Uncooperative project member

Sisca, I might suggest that you do not have an 'uncooperative' team member, you have an 'inexperienced' team member. As I see it, you have three options here; (1) let HR know this person is not qualified, and you need a replacement, (2) work with the team member to provide them some on-the-job training, if possible, to make them ore productive, or (3) pair them with someone who can help them gain exposure and experience. Depending on the situation and or all of the three might be possible solutions.

Hi John

I agree that in this case we don't have lack of cooperation but lack of experience. Still I don't find a good idea to train the team member during the project as the training could take long time and the dead-line could be missed by a long period of time.

In my opinion inexperienced employees should only work on projects as long as there are enough experienced team members capable of completing the project without them. Some inexperienced team members may find out during the project that they don't like the job so they will switch to something else without ever getting the required experience.

In addition, unless he/she is also a good technical expert, I don't think training employees is or should be the responsibility of the PM. Training employees is basically the responsibility of functional managers.

In this case I can't think at another solution than trying to get a more experienced team member on board. This should also be the responsibility of the functional manager but as far as I understood from Sisca, the functional manager in this case said that he could not help.

Depending upon the type of person and his/her involvement in the project you have to handle. The level of treatment as follows
Stage 1: Analysis the situation try to explain this guy what's wrong in his thinking and correct his thinking. Give him high priority and try to talk and correct in every level. If he is changed your project will succeed.
Stage 2: Give some task and ask him to complete. Praise him little more than required and give the next task. At some point he enjoy the achievement and try to support you.
Stage 3: The next level treatment is to isolate him. Don't give any task. Just be like that for some time ask him take a holiday try to get things in your control.

In most of the cases micromanagement will work. Try to observe him closely and try to control every step.

I agree with John. At this point you do need to get HR and the direct line manager to get involved. By not taking any action they are endangering the progress of the project and the ability of the team to formatively do their assigned tasks.

You may also need to have documented your steps in getting to the point of going to HR. Without that documentation you may find yourself starting at square one to develop the documentation. In a project where you possibly see yourself not being able to resolve the issues, especially where it is truly lack of experience with a side order of bad attitude then providing a set of documentation of on-going efforts to resolve the situation is necessary.

I agree with John. At this point you do need to get HR and the direct line manager to get involved. By not taking any action they are endangering the progress of the project and the ability of the team to formatively do their assigned tasks.

You may also need to have documented your steps in getting to the point of going to HR. Without that documentation you may find yourself starting at square one to develop the documentation. In a project where you possibly see yourself not being able to resolve the issues, especially where it is truly lack of experience with a side order of bad attitude then providing a set of documentation of on-going efforts to resolve the situation is necessary.