chapter 6 copyright © 2010 pearson education, inc. publishing as prentice hall6-1

Chapter 6

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 6-1

1- Building the project team


Building the team



2- Effective Project TeamsClear Sense of Mission: the mission should be

mutually understood and accepted by all team members.

Productive Interdependency: it refers to the

degree of joint activity among team members required

in order to complete a project. The concept of

differentiation suggests that each individual brings

preconceived notions to the team. The

interdependencies refers to the degree of knowledge of

the team interrelated efforts.


Effective Project TeamsCohesiveness: refers to the degree of mutual

attraction that team members hold for one another

and their task.

Trust: for PM, trust refers to the team’s comfort

level with each individual member. Given the

comfort level, trust is manifested in the team’s

ability and willingness to squarely address

differences of opinion, values and attitudes and deal

with them accordingly.


Effective Project TeamsEnthusiasm: it is the catalyst for directing positive,

high energy toward project. It creates energy that drive

effective project efforts. It creates an environment that is: Challenging: it offers the opportunity of personal growth, new

learning and the ability to stretch professionally.

Supportive: PM members gain a sense of team spirit and group

identity : communication, problem solving…

Personally rewarding: PM become more enthusiastic as they

perceive personal benefits arising from project completion.

Results Orientation: outcomes are related toward the

same orientation.

3- Reasons why teams fail



3- Reasons Why Teams Fail1- Poorly developed or unclear goals

Unclear goals permit multiple interpretations.Unclear goals impede the willingness of team

members to work together,Unclear goals increase conflict.

2- Poorly defined project team roles & interdependencies.

Interdependencies: is a state where team members’ activities coordinate with and complement other team members’ work.

Unawareness of interdependencies leads to lose time.


3- Reasons Why Teams Fail3- Lack of project team motivation

The project is perceived as unnecessary.The project may have low priority.

4- Poor communicationCould be caused by: different orientations or

background, , uncertainty about the project structure and interdependencies…

Resolving poor communication by: standard information sharing, a frank atmosphere, and open exchanges.


3- Reasons Why Teams Fail5- Poor leadership

Refer to chapter 4.

6-Turnover among project team members

The higher the turnover among project team members, the more it

disrupts the project manager’s ability to create project team

cohesion.

The continual act of adding and removing personnel to project teams

causes problems with team learning and functionning.

New team members need time to get caught up with the project.


3- Reasons Why Teams Fail7-Dysfunctional behavior

It refers to disruptive acts of some project team

members due to: personality issues, hidden agendas

or interpersonal problems.

The solution calls for recognizing the members

involved and taking corrective steps.

A serious case may require to remove the

concerned team member.


4- Stages in Group Development

The process of group development is a dynamic

one.

Groups go through several maturation stages

that are identifiable.

The stages are: forming, storming, norming,

performing and adjourning.



1.1. Forming Forming – members become acquainted

1. Members get to know one another to mold into a

coherent project team.

2. They lay the basis for project and ground rules:

standards of behavior, communication channel…

2.2. Storming Storming – conflict begins

1. Conflict begins because team members begin to

resist authority.

2. Some hidden agendas, attempt to rewrite team

rules.



3. 3. Norming Norming – members reach agreement

1. Norm is an unwritten rule of behavior.

2. Members agree on operating procedures and

seek to work together and develop closer

relationships.

3. Members will commit to the project

development process.

4. 4. Performing Performing – members work together to accomplish

their tasks.



5. 5. AdjourningAdjourning – group disbands

1. Teams do not last forever.

2. At the completion of the project, team members

will disband to return to their functional duties in

the organization.

3. Members will commit to the project development

process.



Ponctuated EquilibriumPonctuated Equilibrium– Connie Gersick developed a model

for project team development. She suggests that:

1. Most teams develop a set of operating norms very

quickly.

2. These norms tend to guide group behavior and

performance for the project’s life.

3. Group will operate as a result of these norms until some

trigger event occurs, almost precisely at the halfway

point between the initial meeting and the project

deadline.

4. The trigger may be: dissatisfaction with the project

progress, interpersonal antagonisms or other external

force

Ponctuated EquilibriumPonctuated Equilibrium–


Project Timeline

Start Midpoint Deadline

TeamPerformance

High

Low

Eruption

Completion

FirstMeeting

Project Timeline

Start Midpoint Deadline

TeamPerformance

High

Low

Eruption

Completion

FirstMeeting


Team Development Stages1. Forming

2. Storming3. Norming

4. PerformingConveneAdjourn

Inclusion

Con

trolCooperation

Prod

uctiv

ity

Productive

Organized Infighting

Testing

Quiet Polite Guarded Impersonal Business-like High Morale

Establish procedures Develop team skills Confront issues Rebuild morale

Conflict over control Confrontational Alienation Personal agendas Low morale

Trust Flexible Supportive Confident Efficient High Morale


5- Achieving Cross-Functional Cooperation

Cross-functional cooperation

Task Outcomes

Psycho-Social

Outcomes

Rules & Procedures

Physical Proximity

Accessibility

Superordinate Goals


5- Achieving cross-functional coordination1.1. Superordinate goals Superordinate goals –

1. It can be “ to develop a high-quality, user friendly, and

generally useful system that will enhance the operations

of various departments and functions.

2. It provides a central objective and an overriding goal.

2.2. Rules and proceduresRules and procedures

1. They are essential because they offer a means for

coordinating or integrating activities that involve several

units.

2. Project-specific rules and procedures facilitate its

operations.


5- Achieving cross-functional coordination3. Physical proximity3. Physical proximity

1. Team members should be located within a physical spatial

distances that make it convenient to them to interact.

2. The more the team members are close, the more is their

cooperation and coordination.

4. Accessibility4. Accessibility

1. It is the perception that a person is approachable for

communicating and interacting with problems for project

success.

2. Inaccessibility occurs because of different work

schedules, varied duties and priorities, and commitment

to other agendas.


5- Achieving cross-functional coordination5. Outcomes of cooperation5. Outcomes of cooperation

1. Tasks outcomes: refer to the factors involved in

the the actual implementation of the project: time,

schedule and project functionality.

2. Psychosocial outcomes: represent the team

member’s assessment that the project experience

was worthwhile, satisfying and productive.


Building High-Performing Teams:3 practical steps PM can take to build high-performing teams: 11stst step: Make the project team step: Make the project team tangibletangible

PublicityTerminology & language

2nd step:2nd step: Reward Reward good behavior good behaviorFlexibilityCreativityPragmatism

33rdrd step: Develop a step: Develop a personal touchpersonal touchLead by examplePositive feedback for good performanceAccessibility & consistency


6- Virtual Project Teamsuse electronic media to link members of a geographically dispersed project team

How Can Virtual Teams Be Improved?Use face-to-face communication when possibleDon’t let team members disappear (get together via

videoconferencing, e-mail and internet connections)

Establish a code of conduct: get an agreement on types of information that need to be shared.

Keep everyone in the communication loop: awareness to keep the communication channels open.

Create a process for addressing conflict: PM should create a set of guidelines for allowing free expression or disagreement among team members.


7- Conflict ManagementConflict is a process that begins when you perceive that someone has frustrated or is about to frustrate a major concern of yours.

Categories• Goal-oriented

• Administrative

• Interpersonal

Views• Traditional

• Behavioral

• Interactionist


7- Conflict ManagementConflict is a process that begins when you perceive that someone has frustrated or is about to frustrate a major concern of yours.

Most types of conflict fit within 3 categories:

• Goal-oriented conflict: Goal-oriented conflict:

• associated with disagreements regarding results, scope outcomes, performance specifications,…

• It result from a poor or vague or incomplete perception of the goals that may allow the team members to make their own interpretations.

• Administrative conflict: Administrative conflict:

• Arises through management hierarchy, organizational structure or philosophy (authority and decisions).

• Interpersonal conflict: Interpersonal conflict:

• Arises from personality differences.

• It includes work ethics, behavioral styles, egos….


Sources of ConflictOrganizational

Reward systemsScarce resourcesUncertaintyDifferentiation

Interpersonal• Faulty attributions

• Faulty communication

• Personal grudges & prejudices


Conflict ResolutionMediate – Mediate – PM uses defusion or confrontation to find a solution.

Defusion: PM is less concerned with the source of

conflict than with a mutually accepted solution.

Confrontation: involves working with both parties to

get at the root causes of the conflict.

Arbitrate Arbitrate – PM must be willing to impose a judgment on the

warring parties. After listening to both parties, the PM renders his

decision which focuses on the judgment itself. Ex: wrong, right….


Conflict ResolutionControl – Control – Not all problems can be resolved. In some cases,

pragmatic response to conflict might give a cool down period. It is not a

cowardly response, but a selective way to choose the best manner PM

should intervene .

Accept Accept – some conflicts are unmanageable . We just live the conflict

as it is.

Eliminate –Eliminate – Sometimes the guilty member(s) should be transfer red

to stop the reason while of the conflict.

Conflict is often evidence of progress!


8- Negotiationa process that is predicated on a manager’s ability to use influence productively

Questions to Ask Prior to Entering a Negotiation

1. How much power do I have?2. What sort of time pressures are there?3. Do I trust my opponent?


Principled Negotiation1. Separate the people from the problem

2. Focus on interests, not positions

3. Invent options for mutual gain

4. Insist on using objective criteria

Getting to Yes – Fisher & Ury

chapter 6 copyright © 2010 pearson education, inc. publishing as prentice hall6-1

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