Project Team Dynamics: Enhancing Performance, Improving Results

About the Author

Lisa DiTullio is the principal of Your Project Office, a PMI® Registered Education Provider and consulting practice dedicated to introducing project management as a business competency and enabling organizations to improve decision-making, instill accountability, and enhance communications. Her business offers training programs and advisory services that support project/business management and teambuilding activities, as well as virtual project office support services to organizations that do not need a full-time PMO.

Lisa is the editor of ProjectBestPractices, a quarterly newsletter from ProjectWorld, a regular contributor to the Silicon Valley PM and Project Connections blogs, and a contributor to PM Network. She is the author of Simple Solutions: How “Enterprise Project Management” Supported Harvard Pilgrim Health Care’s Journey from Near Collapse to #1. She is a recognized international speaker in her field.

As past director of the PMO at Boston-based Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Lisa was a core member of the turnaround team for an organization that went from being placed in state-supervised receivership in 1999 to being the “Number One Health Plan in America” in US News & World Report five years in a row.

Lisa is on the Board of Directors for the South Shore Chamber of Commerce and is past chair of the Women’s Business Connection, a preeminent women’s organization within the South Shore Chamber of Commerce. She is also a member of the ATHENAPowerLink® Governing Body, which oversees a program to provide women-owned businesses an opportunity to work with a panel of experts to grow their businesses.

CHAPTER 1
Defining the Team

Studies suggest teams that perform well have a clear purpose, maintain open communication, and appreciate style diversity. Effective teams also rely on consensus decisions and have the ability to engage in civilized disagreements. On the other hand, team failure can result from a lack of trust among team members, vague assignments, and overbearing authority in a competitive, authoritarian environment.

The Blue Angels, established in 1946, are the epitome of a high-performing team. The mission of the Blue Angels is to enhance Navy and Marine Corps recruiting efforts by acting as positive role models and goodwill ambassadors for these military branches. They accomplish this through air performances; skilled pilots wow crowds with awe-inspiring air shows.

A Blue Angels’ flight demonstration exhibits choreographed aerobatic maneuvers that use high-speed, low-altitude performance. Shows usually consist of a four-plane Diamond Formation, in concert with fast-paced, high-performance maneuvers of solo pilots. The show climaxes with the pinnacle of precision flying, performing maneuvers locked in as a unit in the renowned six-jet Delta Formation.

Safety is paramount for every demonstration. Each pilot must complete 120 training flights during winter training to perform a public demonstration. The teamwork required for high-speed, low-altitude flying in tight Blue Angel formation takes hundreds of hours to develop. All maneuvers are both mentally and physically demanding, and they reflect the challenges met daily by fleet Navy and Marine Corps aviators.

Each pilot is responsible for good health and safety; if the Flight Leader/Commanding Officer is grounded for medical reasons, the demonstration is canceled. This is one team that does not rely on backups or stand-ins. The teamwork required for formation flying takes many hours to develop, and a substitute pilot would not have enough time in the formation to perform safely.

Teamwork is vital for the Blue Angels. Without team collaboration, clearly defined roles, and constant communication, tragic missteps can occur. The Blue Angels conduct a Lessons Learned exercise at the end of every performance. They dissect their performance in exhaustive detail for an inordinate amount of time, always seeking opportunities for improvement. Blue Angel pilots capitalize on synergy, strive for perfection, and accept responsibility; they are a team prepared to win.

Although project teams in business today might not face the dire consequences the Blue Angels face when mistakes are made, there is good reason to aspire toward Blue Angel-like team performance. Such performance begins with defining the team.

GETTING STARTED

Congratulations! You’ve just received your new project assignment! As project manager, you are propelled into the project. You need human resources to help scope, plan, and execute the project on schedule and within budget. You need a variety of skills and expertise to support the project’s complicated needs—and you need them quickly.

Sound familiar? Many project managers immediately find themselves thinking about who they need versus what they need when identifying project resources. In other words, many project managers select team members based on previous working relationships. Team members who hold required subject matter expertise and who performed well on previous projects are likely requested for future assignments; poor performers are seldom invited back.

This model works well when organizations have excess resources and support team culture. True team culture exists when members both demonstrate their best talents and function synergistically to achieve common goals. Unfortunately, many organizations lack both the bandwidth in resource availability and the true team mindset. As a result, project team leaders often find themselves fighting for the same small pool of ideal team members. There are never enough star players to fulfill all project team requirements, forcing project team managers to staff with “B” players.

Identifying what is needed on the team rather than who you want on the team is a great way to approach functional managers when requesting resources. When you are able to describe the skills, expertise, and assets of what you need on the team, you are effectively informing managers how to develop other staff members who might not quite have what it takes to make the team today. This has long-term value for both you as the requesting manager and the functional manager. Having large pools of highly qualified staff maintains the delicate balance between supporting project needs and meeting operational requirements without depleting the “A” players.

Be willing to accept rookie players. New members bring fresh perspective to solving project challenges, there’s nothing like a fresh set of eyes to solve an old problem.

Aside from selecting team members who hold the “right” level of skill and expertise needed to support the project requirements, it is just as important to identify team members who are able to work well with others and exhibit consistent levels of cooperation. These “social intelligence” skills include the ability to persuade, negotiate, compromise, and make others feel important.

Team members come in all shapes and sizes, with varying levels of training, expertise, experience, education, and background. Some team members come with extensive industry and/or subject matter expertise, whereas others do not; many fall between the two extremes. The challenge you face as a project manager is to know what you want in a team member before you search for one. Be thoughtful and precise in assessing the level of skill you need (to support the size, type, and magnitude of your project), and overlay those requirements with emotional, social, and interpersonal intelligence requirements.

In fact, be careful not to overemphasize technical requirements when evaluating candidates. Limiting your search to people who have strong technical capabilities but lack professional decorum and interpersonal skills is not likely to produce optimum project results. Project members who have subject matter expertise but lack collaboration, tolerance, and understanding are not likely to fit well on the team; instead, they are more likely to alienate their teammates. Project team members who can get the job done but will leave a trail of destruction in their path are less-than-ideal candidates for any team.

Projects cannot afford team turnover. The challenge is this: How do you select the “right” team players?

SELECTING TEAM MEMBERS

Screening project team members requires project managers to see beyond accomplishments and credentials. The traditional screening questions still apply when assessing project team members. They typically include:

• Tell me about yourself.

• What are the roles and responsibilities of your current position?

• What size projects have you supported in the past?

• What is the average length of the projects you have been involved in?

• Have you participated in project teams on a full-time or a part-time basis?

Because many organizations today do not have enough resources to adequately support project teamwork and ongoing operations, many team members (as well as project managers) are asked to support project work during their “free time.” They might also be expected to participate on multiple projects at once. With so much juggling going on, it is easy to bypass a thorough team selection process in order to launch the team quickly. It is easy to ask only the screening questions, which might not get you all the information you need.

Beware. Not taking adequate time to evaluate potential team members in advance of placing them on the team might cause regret later—for you as the team leader, for the individual team members, and for the team as a whole. To see past a candidate’s resume or technical expertise, take the time to evaluate the person thoroughly. Using behavior-based methods to screen team candidates has become increasingly popular—and necessary.

The premise behind behavioral interviewing is that the most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in similar situations. The key is delving deeply enough during the interview process to accurately assess past behavior. Behavioral interviewing requires that the interviewer ask questions in a way that reveals a candidate’s true character. The interviewer must probe to reach a depth of detail that forces the candidate to share past team experiences and behaviors. Interviewers must ask pointed questions to elicit detailed responses that reveal whether the candidate possesses the ideal team characteristics.

Suppose, for example, you ask, “How would you handle XYZ situation?” The responder has minimal accountability. However, suppose you ask, “What were you thinking at that point?” or “Lead me through your reasoning for how you handled that situation.” This tactic is apt to provide far more insight about the candidate and his or her ability to handle tough situations. Continuous probing of a specific situation puts the pressure on. It also enables you, as the interviewer, to observe the candidate’s ability to hold up under a barrage of difficult questions.

When you create a line of questions designed to uncover a candidate’s true personality, you can discover “multiple intelligences” to determine whether the candidate will meet the requirements of the position and fit into the team culture. The phrase emotional intelligence was coined by Yale psychologist Peter Salovey and University of New Hampshire psychologist John Mayer to describe qualities like understanding one’s own feelings, empathy for the feelings of others, and “the regulation of emotion in a way that enhances living.” ¹

In October 1995, Time Magazine published an article on emotional intelligence in which the authors suggest that a triumph of the reasoning brain over the impulsive one is emotional intelligence. Regardless of our cognitive ability (i.e., IQ), each of us has an emotional intelligence that natural talent seems to ignite in some people and dim in others. ²

In the area of emotion, the distinction between intelligence and knowledge is murky and debate continues today around our own ability to distinguish between the two. There is, however, enough evidence to suggest that plenty of “smart” people have little understanding of their emotions and don’t know how to use emotions in their communication and relationships. Conversely, many “feelers” have a natural tendency to dismiss logic and rational approaches. Neither type of person will fit well into any team unless he or she is able to find and maintain balance.

In addition to assessing a candidate’s technical experience and emotional intelligence, it is also important to assess the candidate’s work style and work/life balance philosophy. For example, it is beneficial to understand the candidate’s position on putting in extra hours when a project require extra dedication, his or her preferred method of communication, and how he or she deals with stress as a project races toward the finish line or encounters significant risks. Understanding working characteristics allows you to fully evaluate the candidate and anticipate how he or she will fit into the group.

As you screen candidates, be sure to delve into their minds by asking questions about when they have been successful or what they would have done differently. Assess the candidate’s ability to be a team player. Look for responses that suggest the candidate accepts accountability, takes psychological responsibility and pride, and talks about previous team relationships openly. Too much reference to “I” or not enough sense of accountability for the work efforts suggests the person might not really be a team player.

Team building starts in the interview process. When conducted properly, the process is designed to ferret out personalities that might not fit on your team. Always meet with the candidate more than once to get a true read. This is often difficult in the fast-paced business environment we operate in, but it is important nonetheless. Sometimes the connection is instantaneous, but always meet twice with a person to double-check your gut reaction and instinct.

It is also helpful to invite others to participate in the screening process. Include potential peers, other confirmed team members, project sponsors, or key clients who have good interviewing and people skills. Having a candidate meet with different interviewers helps validate your reaction or highlight something you might have missed.

For organizations that rely primarily on internal resources to fulfill project team requirements, do not assume that because you have worked with a potential team member on a previous project he or she will automatically meet the needs of the new project assignment. Every project is different; every potential team member should be considered on the basis of the requirements of the current project.

Consider the following questions, even if you have worked with the prospective team member in the past:

• Does this candidate have adequate experience and skills in participating on this type of project?

• Does this candidate have previous experience on similar-sized projects?

• Does this candidate have balanced control over his or her emotions? The ability to handle stress?

• Is this candidate ready for a bigger challenge?

• What level of self-awareness has this candidate reached in relationship management? Social awareness? Self-management?

• If I have worked with this person previously, what do I know about his or her technical abilities and social interaction skills that concerns me or confirms to me that he or she is the right fit for this new team?

Table 1-1 provides some example interview questions to help you select the “right” team members.

For most of the questions in table 1-1, you can continue to probe the candidate by delving deeper into the situation. Ask, “How did you feel at that time?” “What did you do next?” Ideally, each question posed will peel back an additional layer of the candidate’s personality, allowing you to assess the fit on the team.

INFORMING TEAM CANDIDATES

As the team leader, you are responsible not only for selecting the “right” members for your team but also for informing potential team members what is expected of them once they join the team. Don’t confuse this step with defining roles and responsibilities for confirmed team members; that comes later in the project launch and team-formation process.

This step is a precursor to defining team member roles and responsibilities. It enables you as the team leader to inform team candidates what you expect of all team members once they join the team and lets you view their reaction before you ask them to join the team. For example, candidates for the Blue Angels are made aware that they will be away from home a lot before they volunteer for duty with the team, and the pilots are selected in part on the basis of their ability to cope with not only family separation but also a strenuous practice and show schedule.

Many project teams experience a turnover in team membership throughout the life of the project. This happens for a variety of reasons, including voluntary resignations, reductions in workforce, and changes that require additional or different resources to support new needs. Regardless of why team changes occur, be prepared. A change in team membership will affect the group, regardless of how high-performing the team might be.

When selecting new members to join an existing team, take care to ensure that new members will fit with existing team members. This is particularly important with project teams in full implementation mode; new team members must quickly adapt to existing team practices and also be able to contribute to the team in a seamless manner.

As team leader, you will have little time to fully assess how a new team member will fit into the existing team culture. When you interview the new candidate, include one or two other team members in the screening process. If possible, invite the potential new team member to meet with the existing team as a whole, so everyone can get a feel for one another. The best approach is through a face-to-face session; virtual teams will need to adjust their screening and assessment processes accordingly.

Forming a project team should be a deliberate act in which candidates are considered in terms of the skills and experience they offer and their motivation to participate and to contribute to the team as a whole. Ideally, team members should be equally committed to the project goal and to the health of the team, have a clear sense of roles and responsibilities, and be accountable for getting things done as and when needed.

Once you have selected your team members, you must begin to solidify the team. One way to do this is to clarify team goals. We’ll explore ways to collectively clarify team goals in the next chapter.

Notes

1 Peter Salovey, Marc A. Brackett, and John D. Mayer, eds., Emotional Intelligence Key Readings on the Mayer and Salovey Model (Port Chester, NY: Dude Publishing, 2007).

2 Nancy Gibbs, Sharon Epperson, Lawrence Mondi, James L. Graff, Lisa Towle, “The EQ Factor,” Time Magazine, October 2, 1995.