project management skills

Team Working.
Team working has been an important organizational issue for many years and is one of the most important project management skills. However, the concept has historically described work within permanent functional teams such as sales, production and design. The rapid growth of project-based work has given rise to the creation of multi-disciplinary teams capable of rapidly accomplishing tasks which span the traditional internal boundaries present in many organizations. Successful team working requires careful consideration and design. Generally, the more that an organization has tended towards a traditional hierarchical structure, the greater will be the challenge of implementing effective inter-departmental project teams.

Team Building Across Departments.
Project teams can take on a variety of forms depending on the size of the project and the way in which it is staffed. Project environments range from dedicated and full-time project teams, through to instances where projects have little or no full time resource and operate by using only the resources from existing functional departments. Project management skills are often concentrated in a project office by organizations that are project oriented and maintain a full-time dedicated project resource. Project office staff, as well as having general project management skills will tend to specialize in areas such as: planning and the monitoring of time, cost and performance against the plans. These staff will usually report to a single boss, who may be either a project manager or a project office manager. Departmental staff will be recruited on the basis of the skills and expertise that they can bring to the project. However, the appropriate technical or business skills need to be complemented by an ability and willingness to function effectively in the project environment. They will report to the project manager but remain under the overall control of their own departmental, or line manager - they are therefore working in what is called a matrix management environment. The appointment of departmental staff to projects should be a decision made jointly by the relevant project and departmental, or line, managers. The involvement of line managers in these appointments is important as they have the necessary experience to highlight critical areas of the project from a technical viewpoint. Furthermore, by involving line managers in the early stages of project planning they are more likely to develop a positive attitude to the project. Disagreements may result in the negotiations between the project and the line manager on both the level of staffing required by the project and possibly over the individuals to be assigned. However, only in situations where an impasse has been reached should senior management be asked to arbitrate.

Anxieties of Team Members.
Anxiety among members of a new project team is almost inevitable. Personnel will be working with unfamiliar faces often in an environment which is still taking shape. This anxiety is typically focused on four key issues. If the project manager, or their assistants are unfamiliar to the team members then the team members will naturally be concerned about the managers leadership style and how it will effect their everyday work. If involvement with the project involves relocation, either within a building or more remotely, then management should bear in mind that this often causes heightened anxiety and stress amongst project team members. Team members may be concerned about the nature of the project and whether or not it will match their own level of expertise and professional interests. Furthermore they might have private worries about the technical viability of the project and how its failure may reflect on them. The fair distribution of the workload may be an area of concern, as may the perceived level of proficiency and dedication of some of their new colleagues. One of the great challenges of project management is to bring together an effective team and bring it up to speed quickly. Anxiety among team members is natural and this needs to be addressed as early as possible so that project staff can focus on the needs of the project rather than on their own anxieties.

Encourage ‘Ownership’ of the Project.
It is important for the project manager to arrange a one-to-one discussion with each team member in order to welcome them to the team and establish personal contact. Depending on the size of the project, this meeting could involve either the project manager themselves or the relevant sub-project manager. This initial discussion should be both short and informal with the aim of reducing anxiety and fostering a feeling of 'ownership' of the project by the team member. A useful strategy for nurturing project 'ownership' is to involve all team members in the planning and scheduling of the activities that they will be involved in. In smaller teams it may be realistic to involve all members in the planning process whilst in larger teams it may be necessary to restrict the involvement to team or section leaders. Developing a climate of open and frank
communication will lead to an increased sharing of ideas between team members. They are then more likely to collectively develop more effective decision making and project control processes.

Positive Factors.
Departmental staff may be motivated to join projects by a variety of factors. It is far better to encourage participation than to have to cajole or push staff into project work. A positive attitude to the project will deliver numerous benefits in terms of staff motivation and performance. Projects have the potential to be seen as dynamic working environments, providing an opportunity to work with personnel from other areas of the organization and enabling staff to 'spread their wings' and experience a greater range of working practices. Often the people appointed to the role of project manager are held in high regard within the organization and may be viewed as rising stars. This can be a positive influence when recruiting personnel for the project - as people can be keen to be associated with talented managerial staff. Whilst projects are not generally regarded as being the best environments in which to gain training there are circumstances where projects necessitate the training of personnel to carry out their intended role. This can be used as a positive motivator - as people are often enthusiastic to develop their skills, especially if the training relates to an area perceived to be in future demand.

Democratic Management Style.
For projects to function effectively the project manager must devote time and energy to creating an atmosphere that is conducive to teamwork. For managers familiar with leadership theory, autocratic leadership - as depicted by the theory X management style is unlikely to prove a successful approach for project management. Project environments are likely to be significantly more successful under a democratic and consultative style, tending towards the theory Y management style approach. This style is more consistent with the fundamental principles of project management, where the key to success relies on effective lines of communication and the creation of a flexible and proactive working environment. Building the project team is one of the prime responsibilities of the project manager. It requires the skills of a well rounded manager to identify; commit and integrate the various skills required from the traditional functional organization into an effective project environment. All project teams rely for their success on the team members. A good team member will be reliable in meeting deadlines and honest when facing problems. They should also be able to follow leadership and direction and yet be sufficiently confident to make an active contribution and to take responsibility upon themselves.

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