In this article, we shall fully discuss the project team and discuss other aspects of it which we did not touch when we introduced the matter.
In a pure project team organisation, a special work group or team is created for a special project with a project manager as the head of the team.
As the case may be, the project manager may be given absolute authority over the project team. Our direction in this unit is to take a critical look at the team and discuss ways in which such a team will be made effective so as to be seen as a project team.
Team-Based Structures
In a very large organisation including a multinational, we come across situations where there are many teams within the organisation. The teams may be created for various purposes. Let us briefly discuss some examples of teams in a practical organisation setting. To organise our thoughts we shall define team-based structures as “employee teams”. It is a design where work is structured for groups.
The groups are then given authority and discretion over matters such as process improvement, service development, quality management or even new product development. Team approach to management was developed mainly by Japanese companies like Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Sony, and a whole lot of others. What we see today are giant Japanese firms which control a large segment of global trade?
Let us briefly discuss some of the team-based structures that are in place in some organisations.
Pure Project Teams
A pure project team is a specially constituted work group formed within the organisation and given a special assignment or task. The assignment could be any of the following: a. installation of a new computer system
c. design of a new service format.
Usually, members of a pure project team are nominated to join the team based on certain criteria. A team leader or manager is usually placed at the head of the team. In most cases, after the assignment has been completed, the team is disbanded.
Task Force Teams
A task force is created by top management to tackle or solve a major problem. In the Nigerian setting, we have witnessed the advent of one task force or the other. There was the task force on ports congestion. Members of a task force are usually drawn from various organisations with a team leader as the head. Usually at the end of the assignment or when the task force loses focus, it is disbanded.
Quality Improvement Teams
Today, quality has become an issue that has taken the front line in business discussions. Most organisations are drawing heavily from the Japanese firms that have long imbibed quality as their watch word.
In Zambia, like in most countries today, total quality management (TQM) has become an important issue and many firms are setting up internal quality teams specially empowered to address ways to improve quality.
Group Dynamics and Team Building
Recall that organisations grow out of the need for people to cooperate for the achievement of set goals. The coming together is based on the fact that different people have different skills. That precisely explains briefly the origin of teams or groups.
Although groups have been variously defined in the literature, our working definition is that a group is a collection of two or more people who perceive themselves as a group, share a common interest, goal, norm and a sense of belonging. They may have a leader.
Invariably, the following can be seen as groups:
a. a computer steering committee
b. a product launch committee.
We have just defined a group but we need to go further to examine the group content. In an ideal project team or group, there will be different people from different backgrounds and different skills. When people join a project team or group, they may lose their work identity especially if the group they joined has a work culture or ethics.
Practically, organisations use groups or teams for the following purposes: a. To
distribute work along clearly defined lines. In a bank, for instance, you could find the energy group, treasury group, etc. b. To monitor and control work. After a group has been formed, the group needs to be managed and that is why every group or team should have a leader. c. Problem solving. At times, groups are used to solve organisational problems as they arise. Problems facing an organisation are many. They may be major or minor. In most cases, when major problems arise, management can set up a team to look into the problem.
Team Work
Building project teams is not the end of the task ahead. The most important task is how to build team spirit. Like we said earlier, members of the team may come from various units or departments to join a particular team set up at the head office. The critical task and which is the duty of the team leader is to ensure that the group members see themselves as members of a team and also work like a team.
If members of a team are to perform as team players and work towards team objectives, then certain things should be present in the team. Let us examine those things:
One Unit Goal
It is important that every member of a team perfectly understands the goals and objectives of the team. Every action of each member must be directed towards the set objectives of the team.
Group Cohesiveness and Support
A group is made up of a number of people with different qualities and characteristics. A good group is one in which there is that cohesiveness. This cohesiveness binds the group together and makes them act in one direction and towards the same objectives.
Team Spirit
Individual spirit is not the same as team spirit. Team spirit is based on group affinity and affection amongst members. Team spirit makes an individual member imbibe the spirit of a group and behave like the group.
High Expectations
There must be high expectations amongst the various members of a team. For example, when you form a 15-man football team to represent Nigeria, each team member usually will have high expectations arising from team dynamics and spirit.
Willingness
Team members must be willing to be members of the team. They should not be unwilling members because if they are, they will be frustrated and this will affect the team as a whole.
Communication within Project Team
We need to now discuss communication within a project team. In a project team, there will be a lot of people who need to communicate with each other.
Communication is the process of exchanging information between one person or another or between one person and a group of persons. Communication also conveys knowledge of or information about a subject matter. Communication is all about sharing information. Generally, in a team situation, there is the need for effective communication amongst the members. T
he importance of communication is that it is the life blood of any organisation and by implication the team. Communication as a process assists management functions to be accomplished. Communication enables the team leader to communicate with other members of the team and also enables other team members to communicate with the team leader. Communication provides a link between people in a team or organisation.
The real purpose of communication is to effect change in an organisation and influence action towards organisational objectives. Communication organises the human resources in an organisation or team. Let us discuss the lines of communication in a project team.
Vertical Communication
Vertical communication within the project team could be from the team leader to subordinates or from the subordinates to the team leader. Vertical communication assists in passing information on policies and provides feedback mechanism through which staffs respond to communication.
Horizontal Communication
In a project team, communication can flow horizontally across staff at the same level in the project team. It could be communication to all the managers in the team or at the same level.
External Communication
Within a project team, external communication is a situation where the team or group exchanges information with the larger organisation. For example, when a team leader reports progress to the managing director, we regard the information as a form of external communication as it is outside the team.
Building Good Interpersonal Relations within the Project Team
An organisation may possess enormous capital, good organisational structure, highly trained manpower. But if the staff do not relate properly to one another, then problems may likely occur frequently and retard corporate performance. And so it is with a team. As discussed earlier, a team can be made up of people from different units and backgrounds. It is therefore, very important that at all times, managers should be aware of the need to build and maintain good interpersonal relationship with their subordinates, bosses and peers within the organisation.
Put simply, interpersonal relations are the way and manner people get along with one another. It could be the relationship between one person and another or between one group of persons (e.g. staff) and another group of persons. If people are friendly and understanding, then good interpersonal relations develop and everyone performs his or her tasks properly.
Effects of Poor Interpersonal Relations
a. Tension between staff and other fellow staff
b. Tension between staff and management
c. Tension amongst management staff
d. Unhealthy internal rivalry between all staff
e. Industrial misery and hostility f. Strike
j. Disloyalty to the organisation.
In a situation where there is no good interpersonal relation, obviously productivity is lowered and this gives rise to lower earnings for the organisation.
Principles of Interpersonal Relations
a. Act like a member of a team. Do not let personal interest affect that of the organisation
b. Remember that other staff come from different backgrounds and will at times behave differently from your expectations
d. Keep your boss informed of your movements at all times
e. Avoid gossips in the workplace
f. Display a positive attitude to your job
g. Be friendly and cooperative
h. Treat your subordinates with respect
i. Stick to the chain of command
j. Learn to wear a smile on your face always
k. Show interest in other peoples’ problems
l. Always learn to say “thank you”
n. Always learn to apologise when you are wrong
o. Greet people in the morning, afternoon and evening
CONCLUSION
Understanding team building is a very crucial aspect of our study since most projects practically involve the setting up of project teams. It is necessary that we properly understand how to generate team spirit and cohesiveness within a project team.
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