PART I LAUNCHING THE TEAM

Project teams can become more efficient and effective by following four steps upon project assignment: define, clarify, implement, and establish. The chapters in part I focus on these four key steps:

Chapter 1. Defining the Team. As the project kicks off, project team members are identified and recruited. Skill set, subject matter expertise, functional knowledge, and specialized experience must guide the resource selection process. A candidate’s ability to perform in a team setting should also be assessed.

Chapter 2. Clarifying Team Goals. As the group determines the project scope, sets the budget, plans the deliverables, and establishes the schedule, it is the perfect time to state team goals and define roles and responsibilities for each member of the group, as well as for the unit as a whole.

Chapter 3. Implementing Supporting Behaviors. It’s important to identify the specific actions and behavioral characteristics that will best support team goals and establish a team environment. Establish operating practices that allow everyone to be equally committed to a common purpose, set of goals, and working approach. In other words, everyone must agree to the team behaviors; they should not be set and imposed by the team leader.

Chapter 4. Establishing Accountability. Discuss and decide how you and your team will be held accountable for meeting team expectations. Ideally, accountability is both individual and shared; effectiveness is measured by the group’s collective outcomes and performance.

Many project teams naturally navigate the first two steps because most project managers have learned these practices during project management training. Many teams, however, skim or skip steps three and four, most often because of time constraints. Many project managers and team members find themselves hurled into the eye of the storm the minute a new project is assigned; with looming deadlines and high stakeholder expectations, less time is available for establishing team behaviors or setting team member accountability. Unfortunately, project managers often regret omitting these important steps.