Formation of a project team and its Functionality

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Table of Contents

Managing a Project
Laws of Meetings
Main Lessons for the Team and Project tools used
Influence of project management in the group project
Reference List

Coming up with a functional project team requires a number of steps to be undertaken. First, there is formation, where there is introduction of both the members and the project. The second stage is storming where team members experience power trip pressure and some feel that they are more competent than others.

Third, there’s norming where the team become cohesive and adopt team attitudes. Fourth, there’s performing whereby the operational structure of the team is fully functional and members are geared towards working to meet the goals of the project.

Fifth, there’s adjourning. In this stage, every team member works to complete their tasks (Bernold & Abourzik, 2010; Mind Tools, 2011).

To enhance high performance in a project team, the manager should ensure that members are from diverse departments (Cummings & Worley, 2008, p. 112). Since the team members may be conflicting, the managers should closely monitor the team.

Second, since there could be conflicts within the team, the manager should manage the attitude early enough. Third, use of group incentives and encouragement will motivate the team to be functional. Fourth, building a common mindset among team members is important in solving any issues among them (Phan et al, 2011).

Managing a Project

There are various techniques that can be adopted by a leader in managing a project. These are: devising objectives and plans, taking corrective measures, monitoring the outcome, accelerating activities, providing solutions to technical problems, enhancing peace and ensuring that there are tradeoffs in time, cost and the scope of the project.

Effective project management occurs when there’s proper management of upward relations. These entails budgets that are appropriate, being able to respond to unexpected needs, being cooperative hence letting the organization learn from it. Besides, the team should also be motivated through provision of more resources and acknowledging what team members have accomplished.

It’s important for a project to have a project sponsor whose role is to provide shelter for the project during rainy seasons. A project manager is supposed to be a role model to other project members in cooperation, ethics, setting priorities, urgency, offering solutions to problems and setting standards of performance.

Moreover, an effective project leader should possess a number of attributes. These include integrity, proactivity, democracy, creative thinking, time management, optimism, good communication, ability to handle stress, having a general business perspective, good judgment, decisiveness and determination (Walker, 2007, p. 229).

Generally, a project manager should exhibit four key qualities: planning, monitoring, communication and motivation (Elearn Limited, 2005, p. 70). Of importance to managers is that they should endeavor to establish relationships before they need them and embrace face-to-face communication since it sustains trust and facilitates meeting of the group goal (Canady & Rettig, 1996, p. 68).

Laws of Meetings

In management of teams, there are three main laws that govern meetings. In each law, there is a sole danger and several techniques of dealing with it. The first law is uniting the group. This arises due to the danger of aggression. The techniques of handling this include letting off the steam, not taking sides, incorporating others and adhering to facts.

The second law is focusing the group. This is because there’s a key danger of getting off the point. Thus, techniques of focusing on the group include keeping a hand on the wheel, testing understanding, remaining alert and checking back through paraphrasing.

Third, there’s the law of mobilizing the group. This is due to the danger of squashing. Techniques to be employed here include ensuring the weak are protected, recording suggestions, checking through the group and building up ideas (More Bloody Meetings, 2011).

Main Lessons for the Team and Project tools used

One of the lessons that the group learnt from the project was not being able to meet all the target members as had been planned in the scope. This was due to the bad weather that affected the attendance during the main event. The other lesson was difficulty in communicating with all staff segments due to the uniqueness of each.

The group had planned to communicate to everyone through permanent and temporary selling and pick sites during the main events within the university. Another strategy ought to be unveiled to solve this.

The group employed some project management tools. First, it was in managing dysfunctional conflict with regard to bureaucratic bypass syndrome where the manager acted by guarding against it.

This was to prevent rebellion and division within the group. After realizing issues affecting members, the manager changed their mindset by encouraging focus on the mission. This worked well and produced synergy.

Another tool that should have been included in the project is the project monitoring and control tool.

Influence of project management in the group project

The five steps in formation of a team were observed by the group team. Some bureaucratic tendencies that emerged in the team were handled by the team manager by making team members to have a single mindset. The project team members were also motivated and encouraged by the manager. Besides, the project team comprised of members from different departments and with diverse abilities.

To make the group team functional, the manager had the necessary qualities required in team management such as motivation, communication and planning. The three laws of meetings were also exercised during the meetings that the group held.

Generally, the most important lesson for me is that in striving to achieve the goals of a project team, it is important to put viable mechanisms in place that will facilitate communication with the audience. However, targeting a bigger audience required more time and resources to be employed by the project team.

Reference List

Bernold, L. & Abourzik, S., 2010. Managing Performance in Construction. NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Canady, R. & Rettig, M.,1996. Teaching in the block: strategies for engaging active learners. NY: Eye on Education.

Cummings, T. & Worley, C., 2008. Organization Development & Change. Mason, US: Cengage Learning.

Elearn Limited., 2005. Management Extra: Project management. Oxford: Elsevier.

Mind Tools., 2011. Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing: Helping New Teams Perform Effectively, Quickly. Mind Tools. Web.

More Bloody Meetings., 2011. Key Points from the Video: the Laws of Meetings (Attached material).

Phan, et al., 2011. Management of Projects: Project Manager Report to Directors/Stakeholders. University of Sydney (Attached material).

Walker, A., 2007. Project Management in Construction. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing.

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