Is Your Team Really a Team?

 

Situation: You need to get people more in sync.

Recently, I interviewed Harlan Bridges on one of his chapter in Project Pain Reliever entitled, "My team isn't really a team". I asked him a few questions about how you get people to recognize the problem.  Then we dropped in a condensed version of the solution from the book. 

Dave:  In your experience, how do project managers find themselves in this situation?  What triggers the realization that they need help?

Harlan:  Project managers can find themselves in this position for many reasons. Some of these happen when:

• the team's purpose, it's reason for existence, is not clearly defined
• there is no team identity
• the team members do not agree on the goals and objectives
• the team members are not used to working as a team or with each other
• there is a lack of clear communication
• there is a lack of clear expectations 

Some obvious ways that people figure out that they are not on a cohesive team are:

• everyone working more as a group of individuals doing individual activities than as a coordinated team
• a lack of cohesion
• conflicts between team members
• unclear roles
• a lack of respect for each other or the Project Manager

Dave:  How do you help them connect what they perceive as their problem to the solution you outline in your Project Pain Reliever chapter?

Harlan:  I work with the PM to look for the warning signs of a lack of teamwork. If they are present and pervasive, there are ways to find root causes and solutions. 

I will ask questions such as these in an attempt to find out the root causes a lack of teamwork.

• Are the people on the team the "right" people?
• Do the team members have a clear and complete understanding of the goals and objectives of the team?
• How is communication being handled within the team?
• Is there an established team identity?
• Are conflicts work related or personal in nature?

Dave:  What skills will the Project Manager need to resolve this project problem?

Harlan:  The most important skills are those of observation, communication, and leadership. Practice observing the interactions of the team members. Look for signs of disrespect towards team members as well as tendencies to marginalize people or their contributions. Communication is key. The most important skill in communication is the ability to listen. The project manager most learn to deal with conflict effectively. Do not avoid conflict, but rather work to determine the cause of the conflict. Seeking advice of others who have a track record of successful team building is a good method for overcoming a skill gap. Course in leadership as well as self-learning activities can also be of help.

In some cases, the teams may be beyond help. It is possible that the team is so miss-matched that it will not function well. That is why getting the right people on the team is critical to success. I have had the misfortune of working with such a team. In spite of my best efforts, I had to replace one of the members of the team to end the turmoil. Though not my desired solution, it did solve the problem and my team became a successful team afterwards.

Dave:  How do you motivate them to action?

Harlan:  In these situations, projects are usually not meeting milestones or other expectations. It's a self-motivating situation. There is often a great deal of stress for all involved and the trick is painting a clear picture of the cost of failure.

This stress of belonging to a low-performing team by itself is usually a strong motivator to take action. The alternative is a vicious downward cycle which is untenable for all involved. 

So how do you build a strong team?

(excerpt from Project Pain Reliever)

As the project manager, you have the responsibility for developing and leading cohesive teams. Remember that you are not so much managing a project as leading a team of people who must come together to achieve the goals of the project. Often, people are part of a functional unit within the business and do not directly report to you. You will have to establish yourself as a leader and mold the individuals into a team. What can you do to create cohesive, successful teams?

First, you need to understand the characteristics of a successful team. Then you can create an environment that helps the team take on those characteristics. These characteristics include:

• The right people on the team
• Respect for every member of the team
• Well-defined roles and responsibilities
• Clear and honest communication
• Understood and agreed upon project goals
• Team ownership of project goals
• Team responsibility for the success of the project

What should I do?

As project manager, you need to start laying the foundation for effective teamwork by creating an environment where people can work together effectively.

Get the right people

In order to get the right people, you need to develop a resource plan. A resource plan requires that you identify and understand the work to be done, at least at a high level. This will identify the type of personnel required and will help you to recognize skills and abilities required to complete the work. Use the resource plan to begin identifying the resources for your team.

Effective teams require the right people. There are many factors to be considered when choosing team members, such as:

• Do they have the skills required to complete the work?
• Do they have the capacity to work on the project, and do they have the time?
• Do they have the ability to effectively work with others?
• What is their position within the organization, and do they have the right level of influence?
• Are they results oriented?

In most organizations, project team members are part-time teams. They usually have to split time between their regular job and project work. In order to reduce conflicts between their different responsibilities, work closely with the team member’s functional manager. Come to an agreement with the functional manager on terms such as availability, dealing with emergencies, and time away from their usual duties.

Create a team identity

Project team members are often from different functional areas or departments within the organization. They identify themselves as members of that organization and that team. A project requires them to leave their “home” team and play for someone else’s team. Who is that new team? If they do not know, it is difficult to feel loyal to, or a part of, a new team.

Once you have identified your team members and brought them together, begin creating a team identity. Involve the members in this. Here are some activities that can help:

• Choose a team name, perhaps the project name or a nickname.
• Develop a team logo.
• If budget allows, order team shirts or coffee mugs, etc.
• Announce the new team to the organization; be sure to list the team members.
• Create a project web site on the company intranet.

Once you have established the team identity, use it often. Refer to the team by the team’s new identity.

Develop a team operating agreement (TOA), aka team charter

Once you have determined your team identity, it’s time to create the team operating agreement (TOA) or team charter. Include the entire team in the development of the TOA to ensure that everyone buys into it and has ownership. The TOA provides the ground rules and guidelines the team will use to work together in an effective manner during the project. It can include anything the team believes must be addressed in order to work together. Some typical items included are:

• Team communication rules and expectations
• Decision making procedures
• What meetings will be held and ground rules for conducting meetings
• Roles and responsibilities
• Personal courtesies and how the team interacts with each other

Upon completion of the team operating agreement, every team member as well as the project manager should sign it indicating their agreement. The TOA is a living document and should be revised as needs arise.

Define project goals and objectives

The project goals and objectives are defined in the project charter. You have one, right? The project sponsor and the project manager usually jointly develop the project charter. They will work together to define the goals and objectives of the project, as well as the project success criteria. This document drives the scope of the project.

Use the project charter to help the team understand what is expected of them and of the project. As project manager, it is your responsibility to ensure the team has a clear understanding of project goals, objectives, and scope. Your team must know what success looks like in the eyes of the project sponsor. The project charter should also clarify how the project fits into the strategy of the organization. This will help the team understand the importance and relativity of the work they are doing.

Use leadership strategies

The most important aspect of team building is effective leadership from the project manager. The project manager is ultimately responsible for creating effective and successful teams. Some project managers are naturally charismatic, and people seem to want to do their best for them. Most of us do not have that gift. So how can the rest of us be effective leaders? Fortunately, although leadership entails many skills, these skills can be learned.

Practice effective communication

Become an effective communicator and always be honest in your dealings with the team. Learn to listen. Communication is your most effective tool in dealing with people. A simple rule is to tell your team everything about the project unless there is a valid reason for not doing so. Don’t manage with a “need to know” attitude but rather a “why shouldn’t they know” attitude.

Organize the team’s work in such a way that team members are mutually depen- dent and recognize it. This will produce a strong impetus for the group to become a team. Encourage a problem solving orientation in the team. Associate project suc- cess with teamwork and lack of teamwork with project failure.

Create rewards and recognition

Set up a system of rewards and recognition for your team. A good technique is to create a way that team members can nominate other members for rewards or rec- ognition. This fosters camaraderie and avoids the perception of favoritism. Present rewards and recognition at team meetings and consider inviting the team member’s functional manager to present the award. Post it on the project’s web site.

Manage conflict effectively

It is not possible to eliminate conflict from projects. How the project manager deals with conflict will determine whether conflict is harmful to the team and the proj- ect. In fact, controlled conflict can result in beneficial effects, such as thinking in a new way, coming up with novel solutions, and encouraging creative thinking. But unmanaged or unresolved conflict usually leads to problems.

Often you will have to become a negotiator between the team members in con- flict. This requires good listening skills and a bit of detection on your part. You must find the root cause of the conflict before you can address it. Work with all parties to the conflict to create a solution. In other words, help your team members find a solution. Don’t solve their problem, but support them in finding a resolution.

Empower your teams

Empowering others requires a level of trust on your part. Encourage the team to make decisions and find solutions to problems. It is your job to support the team in its work. Project managers with strong leadership skills trust their teams to do what’s right. Micromanagement is a team killer. You have selected a team for their expertise and ability to do the work. Trust them to do so. Your job is to clear their path of obstacles to project success and to provide them with all they need to do their jobs.