Successful Project Managers Road Map by Mostafa Alshimi - HTML preview

5- How to build an effective team

There are not big secrets to successful effective teams. Effective team is  not about mastering sophisticated theories but rather using a common  sense consistently in you interaction with you team members. We have 5  characteristics for effective team÷

• Clear Purpose and Expectations: the project manager plays a  main role in forming the team by ensuring that all team members  have a shared understanding of÷

a. How their project fits in the overall strategic plans and  directions of the organization.

b. What actions they need to take to reach the defined  goals.

c. How they will be measured along the way.

d. Project Scope.

• Trust: is the foundation of any high performing team. It must be  earned and when lost it is impossible to restore. Trust is built  when team members know that they can rely on each other to do  what they say they will do. Trust grows when team members ÷

a. Respect commitments to deliver quality work on  schedule.

b. Maintain Confidence.

c. Treat other that way you want to be treated with dignity  and respect.

• Clearly Defined Roles: Team members must have clearly defined  roles and understanding their individual responsibilities at  different stages in the project.

a. Required Skills: It is the responsibility of the project  manager to identify the mix of the skills required to  complete the project and if there are gaps in  competencies the project manager has to fill those gaps  using available resources because schedules, quality and  project manager’s reputation are affected when the team  does not have the required skills to do the job.

b. Set Expectations: Once the team is identified it is the  project manager responsibility to let every team member  know his deliverables, schedule and dependencies.

c. Balancing: One more challenge for the project manager  which is balancing between matrix structured team  members who reports to project manager and functional  manager. Project manager must resolve any conflict raises  because of dual reporting.

d. RACI: this document must be created and tied with the  project scope, since roles vary during the project you have  to encourage flexibility in team members’ attitude.

• Accountable for results: effective teams have leaders and team  members who hold themselves and their peers accountable for  results and behavior which means that each team member is  responsible for what he delivers and how he interacts inside and  outside the team and committed to what he has to deliver on  time.

• Clear, honest and Open Communications: successful teams  communicate effectively and frequently as needed with each  other due to communication plan or RACI document, also  consistently outside and inside the project team. Encourage team  members to tell you the status regardless it is good or bad clearly  without any cosmetics.

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