Designing Project Teams

Revision as of 22:40, 21 November 2014

Summary

The most common characteristics of Danish companies are, that for each project, they are composing a new team. The composition of project teams are based on the employee availability for the project. That means, that the project teams are randomly formed. Ensuring the right team, is now an important managerial activity for project managers. The dilemma is often, that a project manager does not know where to find the expertise and right person within the organization (Belbin, 2010).

As lunching and building the project teams is the most important stages of starting up a project, my research in this article is to find out how Belbin’s team development-concept will help to ensure the right teams in projects. Belbin team development is a tool that makes it possible to get an overview of where team members are assigned optimal roles. How it will be advantageous to combine the individual teams in relation to current project and departments. It sheds light on, whether each team need specific roles to solve a given task optimally (campion M, 1996).

By picking and matching high-performance teams, the project manager will ensure a good team and increase the overall efficiency and opportunity to experiencing the positive effects that he had hoped for (Cohen S, 1994).

Designing teams

Many theories indicate that it requires knowledge of group formation and structure of the team, to achieve a high performance team (Tuckman 2000). When building a team, it is important that there is a framework for creating a high-performance team, which includes a positive team environment and collaborate problem solving. The positive team environment includes basic rules, team identity, listening skills, and meeting management (Hvenegaard 2003). In addition, collaborative problem solving consists of continuous learning, conflict solving, decision-making styles and problem analysis (Hvenegaard 2003). Therefor the managers should focus on building relationships between the team and provide leadership and management. The open and trusting relationships reduce communication barriers and have an impact on communication efficiency. In order to complete a project successfully, it is important in my view that there is a good relationship and good cooperation among the team members. As it is a part of humans social needs. (Hein 2009)

There are many factors such as; group roles, conflict solving, learning styles, and guidance which has influences in the nature of the group. It is therefore important that all stakeholders in the group have achieved a common understanding of the principles behind the goal (Algreen 1997). When a number of people included in a group with others, consume each person a form of role. This role may vary and is influenced by various factors, such as group work, the number of people in the group, the social relationship between the group and the group members' roles and responsibility (Algreen 1997). In order to build a strong team (Mullins 2007) argues that it is important to ensure that there is a balance between team members' functional role and team role. By ensuring balance between team's roles, you get a strong team, who together make each other better, by using each other’s strengths and avoiding each other’s weaknesses. At the same time as providing awareness of own and other team roles better internal acceptance of colleagues' strengths and weaknesses in teamwork. This gives a much greater efficiency, job satisfaction and communication among individual team members (Hilary 2008). For composition and development such strong teams, Belbin Team roles theory will be a good starting point. The definitions of team’s roles help loosen up the inefficient teams and conflicts between employees, which occurs because of different ways of thinking (Mullins 2006). Belbin Team Roles theory is a powerful concept because it introduces a common language for roles and team cooperation. Then it becomes easier to talk specifically about how each member contributes to a part of the work and the end result. It is a tool that optimizes the composition of the teams (Belbin 2010).

Belbin and his team roles concept

To describe the importance of selecting the right team members, Dr. Meredith Belbin and his team roles concept is one of the most recognized theories, which is based on his extensive analysis of the composition and development of teams. The theory is based on a variety of other theories on the same subject (Belbin 2010).

Over the nine years analyzed and observed Belbin and his team, the factors which has influence on whether a team was successful or failure. His research resulted in particular in two conclusions (Mullins 2007). - Nine team roles as a result of the empirical research. Describes the behavior and the contribution to the team, which can ensure effectiveness and success. - A team's strengths and weaknesses in relation to project teams-composition

Belbin defends 9 roles, which he means a person may take in the context of a group. The analysis says nothing about the individual's skills, or evaluate the individual as a good or bad teammate, but focuses on the role each employee plays in the team. The profile consists of an analysis form, each team member should fill out, and a number of questionnaires (Belbin 2010). Team Role analysis is very valuable work of Team Development, both for the individual and for the whole team. Belbin team-roles are a tool that makes it easy to work with team development and focuses on how the individual will have an important role in the team's overall problem solving.

A team role is defined by Dr Meredith Belbin as: “A behavior pattern that is characteristics for the way a person acts against another person in circumstances where this behavior is used to promote the whole group's work (Mullins 2007).

In the following I will describe the various team roles, their characteristics, their strengths and weaknesses on teamwork.

The Nine team roles

Plant: This role is not necessarily the official leadership role and can therefore in principle be held by all group members. He is the visionary member who often takes the lead and puts projects. He knows what can be done and knows how to motivate others to give to the project. (Belbin 2010)

Strengths:

• Dynamics
• Get others to provide

weaknesses:

• High temperament
• Impatient
• Provoking effect on the other team

Organizer: The organizer has an eye for other people's ideas and make sure that others' strengths are exploited for the benefit of the whole group. She understands that it is about achieving the right balance in the group, which takes account of all group members' strengths and weaknesses. The organizer works all by listening to the opinions of others, summarizes information obtained, mediating between team members, and ensure that decisions are changed according to all this.

The organizer(s) are motivated by their sense of loyalty to the rest of the team, therefore, they often also the acidic tasks that others would otherwise let lie. Often the organizer however seen as inflexible because they find it difficult to leave their own thoughtful plans and structures (Belbin 2010).

Strengths:

• Disciplined
• Large Loyalty
• Focus on Efficiency
• Tend to draw realistic assessments

Weaknesses:

• Inflexible
• New ideas are perceived as airy until they are proven

Idea-creator: it is natural to work with reflections on the task start and end, as well as the main roads have to be accessed in the workflow. He is good at using his creativity and thinking in new directions. This can be especially good if the group is about to "go dead" in the task. "Idea-creator's" ability and interest to see new ways and focus on the broad outlines of a project means often that he does not want to work with routine and detail work (Belbin2010).

Strengths

• Creativity
• Ingenuity
• Resourcefulness

weaknesses:

• Dont want to work with routines
• Not focus details

Resource Investigators: has a good overview of the ideas and suggestions other team produces. She has good eye for the resources and people who exist outside of the group, but may be able to help the group forward. Resource Collector can often help to improve the proposals and ideas, because she has an eye for special combinations in relation to team members, resources and other solutions. Resource Collector, however, often has to get input from others as there is a danger that she will get bored themselves and thus become ineffective in the group (Belbin 2010).

Strength:

• Extroversion
• Enthusiasm
• Curiosity
• And a good ability to investigate and seek out opportunities

Weaknesses:

• Quickly lose interest
• Talk a lot

Analyst:"Analyst" will make sure that all ideas and suggestions are well thought out before it is decided to go ahead with these. She provides critical evaluation of several alternatives on an objective basis and therefor occupies an important role in the group when it comes to assessment issues. The weakness of analyst is that she can be so critical that she is not receptive to new initiatives or changes in relation to the decisions taken (Belbin 2010).

Strength

• Analytical glance
• Objective approach
• Strong judgment
• Has the ability to evaluate rational aspects in the work

Weakness

• very direct
• Critical
• And it hard to enthuse other team members

Team worker To the group works well, it is important that there is a good atmosphere in the group. This ensures implementer for, as he tries to support the other group members in their belief in their own abilities, ideas and opportunities to bring something to the solution of the group. He is a catalyst in the group communication, as he makes sure that everyone is heard and constantly finds new ways to open up the conversation in the group. He is also good to mitigate conflicts and contradictions in the group.

The intermediary shall ensure social cohesion, where the roles are bound together and creating team spirit. The intermediary would then like that all is well, which can result in conflict-avoidance. At the same time, the intermediary may be a little invisible in the team, but only until they are gone and the small discussion starts to flare up (Belbin 2010).

Strengths:

• Extroversion
• Diplomatic skills
• Flexibility
• Has the ability to avoid friction and create a good working

Weaknesses

• Undecided
• Allergic
• Confrontational
• Is uncertain in crucial situations

"Finisher" He is aware of how things can go wrong and what needs to be looked through thoroughly. In the last part of the task can "finisher" become impatient and nervous about the critical details should be forgotten. He is therefore important to ensure a high quality end product (Belbin 2010). Strengths:

• Perfectionist
• Focused on details

Weakness

• Impatient
• Nervous
• Inner tension

Shaper: working practical, effective and systematic. She ensures that the routines and rules are created and that the adopted plans are being implemented. She identifies a lot with the group and has not marked private agendas. She may have difficulty changing routines and plans, and deviations from the agreed decisions (Belbin 2010). Strength:

• Driven
• Passionate
• Willful
• competitive

Weaknesses

• Impatient
• Courageous

Specialist is the group member who possesses a high level of professional knowledge and he is therefore in many cases indispensable for the group. He works exclusively with the academic content of the group and through that a high commitment to the task. The Specialist, however, contributes almost exclusively for group work within an academic narrow field, while other areas and people in the group did not have his great interest. The specialist contributes to the team with a great deal of specific knowledge. The challenge is that they are often uninterested in what the team is working with besides this specialty area (Belbin 2010).

Strength

• Strong professional commitment
• Self-confidence
• Specialist knowledge
• Has a concentrated effort on their own goals and tasks

Weaknesses:

• Un-interested in others areas
• Often contributes only with its own professionalism to the team

Team performing

Belbin has not optimal team size ranges, but he suggest a team size about 10-12. If the team increases in the size, the team has to split in sub-teams (Mullins 2006). These do not necessarily have to cover all nine team roles, but they must be balanced. It is also necessary to look at the order of selection of roles. (Belbin 2010) recommends starting with finding the idea generator, than looking after the other roles. In order to get group work function well, it is important that everyone knows each other's strengths and weaknesses, and that everyone understands each other’s role in relation to the project. If the group knows each other and the roles in the group will furthermore be a good basis to avoid conflicts in the group (Wong 2000). Group roles were described according to Belbin, who developed a theory that there are 9 different types of roles that can occur in a group. If the group is aware of the types of roles in the team, they gain greater understanding of everyone in the team, and this will help to find a balance in the team and organize a workflow that everyone's way of working is promoted (Hilary 1999).

Conclusion

Although the managers can judge from project participants CVs, if they are recruited the right professional profiles to a group, it is not guaranteed that the group will work perfect An efficient, well-functioning project is not only determined by what the participants can academically, but also of the personal skills, abilities and personality type. Quality of work comes from good cooperation. When we give ourselves time and prioritize professional corporation, should the individual's wishes, goals and personal development be discussed and taken in consideration. It also means that we strengthen the ability to cooperate and that most employees can feel, that their professional approach to working life are weighted higher (Cohen 1994). The background of individuals preferred team role will be different from person to person. This is because the behavior is based on the interaction of several factors. Someone is evident in their behavior, which is shown by a clear profile and there is high correlation between self-assessment and the observers' assessment. Other people have a special ability to adapt to different working contexts. It may be a sign of versatility and attention to the team takes they are part of. Some variation in the most distinct team role can be expected (Mullins 2006). Belbin Team Development is a powerful tool when you want to work towards more efficient, happy and loyal employees in each team. Belbin Team Development is ideal when you want to work with: (Belbin 2010).

- more effective teams - enhanced cooperation and better communication between team - promote helping and supportive attitude within the team - fewer conflicts on the individual team - better working environment at team level - respect for the individual and team goals - create common understanding of team roles and team goals

References

[1] (Cohen 1994). The effectivness of self-managing teams: a quasi-experiment. Human Reæations, 47: 13-43.

[2] (Belbin 2010) Team Roles at Work. 2. Edition. R Merdith Belbin, Routledge. ISBN: 976-1-85617-800-6

[3] (Campion 1996) Relations between work team characteristics and effectiveness: A replication and extension. Personnel Psychology , 49; 429-53.

[4] (Hvenegaard 2003). Gruppeorganiseret arbejde: På vej mod bedre arbejdsmiljæ og konkurrence evne? København: Frydenlund.

[5] (Tuckman 2000) Creative leadership processes in project team development: An alternative to Tuckman´s Stage Model, British journal of management, vol 11

[6] (Hein 2009) Motivation: Motivationsteori og praktisk anvendelse” af Helle Hedegaard Hein version 1, københavn 2009.

[7] (Algreen 1997) Metode I Projektarbejdet projekt serien: Metode i projektarbejdet, problemorientering og gruppearbejde af Helle Algreen-ussing og Niels o. Fruensgaard.

[8] (Hilary 1999) Journal of Management Development Volume 18, Issue 8 Team role balance and team performance: an empirical study Partington, David Harris, Hilary 1999

[9](Mullins 2007) Education Essentials of Organisational Behaviour Af Laurie J. Mullins Pearson Education, 2006. ISBN: 0273707345, 9780273707349

[10] (Wong 2000). The leader relationship: Building teamwork with and among employees. Leadershp& organization; 21:350-4