As a project manager, your team may have already been assigned before you build a project plan. If this is the case, it will allow for better estimates of the resource budget and the team will be able to participate in the design of the project schedule. Alternatively, the equipment may not be approved and built until the implementation phase begins, which means that a preliminary plan has been developed. Remember that if the team can help with the planning, they are more likely to be committed to meeting the plan and the goal or objective of the project. Also, omitting important plan details is less likely to occur if the team is involved in developing the plan. Whenever possible, before trying to develop a project plan, assemble a project team of people who have something to contribute to the overall project.
These project team members may have experience in similar projects or be someone with an interest in the outcome of the project. The most experienced people will help ensure the project stays on schedule; however, working on a project with a mentor or other more experienced individuals can be a great learning experience for those who are new to this type of work, process, service, or product. Team members may volunteer or be assigned to participate in the project. Volunteers generally put in more effort and require less supervision than those assigned without asking if they would like to participate. As a project manager, you should talk with each prospective member to make sure they understand what their project responsibilities and accountability might be, what challenges they can expect, and what value they offer to the team. In addition, you must consider how much freedom each member would have to carry out their tasks and make decisions related to her assignments.
If the project team members have worked together before, then the project can start off well. Team members who have worked on team projects before will already be familiar with team problem solving and participatory decision making and will see teamwork as a motivating factor in their contribution and that of others to the project. However, if some of the team members have not worked together or been part of a team before, you as the project manager should consider whether any team training or other team building activities are necessary to help members to work better as a team. equipment. If the team has not worked together before, at your first team meeting, you and your team members should establish guidelines for personal and group behavior. You may also want to establish what types of information exchange may or may not go outside of the project team. Working as a team and with your feedback, project members should discover that they produce better project results in a more effective way.
If any team members are only a part-time assignment for the project, then you need to work out with them how they will prioritize their work. As a general rule, no one should work on more than three projects at a time. As your project continues, be sure to give team members feedback on their individual performance. If they need to change the way they are doing something, be sure to explain why they need to make the change, as well as what and how to change. Make sure team members know that their contribution is valuable to the success of the project and the team. If a team member is not willing to work to achieve the project goal, they must be convinced or removed from the project team. Reward both team behavior and individual achievement to ensure team members work together and value each other’s contributions.
