9.4 Develop Team

Description: it is the process of improving competencies, team member interaction, and the overall team environment to enhance project performance. Project manager skills:

• Identify,
• Build,
• Maintain,
• Motivate,
• Lead,
• Inspire

Developing effective project teams is one of the primary responsibilities of the project manager. To employ:

• Using open and effective communication,
• Creating team-building opportunities,
• Developing trust among team members,
• Managing conflicts in a constructive manner,
• Encouraging collaborative problem solving, and
• Encouraging collaborative decision making.

Objectives:

• Improving the knowledge and skills of team members to increase their ability to complete project deliverables, while lowering costs, reducing schedules, and improving quality;
• Improving feelings of trust and agreement among team members to raise morale, lower conflict, and increase teamwork;
• Creating a dynamic, cohesive, and collaborative team culture to:
  • Improve individual and team productivity, team spirit, and cooperation; and
  • Allow cross-training and mentoring between team members to share knowledge and expertise; and
• Empowering the team to participate in decision making and take ownership of the provided solutions to improve team productivity for more effective and efficient results.

Tuckman ladder of team development:

1. Forming. Team members meet and learn about the project and their formal roles and responsibilities. Team members tend to be independent and not as open in this phase.
2. Storming. The team begins to address the project work, technical decisions, and the project management approach. If team members are not collaborative or open to differing ideas and perspectives, the environment can become counterproductive.
3. Norming. The team members begin to work together and adjust their work habits and behaviors to support the team. The team members learn to trust each other.
4. Performing. Team functions as a well organized unit. They are interdependent and work through issues smoothly and effectively.
5. Adjourning. In this phase, the team completes the work and moves on from the project.

Key benefit: the process results in improved teamwork, enhanced interpersonal skills and competencies, motivated employees, reduced attrition, improved overall project performance.

Frequency: performed throughout the project.

Process / Asset Group	Input	The process	Output	Process / Asset group
Project Management Plan	Resource management plan	9.4 Develop Team	Team performance assessments	9.5 Manage Team
Project Documents	Lesson learned register		Change requests	4.6 Perform Integrated Change Control
	Project Schedule		Resource management plan	Project Management Plan
	Project team assignment		Lesson learned register	Project Documents
	Resource calendars		Project schedule
	Team charter		Project team assignments
Enterprise / Organizationa	Enterprise environmental factors		Resource calendars
	Organizational process assets		Team charter
			Enterprise environmental factors	Enterprise / Organization
			Organizational process assets

9.4.1 Inputs

9.4.1.1 Project Management Plan

Resource management plan: guidance on providing project team member rewards, feedback, additional training, and disciplinary actions. It may include also the team performance assessment criteria.

9.4.1.2 Project Documents

• Lesson learned register.
• Project schedule. It defines how and when to provide training to the project team and develop the competencies required at different phases. It identifies the need for team development strategies based on variations, if any, during the project execution.
• Project team assignments. Roles and responsibilities.
• Resource calendars. Times when the project team members can participate in team development activities.
• Team charter. Where the team operating guidelines are documented. The team values and operating guidelines provide the structure that describes how the team will operate together.

9.4.1.3 Enterprise Environmental Factors

• Human resource management policies regarding hiring and termination, employee performance reviews, employee development and training records, and recognition and rewards;
• Team member skills, competencies, and specialized knowledge; and
• Geographic distribution of team members.

9.4.1.4 Organizational Process Assets

• Historical information and
• The lessons learned repository.

9.4.2 Tools and Techniques

9.4.2.1 Colocation

Colocation involves placing many or all of the most active project team members in the same physical location to enhance their ability to perform as a team. Colocation can be temporary, such as at strategically important times during the project, or can continue for the entire project. Colocation strategies can include a team meeting room, common places to post schedules, and other conveniences that enhance communication and a sense of community.

9.4.2.2 Virtual Teams

9.4.2.3 Communication Technologies

• Shared portal. A shared repository for information sharing (e.g., website, collaboration software or intranet) is effective for virtual project teams.
• Video conferencing. Video conferencing is an important technique for effective communication with virtual teams.
• Audio conferencing. Communication within a team using audio conferencing is another technique to build rapport and confidence within virtual teams.
• Email/chat. Regular communications using email and chat is also an effective technique.

9.4.2.4 Interpersonal and Team Skills

• Conflict management. Timely and constructive.
• Influencing.
• Motivation. A reason for someone to act.
• Negotiation.
• Team building.

9.4.2.5 Recognition and Rewards

The original plan for rewarding people is developed during the Plan Resource Management process. Rewards will be effective only if they satisfy a need that is valued by that individual. Reward decisions are made, formally or informally, during the process of managing the project team. Cultural differences should be considered when determining recognition and rewards.

People are motivated when they feel they are valued in the organization and this value is demonstrated by the rewards given to them. Generally, money is viewed as a tangible aspect of any reward system, but intangible rewards could be equally or even more effective. Most project team members are motivated by an opportunity to grow, accomplish, be appreciated, and apply their professional skills to meet new challenges. A good strategy for project managers is to give the team recognition throughout the life cycle of the project rather than waiting until the project is completed.

9.4.2.6 Training

Activities designed to enhance the competencies of the project team members. Training can be formal or informal. Examples of training methods include classroom, online, computer-based, on-the-job training from another project team member, mentoring, and coaching. Scheduled training takes place as stated in the resource management plan. Unplanned training takes place as a result of observation, conversation, and project performance appraisals conducted during management of the project team. Training costs could be included in the project budget or supported by the performing organization if the added skills may be useful for future projects.

9.4.2.7 Individual and Team Assessments

Attitudinal surveys, specific assessments, structured interviews, ability tests, and focus groups.

9.4.2.8 Meetings

Used to discuss and address pertinent topics for developing the team.

• Project orientation meetings,
• Team-building meetings, and
• Team development meetings.

9.4.3 Outputs

9.4.3.1 Team Performance Assessments

Indicators:

• Improvements in skills that allow individuals to perform assignments more effectively,
• Improvements in competencies that help team members perform better as a team,
• Reduced staff turnover rate, and
• Increased team cohesiveness where team members share information and experiences openly and help each other to improve the overall project performance.

Identification of the specific training, coaching, mentoring, assistance, or changes required to improve the team's performance. This should also include identifying the appropriate or required resources necessary to achieve and implement the improvements identified in the assessment.

9.4.3.2 Change Requests

As a result of carrying out the Develop Team process or if recommended corrective or preventive actions.

9.4.3.3 Project Management Plan Updates

Resource management plan.

9.4.3.4 Project Documents Updates

• Lessons learned register.
• Project schedule.
• Project team assignments.
• Resource calendars.
• Team charter.

9.4.3.5 Enterprise Environmental Factors Updates

• Employee development plan records, and
• Skill assessments.

9.4.3.6 Organizational Process Assets Updates

• Training requirements, and
• Personnel assessment.