Leadership and Team Building
An effective project team leader is a "social architect". One who
understands the interaction of organizational and behavioral variables, can foster
a climate of active participation and can minimize dysfunctional conflict. To
be effective, the team leader must identify major issues associated with three
dimensions. The first dimension is the project organization structure, including
organizational development, and senior management involvement to ensure visibility,
resource availability and overall support for the project throughout its life
cycle. The second is team related with emphasis on behavioral aspects such as
team structure, trust and respect, or conversely, barriers to team development.
The third is project task and resource related such as goals and objectives,
planning and scope management, scheduling and cost control. These are all accomplished
through effective communication.
But what of the other essential ingredient, the team, the followers? Ideally,
the more the team can be motivated and empowered to "take the bull by the
horns", the more productive they become and the less direction and control
is required. This has been called empowered team work, or Self Directed Work
Teams (SDWTs). In the project context, however, they are probably more appropriately
termed Self Managed Work Teams (SMWTs).
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Leadership
and the Project Life Cycle
