Will Your Project Team Get The Job Done? (cont)

Pursuit of a common working approach
Interactions between team members, as well as between the team, management, and other stakeholders in team results, should be discussed and agreed to, similar to the team operational rules. How will the team be structured? Subteams? Independent experts tapped for input? Brainstorming? Affiliation with business functions? Affiliation with technical disciplines? All of the above? An end-to-end discussion on how the team will engage and produce their end results will not only improve the probability of team success, but could possibly inspire greater efficiencies or breakthrough results. Roles of the team members in this exercise should be discussed, not as a static event, but as a changing dynamic that will be of greatest benefit to the team at different stages in the project. This encourages team members to understand when their expertise and leadership will be critical, reinforcing their purpose and value to the team.

Evolve high levels of complementary skills
Many managers mistake the compilation of a highly effective team as an exercise in grouping the highest performers in an organization. This is not the way to maximize success in a team. The creation of a highly effective team is best done by bringing together team members that have the most complementary characteristics. People that are accustomed to working as a team rather than individually, plus people who have the ability to ìtake overî when the team progress reaches or exploits their area of expertise make the best team members. A mixture of approaches (more radical thinkers vs. conservative ones) and characteristics (those who dive right in vs. those who are more deliberate and consider more options) can actually make the best team. These mixed teams need more care and guidance initially, but will yield the greatest overall results as they exploit their diversity. Creating teams made up in this way, plus having employees that are accustomed to working on teams made up in this fashion, maximize success not only for the existing team, but future teams as well.

Directed by an equipped team leader
Another myth in creating a highly effective team is to make all team members ìequalsî and not assign an individual as a team leader. Highly effective teams have the common characteristic of a team leader that is

a) Empowered and informed by the sponsoring management

b) A strong leader who knows when to direct the team as well as knows when to back off and let the team dynamics and knowledge transfer run its course

c) Not the technical expert in all aspects of the deliverable to be produced.

The team leader role is arguably the most difficult role to fill in creating a team. Individuals with these characteristics are in high demand, and to be assigned to a team, often must have other assignments reprioritized.  Managers should resist the temptation to make the team leadership role a part time one, forcing these highly valued employees to juggle multiple projects.  Encourage these team leaders to work with their team, recognizing them for their empowerment and direction of the team, as well as the production of the deliverables themselves. A team leader that leads teams that produce results, as well as encourages and educates team members, creates behaviors and capabilities that are repeatable  a critical element for team success.

Creating teams that are appropriately SHAPED involves an investment of time and energy on the part of sponsoring management that is scarce. However, the effort put forth in this manner will enhance project team success today and in the months and years to come. Thus, it is not only a worthwhile, but is a critical strategy for todayís increasingly competitive environment.

Bob McGannon is a Founder and Principal of MINDAVATION.

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