarding

people

at

projects

conclusion

for

their

effort

and

accomplishments confirms to them that they accomplished the desired

results and met the audiences needs. It also reassures them that team
members and managers recognize and appreciate their contributions. This
recognition, in turn, makes it more likely that theyll welcome the
opportunity to participate in future projects.
Post-project rewards can take several forms, including the following:

You talk with the person and express your appreciation for her help.
You express your appreciation in a written note or e-mail to the

person.
You express your appreciation in writing to the persons supervisor.
You formally submit input to the persons performance appraisal.
You nominate the person for a future assignment he particularly

wants.
You nominate the person for a cash award.
You issue the person a certificate of appreciation.
You take the person out to lunch.

Rather than guessing which form of reward your team members will
appreciate most, ask each of them directly.
To make the rewards you offer the most effective, do the following:

Be sure your acknowledgment and appreciation is honest and

sincere.
Note the specific contribution the reward recognizes.
Respect the persons personal style and preferences when giving
the reward:
o Some people enjoy receiving acknowledgements in front of
their co-workers, while others prefer receiving them in private.
o Some people appreciate receiving an individual award; others
appreciate receiving an award presented to the entire team.

Conclusion:
For effectively managing any project team the project manager will need
to pay attention to his general leadership and management skills. Some of
the skill areas that he will need to pay attention to are:

Clarifying project team member roles.

Setting team and individual goals
Monitoring and measuring team and individual performance.
Feeding back team and individual performance.
Resolving conflicts between team members constructively.
Delegating responsibilities and tasks.
Motivating using a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards.
Developing the skills of team members.
Coaching team members.

Effective teams are so much more productive than groups working on the
same task because they are able to leverage off each others' strengths
and compensate for each others' weaknesses. Making sure that you have
the right mix of team members in your project team is therefore an

important consideration. Conducting a team profiling exercise is also an

effective method for getting each project team member to appreciate
their respective strengths and weaknesses.
In order to check that whether one team is ready for success the project
manager must ask himself these questions:

Are the right people on his team? Does he have an agreement from
functional managers to dedicate the necessary resources to his
project?

Has he set the goals and objective of the team? Are they clear to
everyone? Is there commitment from all team members to meet
them? Are any goals in conflict with one another?

Are team roles clearly defined and accepted? Does everyone know
what is expected of them? Do roles overlap or conflict?

Has he established procedures that team members can follow to

work effectively together, such as a team operating agreement?

Are there influences outside the team that may affect performance,
and if so, has he identified and addressed them?

Here are some final considerations regarding the general characteristics of

effective project teams:

There is a team identity, or esprit de corps, and a sense of pride.

Team members support each other.

There is an emphasis on solving problems rather than figuring out

where to lay the blame.

Team members and the project manager understand their roles and
are committed to fulfilling them.

Team members are involved in setting expectations.

The appropriate skills and levels of authority are represented on the

team.

Decisions are made by consensus, and there is a defined plan for

escalation and decision-making if consensus can't be reached.

Team members listen well and participate in discussions.

There is tolerance for conflict, and conflicts are openly and honestly
discussed.

All in all, a strong team foundation backed by strong identity of the team
will make considerable contribution towards the success of the project and
is thus very necessary for starting to work on the project.

References
http://www.copperproject.com/blog/2012/06/19/five-factors-that-lead-tosuccessful-projects/
http://www.brighthubpm.com/monitoring-projects/62415-seven-factors-ofeffective-team-performance/

http://www.phcprojects.com.au/project-management-critical-successfactors/
http://www.martinbauer.com/Articles/How-to-Plan-a-CMS-Project/ProjectSuccess-Factors
http://www.cooper.com/journal/2008/11/habits_of_effective_teams
http://www.projects.uts.edu.au/stepbystep/implementing1.html
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-essentials-of-managing-aproject-team.html
http://www.businessperform.com/projectmanagement/project_team_management.html
https://www.scribd.com/search-documents?
escape=false&page=2&query=Project+Teams
https://www.scribd.com/doc/52282283/Managing-Project-Teams
https://www.scribd.com/doc/87011439/Build-Effective-Project-Teams
https://www.scribd.com/doc/142961695/Project-Teams
https://www.scribd.com/doc/202040353/Project-Teams
https://www.scribd.com/doc/211435996/Building-Effective-Project-Teams