Project Team Building, Conflict, and Negotiation Chapter 6

Learning Goals Understand the steps involved in project team building. Know the characteristics of effective project teams and why teams fail. See the advantages and challenges of virtual project teams. Know the stages in the development of groups. Describe how to achieve cross-functional cooperation in teams. Understand the nature of conflict and evaluate response methods. Understand the importance of negotiation skills in project management.

Building the Project Team Identify necessary skills Building the Project Team Identify people with these skills Talk to potential team members Negotiate with their supervisor Success? Renegotiate with top management No Yes Yes Success? No Assemble the team Build fallback positions / Adjust schedules / Partial participation / Notify stakeholders of consequences

Characteristics of Effective Project Teams A clear sense of project mission  A productive understanding of team interdependencies Cohesiveness  A high level of trust A shared sense of enthusiasm  A “results” orientation Team members know their role on the team

Reasons Why Teams Fail Poorly developed or unclear goals Poorly defined project team roles & interdependencies Lack of project team motivation Poor communication Poor leadership Turnover among project team members Dysfunctional behavior or disruptive acts

Constraints on Building the Project Team It is important to consider the following constraints when staffing the project Type of organizational structure Employment agreements Preference on project team members Other projects Priority of projects

Stages in Group Development Forming – members become acquainted Storming – conflict begins Norming – members reach standard agreements Performing – the work is performed Adjourning – group disbands Punctuated Equilibrium is a different model

Team Development Stages 5. Adjourning Convene 1. Forming Inclusion Testing Quiet Polite Guarded Impersonal Business-like High Morale Trust Flexible Supportive Confident Efficient High Morale 4. Performing Productivity 2. Storming Control Infighting Conflict over control Confrontational Alienation Personal agendas Low morale Productive 3. Norming Cooperation Organized Establish procedures Develop team skills Confront issues Rebuilding morale

Model of Punctuated Equilibrium

Achieving Cross-Functional Cooperation Task Outcomes (is successful) Psychosocial Outcomes (feels successful) Rules & Procedures Physical Proximity Accessibility Superordinate Goals (everyone has same objective) Feedback loop

Building High-Performing Teams Make the project team tangible Use publicity Encourage unique terminology & language Reward good behavior with non-monetary rewards Flexible, creative, practical Develop a personal touch Lead by example Positive feedback for good performance Be accessible & consistent

Virtual Project Teams How Can Virtual Teams Be Improved? Establish clear expectations Use face-to-face communication whenever possible Don’t let team members disappear Establish a code of conduct with team members Keep everyone in the communication loop Create a process for addressing conflict Use electronic media to link members of a geographically dispersed project team

Conflict Management Conflict is a process that begins when you perceive that someone has frustrated, or is about to frustrate, a major concern of yours. Categories of conflict Goal-oriented Based on end result Administrative Based on reporting relationships Interpersonal Personality differences Views of conflict Traditional Views conflict as negative Behavioral Manage conflict, don’t eliminate it Interactionist Encourage conflict

Sources of Conflict Organizational Reward systems Scarce resources Uncertainty Differentiation between functional groups Interpersonal Misperceive Faulty communication Personal grudges & prejudices

Methods of Conflict Resolution Mediate – defuse and confront Arbitrate – judgment Control – cool down period Accept – unmanageable Eliminate – transfer the member Conflict is often evidence of progress!

Negotiation A process that is predicated on a manager’s ability to use influence productively. Questions to ask prior to entering a negotiation How much power do I have, and how much power does the other party believe I have? What sort of time pressures are there? Do I trust my opponent?

Principled Negotiation Separate the people from the problem Focus on interests, not positions Invent options for mutual gain Insist on using objective criteria Remember: You negotiate for information Karrass.com Fisher & Ury

Discussion Questions This chapter discussed the characteristics of high performing project teams.  List the factors that characterize these teams and give examples of each one. “Trust can actually encourage disagreement and conflict among team members.”  Explain why this could be the case. Identify the stages of group development.  Why is it necessary for project teams to move through these stages prior to becoming productive? Gersick’s model of punctuated equilibrium offers an alternative view of group development.  Why does she suggest that some defining moment (such as an explosion of emotion) often occurs at some midpoint in the project?  What does this defining event accomplish for the team?

Discussion Questions Explain the concepts of “task outcomes” and “psychosocial outcomes” for a project.  Why are psychosocial outcomes so important for project team members? Distinguish between the traditional, behavioral, and interactionist views of team conflict.  How might each explain and treat a project team conflict episode? Identify the five major methods for resolving conflict.  Give an example of how each might be applied in a hypothetical project team conflict episode. What are some of the guidelines for adopting a strategy of “principled negotiation?” Explain the idea that we should “focus on interests, not positions.”  Can you think of an example in which you successfully negotiated with someone else using this principle?