U2103

** PROJECT TEAM **
The key to any endeavor, including Project Management or Coaching, lies around building a good relationship. A **project team** is a [|team] whose members usually belong to different groups, functions and are assigned to activities for the same [|project]. A team can be divided into sub-teams according to need. Usually project teams are only used for a defined period of time. The project team often works under the direction of the project manager and consists of a variety of members. These usually provide a variety of specialist services to the project manager. The team also consists of a **Team Leader** who serves as communication conduit One of the most important steps of a project is to carefully choose the team. Building a team involves much more than just putting the right people together .It requires a lot of objectivity and the project manager must keep in mind the goal of the project and not the sympathy for certain people. The most effective teams usually have the following aspects in common: ·  Mutual trust ·  Honesty and integrity ·  Confidentiality ·  Valuing differences ·  Having fun ·  Being respected ·  Clearly defined “SMART: goals. (S = specific, M= measureable, A = attainable, R = realistic and T = time based) ·  Responsibility that is expected in all the members of the team’s work - there is no such thing as “It’s not my job” ·  Shared responsibility, accountability and rewards tied to performance ·  Frequent celebrations when called for ·  Ability to make decisions (the only way to learn is to take risks) ·  Mutual support and mentoring ·  AND the most important thing is a Leader who leads, sets a vision and allows sharing of ideas from all team members **Team Spirit** is vital to the making of a team that works. It is the ability to work on ones’ own, feel free to ask for help and share the glory of your combined work. That is the reason why team communication and team building is so important. If a team is built with these suggestions in mind, they will work towards the goal of overall team success and not individual success. On-going training for the team is essential and will keep the ideas fresh in their heads. It is also beneficial to have some bonding time like playing softball or some activity outside of work. Another technique that is beneficial is to have a scoreboard that states how the team is doing towards making their goals. This should not be used to single out anyone, but to find areas where mentoring or training can help the overall team. Whenever the team beats its goals, the success should be celebrated. This will motivate the team to strive for high results. Project teams are formed for a particular purpose; to complete the project. They usually disband when their mission is accomplished. The mission that binds them is the project’s mission and it falls upon the project manager to instill the leadership required to build followers of the project’s mission. There are many benefits to be working on a project team. The social aspects as well as the opportunities for less experienced members to learn from the more experienced members along with the abilities for the more experienced members to mentor and learn from that experience. The synergy that the team provides allows them to make better decisions than if they were working in isolation. Everyone has a different skill set to bring to the table. As we all have learned “the whole is larger than the sum of its parts”. I’d like to say a little bit about **Team leaders**. Some schools of thought are that the subject matter experts should be the team leaders. As I said before, everyone has a different skill set to bring to the table and most people who concentrate on becoming the expert in a particular technology are usually introverts and aren’t the one you want to resolve conflict between team members, keep the team on track and keep them energized. These folks usually are better at people skills, negotiations and are typically extroverts. That’s why having a mixture of talent makes up the best team Another possibility is to train people to take over in leadership positions. The fact is you are born with natural abilities and you can be trained, but in a crisis situation will usually revert back to what you were born with. It is also a very unique individual who is good at everything required to run the business. In the end, have fun with what you do and do what fulfills you! And remember **“Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier”!!!!** __References__ http://www.visitask.com/team-building.asp

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