Structuring Project Teams and Building Cohesiveness

1. Structuring Project Teams and Building Cohesiveness Presentation by Gwen A. Little CEP 812 - 2/3/99

2. Characteristics of Project Teams • Definition: a team is a collection of individuals who work together to attain a goal. • Project team members • often borrowed - brief exposure to project effort • work on piece of project - when done move on to other projects • may not recognize they are part of a team -

3. Characteristics cont’d. • Therefore incapable of developing team spirit - project commitment

4. Team Efficiency vs. Inefficiency • Team Efficiency is defined as team performance that is actually achieved. • Ex: Team accomplishing a small portion of what it could - efficiency low Team achieving as much as possible efficiency is high

5. What causes team inefficiency? • Matrix Based Frictions • projects dependent on temporarily borrowed staff • lack of staff continuity • project manager’s lack of direct control over project staff and material resources

6. Inefficiency cont’d. • Poor communication - large amount of time spent sending and receiving messages • Information atherosclerosis - communication channels so clogged that important information has difficulty making it through • Garbled messages - messages passed along from one person to another get changed

7. Team Structure • ISOMORPHIC TEAM STRUCTURE Iso= equal or same Morph= form or shape Two things share the same structural appearance • Advantages • organization simple - accountability clear • parallel implementation of tasks

8. Structure Cont’d. • SPECIALTY TEAM STRUCTURE • Team members asked to apply their special expertise across a wide array of tasks • high levels of responsibility lack corresponding levels of authority • Deficiencies - figure 3.3 p. 94 • accountability diffuse • unequal distribution of work • work alone work may not be well integrated

9. Structure Cont’d. • Advantages • high degree of self management • expertise applied where appropriate • EGOLESS TEAM STRUCTURE • should be difficult to determine who produced what portion of the product • no obvious leader • decisions achieved through consensus

10. Structure Cont’d. • Project tasks reflect input of all team members • Encourages high levels of interactivity and communication among project members • Criticisms • doesn’t work because people have egos • those with talent want to make their contribution stand out

11. Structure cont’d. • Lack of leadership - team starts to drift • How can this work? • Team size must be small • Must work together continuously • SURGICAL TEAM STRUCTURE • All attention focuses on a single individual and his or her abilities

12. Structure cont’d. • Disadvantage • requires superlatively capable individual to play role of the surgeon • Surgical team approach most effective on design projects that entail large amounts of writing

13. Creating Team Identity • Make the team tangible • effective use of meetings • team members see they are not working alone • colocation of team members • members work together in a common space • War rooms - contain the most significant project documentation • create a team name

14. Building a Reward System • Letters of commendation • Public recognition for good work • Job assignments • Flexible work time • New equipment goes to best workers • Recommendation for cash awards and bonuses

15. Personal Touch • Be supportive (physical, psychological) • Be clear • Learn something about team members • Celebrate special occasions • Be accessible • enlist an open door policy