Project Organization and Leadership the People Perspective

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Project organization and leadership

The people perspective

SEM1(3) Individual term paper

From

Wen Liu

Email: wenliu@kth.se

Due date: 2017/10/08

1. Introduction

According to the definition of project of Project Management Institute (2004), “A project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.” (Maylor, 2010, P. 5) In order to achieve the defined goal, individuals from different fields are gathered to work for a same project task. (Maylor, 2010, P. 244) Compared to “group”, team is not only the collection of people, but also has these characteristics:

• Increases productivity

The productivity and output of a team is always higher and better than the sum of the individuals, which always build competitiveness for the organization. Teams can work efficiently since it can take advantages from project techniques such as brainstorming which can gather more ideas than from individuals.  

• Diversity of skills

Teams are composed of experts from different field, some members are good at marketing some of them are good at technology development. This diverse background of members provide more opportunities for the team to deliver a much better solution than any one individual.

• Improved abilities of problem solving and decision making

With a wider range of experience and knowledge, team can solve the problems better than individuals. In the process of decision making, teams are more likely to find the best direction as well. (Maylor, 2010, P. 246)

However, there are a great number of challenges and risks existing in project teams as well, how to solve those problems, how to make the team works more efficiently, which structures and techniques can be applied for project team are the most important issues for the project managers and participants.

1. Challenges for project managers and project participants

2.1 Challenges in different stages

According to Tuckman’s “forming- storming- norming- performing” model of team development, there are 4 different stages in team’s development. We can find different methods to grow our teams in different stages, especially when the teams face up to challenges, solve problems and make decisions. (Tuckman , 1977, P. 419-427.)

Besides, there is another theory of teams lifecycles which developed by Maylor. In this theory there are 6 stages of team development which are collection, entrenchment, resolution, synergy, decline and breakup. In different phases of team development, there are different challenges and risk for project managers and participants. (Maylor, 2010, P. 247)