M5_A1_ Assignment 1: LASA – Final Project Report_MGT402

James Bates

Project Management | MGT 402

Argosy University

August 1st, 2018

Project team management

In this assignment, we will look at exactly how project communications and interactions work between the project manager, stallholders and the project team. Also, we will look at the issues that a project manager should be concerned about when forming the project team. The assignment will additionally look at any situational factors existing that may impact the project team's performance. Finally, possible projects pitfalls to be looked out for during the execution of the project are explored.

There are different types of communication that should be addressed during a project execution. In our case, the project manager can employ transactional communication to convey their directions to the project team and other stakeholders. The transactional communication is purposed to convey information hence can work across the board. The plumbing team may wish to let their concerns known by the management team. The District 4 project team could also communicate among themselves. The project manager can use memos, emails or meetings to bring all the stakeholders together. He or she ensures each of the party involved in the District 4 project is fully aware of his or her duties and/or responsibilities. Also, the inspectors to carry out all the required inspections will have let it know if the inspection process has succeeded to allow the project team to progress to next stage.

The relational communication will be applicable among the project team, the stakeholders and also the project manager. It is undisputable that good relationships contribute to an effective team. Through relational communication, the project team members will be able to build relationships among themselves. By interacting by each other, the members will be able to develop trust, get approval as well as corrections from each other. This will form a good team who will appreciate each other's diversity in opinions and expertise. "Scheduled communication will be needed" (Dow, & Taylor, 2015). Think of those weekly emails that the project manager sends on every Wednesday to everyone. They give extra directions and report on the progress of the project and organize all the stakeholders both internally and externally. To top the list, the project manager can send impromptu messages or calls to address any concern that arises any time and day of the week.

As the project manager when forming the project team, I would be concerned about conflict and tension issues. Apparently, conflict can be a "hindrance to a well functioning project team"(Cobb, 2012). When forming the District 4 project team, I would look out for members who can resolve a conflict in case it arises. I would go for members who are peace makers. Another issue I would be concerned about is trust. A project team cannot function without trust. Trust among the District 4 project team members will promote an understanding among the members. Consequently, each member will be accountable for his or her actions. If trust issues are sorted out transparency is bound to develop.

Another issue is low engagement of the project team. I would ensure that the members I choose possess high engagement skills. This will help them be committed to executing the mission of District 4 project. Their interest in the project will be enhanced making each of the members be involved. Low engagement will translate low performance.

The exit of one or multiple team members during the project execution can affect another members' performance. Mostly the project team consist of members that represent each of the functional area of the project. An exit of a member will mean that a particular functional area will not be represented; translating to one team playing the roles for two or more members. Another situational factor is the eternal and external environment. If the environment keeps on changing, the project team's performance will definitely be affected.

The first project pitfall I will want to watch out for is poor communication. Without effective communication a project is bound to fail. It is the main driving force of any project. This is because it helps a project manager to get feedback about the project. The stakeholders are also able to give updates to colleagues on what needs to done.

Another pitfall would be” unclear roles and responsibilities" (Wiefling, 2007) of the parties involved. This will translate to unclear deliverables. This pitfall results to poor performance since the parties do not understand what exactly they are to do. Additionally, lack of trust between the project team and the manager could be catastrophic. A manager who doesn't trust his or her team is good as working alone. Trust serves as a strengthening tool between the manager, the project team and other stakeholders.

References

Cobb, A. T. (2012). Leading project teams: The basics of project management and team leadership. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE.

Dow, W., & Taylor, B. (2015). Project management communication tools.

Wiefling, K. (2007). Scrappy project management: The 12 predictable and avoidable pitfalls that every project faces. Silicon Valley, Calif: Scrappy About.