Project Management. Developing High-Performance Project Teams.

Developing High-Performance Project Teams
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Developing High-Performance Project Teams
Introduction
Organizations face a myriad of challenges in the rapidly changing business environment. A changing environment is a cause for newer methods or approaches to doing business. However, few organizations have the capability to adapt under pressure and maintain their course. At the start of every business year, organizations come up with objectives that guide their business models. The achievement of these objectives marks a successful year. However, as Keighran and Adikari (2016) note, objectives will not be achieved if the ‘people factor’ is not productive. The researchers note that “the people factor is the main driving force in the business.” They also add that ‘teamwork’ is currently considered an ‘essential element’ and one crucial for the success or lack thereof of a company. Teamwork is also the defining factor for productive teams in organizations. Today, organizations are known to spend millions of dollars trying to make their employees enhance their performance. This comes through training and career development as they seek to get the best out of their workforce. However, as Keighran and Adikari (2016) note, organizations also recognize the importance of team performance and spend just as much nowadays to try and effect change by enhancing productivity. Provided herein is an in-depth elucidation of high-performance project teams as well as a look into the different approaches to building high-performance teams.
High-Performance Project Teams
The development of a high-performance team requires understanding certain components that are key to its success. These components include the team’s skillset, the purpose of the team, leadership, norms and standards, conflict and communication, and motivation. Without an in-depth grasp of these components, it would be difficult to develop a team, much less a high-performance team. Teams offer many advantages to not only the individuals but also the organization if planned and organized well. A high-performing team is an effective team, which translates to improved organizational performance. With improved organizational performance, an organization is likely to become increasingly competitive while also maintaining its development agenda.
Hoer and Pollock (1986) write that the development of high-performance project teams leads to increased member satisfaction. In a high-performing project, the members know what is expected of them and that their efforts are complementary. In such an environment, people understand the success of the whole is dependent on the individual pieces that are present. Therefore, they work to improve their skill set to offer or give their best for the team adequately. The eventual effect is that the value of every member increases. A high-performance project team has to be united in their goals and their efforts to achieve the same. Furthermore, decision-making brings these teams closer and enhances their efficiency.
Building High-Performance Teams
Building a high-performance project team is a complex process. After assessing the credibility of every member, other factors, as will be indicated below, will be just as crucial. These factors are as discussed below:
Clarity of Goals and Roles
One of the things that is well-documented and that became evident in the dynamic business environment is the focus on results. Currently, organizations are result-minded. Theirs is to question whether targets are met or not. However, for results to be attained, there is a need for teams to know their purpose or objectives that are aligned with the organization’s objectives as well as understand their roles in the same.
According to Hoek, Groevenveld, and Kuipers (2018), nowadays, organizations are more horizontal in their structures. This means that employees are more empowered and can make certain crucial decisions as long as they are in line with the organization’s goals. However, the above would be impossible without the clarity of goals. When employees know an organization’s developmental trajectory, they will endeavor to meet their goals. A characteristic of a high-performance project team is that its goals are clear. There are no cases of ambiguity. In their article, Lynn and Kalay (2015) support the idea that the clearer the goals or vision, the greater the performance of a team. Role clarity simply means that the team understands the part it needs to play for it to achieve the organizations’ goals. Aside from the above, there is also the idea of role clarity within a high-performance team. Members also understand their roles and their importance to the whole.
Team building and Motivation
A high-performance project team is not achieved by word of mouth. A project manager has to ensure that they have the right people with the right skills, attitudes, and hunger for success. The team has to be built against the backdrop of the organizations’ objectives. The project manager has to ensure that individuals taking part in the team believe in the organization’s trajectory of development and are keen to ensure that its goals are achieved.
However, there are instances when teams are not looking as motivated or sold out on an organization’s vision as they ought to. Even high-performance project teams need a gentle nudge from time to time to ensure they maintain their level of focus. The environment a project manager cultivates in a team greatly influences their performance level (Peterson, 2007). It is also in the best interest of the project manager to employ motivation tactics to inspire or stir action among team members. The goal is to have the teamwork towards the achievement of common goals. As Peterson (2007) notes, it is in the best interest of the project manager to ensure that the environment is not only favorable but that the team is motivated to give their best. There can never be a high-performance team if it is not motivated.
Diversity
In a team setup, diversity means the differences in the member’s skills. A high-performance team must be diverse in their skill set, thinking, and approach to work. Having a homogenous team will lead to mediocre ideas because there will never be diverse opinions. The main advantage a team holds over individuals is the diversity of ideas, viewpoints, and talent. When put together, people with diverse mindsets are likely to perform better or develop ideas that will accelerate the achievement of an organization’s goals. However, there ought to be defined leadership, or else a project might stall mainly because of diversity. Diversity is indeed an added advantage. However, there ought to be strict rules or policies that dictate the workings of a high-performance project team. An influx of ideas will derail the project in the same way that a lack of a way out does. So, there is a need to determine leadership early and ensure objectivity is maintained at all times.
Communication
Communication is very important for any project team. It helps create synergy and strong professional and social bonds between team members. It also helps the team to share ideas and important information to ensure that a team is a well-oiled machine. Every team needs free flow of information between members since they are collaborating to achieve a specific goal. A team fails when information is not flowing freely between team members. Using the systems theory, a team can be considered a system. All of them must work together to achieve a specific goal. The only thing which keeps the elements/subsystems/tea...