Developing the Project Team

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Throughout the project, the project manager will have to work to develop the project team. The project manager may have to develop the ability of the individual team members so that they can complete their assignments. The project manager will also have to work to develop the project team as a whole so the team can work together to complete the project.

In matrix organizations, the project team members are accountable to the project manager and their functional managers. The development of the project team can prove challenging since the project team members may feel pulled between multiple bosses. The project manager must strive to involve and develop the project team members as individuals completing project work-and as team members completing the project objectives together.

Preparing to Develop the Project Team

The project manager will rely on several pieces of information to prepare for team development:

• Staff assignments The assignments of the project team members define the skills of the project team members, their need for development, and their ability to complete the project work as individuals, and as part of the collective team.

• Project plan The project plan defines the expectations of the project team, how the team will operate, and how the team will be expected to communicate, function, and perform.

• Staffing management plan Recall that the staffing management plan details how project team members will be brought onto the project and excused from the project.

• Performance reports As the project team completes work, performance reports will reflect on the quality, timeliness, and success of the project team. (Performance reports will be discussed in detail in Chapter 10.)

• External Feedback When things are not well with project team members, stakeholders are often happy to tell the project manager. In some instances, the project manager must query stakeholders and organizational interfaces on the performance of the project team members.

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