Identifying Key Characteristics of a High Performance Project Team Research Paper

Abstract

In this article, the problems at FEL are analyzed and assessed from the standpoint of what FEL should do to assign managers to project teams and what efficiencies these criteria create. The problem is that FEL is not very thorough or cautious in its approach. Now it has a problem of the team members not wanting to work together and Gatenby is relying on Jobe to make it all work. This is unlikely to really happen and so if Gatenby cannot get them all to recognize that they are professionals and must now come together as a team in spite of their animosity, then the project is going to fail and some may not reach their personal goals. Tuckman’s five stages of group development may be helpful in solving the problem.

Keywords: Tuckman’s five, team development, working abroad

Questions for Franklin Equipment, Ltd.

Evaluate the criteria FEL uses to assign managers to project teams? What efficiencies do these criteria create? What are the resulting problems?

The criteria that FEL uses to assign manager to project teams are only partially efficient. The criteria consist of time (who is available at the time a new project starts) and experience (those with experience are given preference). More criteria should be considered, such as, which workers have a history of working well with one another and which workers share bad blood between one another—which is clearly the case between Rankins and Perry. Out of an abundance of caution, FEL should have at least recognized the risk of their bad relationship harming the project. Instead of throwing the two workers together on the same team, it might have found another worker to replace one or the other.

Another criterion that should have been considered is whether there are personnel interested in working abroad. Clearly workers like Stonebreaker relish the idea of travel and look forward to the work, while employees like Bruder do not. Bruder clearly has a negative perception of the job because it is abroad and this is influencing her perception of it getting done on time. Before assigning workers to jobs like this, FEL should consider which workers prefer to travel abroad and which prefer to stay stateside. Knowing this would help to improve the morale of the team.

Adding these additional criteria would make the assignation process more efficient and reduce the need for trying to make a team “work” with so many dysfunctional parts. True, Stonebreaker is optimistic—but he is optimistic because in the past the team members have worked together and gotten jobs done—but that was in the past, and the relationship between two of the team members has only soured in the meantime and another team member has no interest in being abroad (though she did not openly admit this, it does seem a logical rationale for her negative outlook). The resulting problems of not having these additional criteria for assignation are that a dysfunctional team with poor morale and a highly negative outlook going forward has been cobbled together when a better team likely could have been assembled with just a little more consideration on the part of FEL.

Why is it even more important that project team members work well together on international projects such as Project Abu Dhabi?

It is important that project team members work well together on international projects…

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…not spiral out of control. The best way to do that is to lead an open and frank discussion in which the storming phase of Tuckman’s five stages of group development can transpire. Gatenby will have to lead the way and show control, but the clearing the air phase has to happen, and the disgruntled employees have to own up to their own mistakes and be given the chance to leave with their pride in spite of everything. It is time to bury the hatchet and focus on what needs to be done. The team needs to turn a corner and resolve to be there for one another, to forgive past wrongs or perceived wrongs, and to be positive about the road that lies ahead regardless of what has happened in the past.

Conclusion

The project at Abu Dhabi is Gatenby’s dream project; unfortunately, the team that has been assembled is not a dream team. It is full of disgruntled employees, one of who does not want to be abroad and two of whom hate each other. FEL should have used better criteria when assembling the team, such as personal preferences for travel and which workers have a history of working well together. However, the team has been selected and now Jobe must make it work. The best way to do that is for everyone to clear the air and get out the bad blood and negative thoughts. Using Tuckman’s five stages of group development, Gatenby should now focus on the storming phase and allow everyone to voice his opinions while he himself seizes control of the group and gets them to focus on the task at hand in spite of their dislikes…