Making the team [project team building and leadership]

The author outlines the role of team building and team leadership in successful project management. Different teams work in radically dissimilar environments, although it can be argued that it is the project team environment that is the most complex to analyse, as each project is unique and the conditions for team selection and motivation are often less than ideal. All this implies an overwhelming case for giving more attention to the art and science of project team building. A variety of factors are invoked in building high-performing teams, including the contributions made by individual members, leadership, communications and internal power relationships. Each of these will have an effect on whether or not your team performs successfully. The characteristics of individual team members can be categorised by a combination of nine distinct roles. These comprise: plant, resource investigator, co-ordinator, shaper, monitor evaluator, team-worker, implementer, completer/finisher and specialist. Their contributions and weaknesses are outlined. Three styles of leadership are also briefly discussed: laissez-faire, transactional and transformational.