Project Planning in Teams Introduction Project planning in teams is an integral constituent of team dynamics. When a team has been already formed it is time for it to start working on a project in order to reach the goals of the team or company in a whole. It is necessary to keep in mind two peculiarities about team projects. The first peculiarity is that all projects no matter what their goals are need to be carefully planned and structured before the implementation. And the second peculiarity is that the given projects will be performed not by an individual but a group of individuals, which may result in a certain conflict of interests or other problems, which may be encountered while working with a group of people. People have been working in teams for centuries accomplishing various tasks very successfully. However, only recently scientific researches have been conducted on the matter of teams, teams' performance and effectiveness and the accomplishment of new projects by so-called high performance teams. Results of scientific researches have proved that a team is clearly distinguished from a simple group of people by means of certain characteristic features. Also, it has been found that working in teams allows people to fulfill certain projects faster and more effectively, however, it is only possible when the new projects have been carefully planned and structured in advance. The main goal of designing current study is to examine the process of project planning in teams as one of important aspects of team dynamics. The paper will focus on the elements of project planning, such as setting the goals, distributing responsibilities, surmounting obstacles and others. Advantages and disadvantages of working in teams will be analyzed further in the study, as well as evaluation of performance of teams as compared to groups of people and individuals. Project Planning in Teams Before analyzing the process of project planning in teams it is necessary to identify the differences between such terms as a group of people and a team. A group is a number of people (members) that are treated as one unit, while a team is a group of people who work together with a common goal and perform certain functions for the benefit of every member. There are special types of a team, known as high-performance teams, which are "groups of people that achieve a quantum leap in performance in less than a year" [1].
From personal experience the word team is best described as a group of colleagues focused together to solve a challenge and effectively reaching an outcome that goes beyond the team’s original expectations as well as those of the client/customer and...
A team can be define as a group of people with distinct skills and different tasks, who work together on a goal, service or project, with a meshing of mutual and functions support. They are people that regularly contact and have close interaction and common feeling that able to work together (Team-Definition). A group is define as two or more figures forming a accomplish unit in a part. A group is also a number of individuals assembled together or facing some integration relationship (Merriam-webster 2014). A group do not necessarily constitute as a team because a team demands a coordinated effort. Characteristics of a group are synergy, common goals, interdependence, or cohesiveness. A group can be informal, like 3-12 people that are in a meeting to talk over a business problem. Teams are structured formally and sometimes are allocated. Teams have specific goals, purpose and allocate duties. Team need to have different members with particular roles in order to achieve a common goal (Boundless 2014). Without the goals and purpose, you will unable to build a team. The purpose must be worthwhile and create a sense of working something together. The goals must be specific and challenging in order each member can understand how they contribute to the success to the team. The power of a team appears from the sense of community that unleash strong influence on the behaviors and attitudes of the members. Peer pressure and wish to be an effective member helps to shape priorities and direct efforts which they will help the team goals (Sisson. J, 2013)
A team or group is a collection of people who are associated and interdependent in their tasks, share obligation regarding results, and view themselves as a unit inserted in an institutional or organisational framework which works inside the established boundaries of that system.(H.Kristin,2013)Teams and groups have shown a similar relationship within the bounds of the procedures and research identifying with their effectiveness(K.Steve, 2006) (i.e. group cohesiveness, cooperation) while as yet keeping up their freedom as independent units, as gatherings and their individuals are autonomous of each other's part, aptitude, information or purpose versus groups and their individuals, who are reliant upon each other's part, ability, learning and
Larson, C. and LaFasto, F. (1989), Teamwork: What Must Go Right/What Can Go Wrong. Newberry Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
The complexity of teamwork is more than what Merriam-Webster defines teamwork as “the work done by people who work together to do something”. Teamwork involves good practices and strategies utilized in a cohesive manner to get to a common goal. Therefore a clear definition of a team must first be established in order to further understand the complexity of the teamwork process. A team is a collection of two or more people with either similar or different disciplines dedicated to the pursuit of a specific goal (Gilbert, 2004). Hence, the determinant in the level of participation from team members for a functioning team is a joint commitment (Gilbert, 2004).
From the lessons, I have been able to understand various methods and procedures in managing a project team. My lecturer gave a brief introduction of the topics which are going to be discussed in the 2nd course “Managing the Project team”. I was excited to go through those topics as some of the terms were familiar to me.
The importance of teams is becoming more and more apparent in today's dynamic business world. Increasingly managers are searching for a means to improve production and keep their organization competitive in the global market. A lot of these managers have turned to the team as a means for achieving this improvement. Quality circles were originally looked at to fulfill this role, however they are being phased out in favor of self-managed work teams. These teams are increasingly being used to solve many of today's organizations production problems and inefficiencies, and in the process are both badly failing and greatly succeeding. So the discussion of teams is a very important one to address. Managers should be aware of the concept of teams and learn about as a means to further their organization and for when the time comes to implement a team they are prepared with the knowledge needed to build and use a team properly.
What is a team/group? A team/group is a group of people who form together to complete a mutual goal such as a presentation, paper, discussing a topic or creating a new design. How does a team/group become a high-performance group/team? A high-performance group/team comes from a knowledgeable group of individuals working together to complete a common goal or task. These group/team members must use the skills, knowledge and strengths of each team/group member; combine those with the ability to work jointly on the completion of the goal. Whether it is a school team/group or a work team/group they want high-performance team/group members. High-performance team/group members work to achieve high goals and higher profits.
As such the top executives had to conduct research to find out the best ways to create the best teams. This research was named project Aristotle and the main idea behind it was to find why some teams were making it while other teams were lagging behind. According to the results given by the group assigned to project Aristotle, there are norms that shape a team which is different for every team (Seibert et al., 2011, p. 985). As such the key thing is determining the various norms that matter the most to a certain team to make it most successful. The responses given by the employees during the survey indicated that teamwork was of no major importance to the
A team whose club, length and resources fit the assignment desirable leadership and attention to Team-constructing dedication through Team individuals to apprehend and become aware of with each other's dreams the improvement of team desires. These may include: 1. A shared vision a feel of not unusual possession of the assignment at hand and joint responsibility for its achievement co-ordinate effort and planned sharing of obligations, 2. The open alternate of data within the Team, 3. Honesty and frankness among Team members, 4. Effective teamwork can be undermined by a ramification of problems, as an instance: disorganization, terrible conversation, misunderstandings or inadequate strategies for trouble-fixing, and 5. team functioning can be weakened through obstacles confronted by using person individuals within the team, as well as through difficulties
There is one major difference between a group and a team: accountability. Group members are accountable to each other, but each member is individually held responsible for their own performance. In a team, all members share accountability as a unit. "A team is a small group of people with complementary skills who work actively together to achieve a common purpose for which they hold themselves collectively accountable" (Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn, 2005). It is important for everyone that is a part of a high performance team to have the same purpose and goals. If the teammates have different goals or motives then it can make it difficult for the team to be effective. Everyone who is participating with the team should trust or learn to trust each other.
As work settings become more complex and involve increased numbers of interpersonal interactions, individual effort has less impact. In order to increase efficiency and effectiveness, a group effort is required. The creation of teams has become a key strategy in many organizations. Team building is an essential element in supporting and improving the effectiveness of small groups and task forces and must be a key part of a total program of organizational change.
Many businesses place an emphasis on the importance of teamwork. A good team consists of people with different skills, abilities and characters. A successful team is able to blend these differences together to enable the organisation to achieve its desired objectives.
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success,” (Ford, n.d). Ford’s quote and the concept of teamwork in planning are significantly important and prevalent in contemporary planning practices. The importance of a team in planning is imperative in providing a good plan. The team would also advance through the stages of team development. As a result an effective and cohesive team is achieved and there becomes a common goal is produce the paramount result. However, members within an effective team may come into conflicts with ideas or practices. Likely, these conflicts can be resolved with simple strategies. Nevertheless, through all the conflicts within a team group, teamwork still
Team approach shrinks a large complex issue or opportunity into several smaller parts where it can be solved in parallel. Once fall fragments into individual tasks, and are appointed for individuals to carry out assigned tasks, but where are the systems in place to keep track of the work done by the members of the team mode. This approach will allow the project manager to focus on the project as a whole and ensure that all tasks are being integrated