Prm 700 - Advanced Project Management

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Prm700-Advanced Project Management

Suppose you are a project manager and you are starting a new project. For that you have just selected the team members. Of the five stages of team development, select one and describe with examples how you would take your team through that particular stage of team development.

Saad Tanwir

Assignment no. 02

OVERVEIW: Each Team experiences the five phases of Team development. Bruce Tuckman give up the descriptors “Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing" in 1965 to depict the development phases of Teams. Adjourning was added later on. Under the scope of the following assignment we consider a hypothetical situation where a team has been formed from different parts of an expansive administration organization for a new process improvement project that is expected to enhance the organization’s customer base. The Project Manager on this venture is Saad Tanwir (myself) having 15 years experience as a PM leading Process improvement projects. At this point we are already done with the forming phase of team development and are heading towards Storming phase. This stage of Team development is unavoidable; each group most particularly group who has never cooperated as a team before has to experience this stage.. Being the team head I am now exposed to different challenges and planning how to overcome them.

Current Scenario:

The team is going through the following situation:

•  The team members are contending with one another for status and for acknowledgment of their thoughts for example aggressive competition between team members having experience and authority. They have diverse conclusions on what ought to be done and how it ought to be done, which is causing conflict inside of the group. For example a few members feel that their input wasn’t taken before developing Project schedule.
• Team members are maneuvering for positions and looking for clarifications of their parts/roles in the team for example confusion between team members having work of similar nature. The principles are presently defined to start the project. However a few individuals are prepared to get to the assignments of the team, while others are feeling overpowered with the quantity of work to be refined. The goal(s) and the value of the group are currently questioned.
• This stage is exceptionally emotional. Everybody is frequently on different page. They feel puzzled attempting to achieve objectives and goals for which they are considered responsible. For example a few of my team members are sensitive and less tolerant who easily react on situations and misbehave.

Strategies /Action Plan:

Keeping in mind the current challenges and issues I have developed the following strategies or action plan:

• Help the Team in building up procedures and structure .for example involve them in making decisions which can give them a sense of belongingness and ownership to team.
• Resolving the conflicts within the group .for example coach members on assertiveness, build trust and good relations, ensuring that the team members listen to each other by acting as a facilitator.

• Help the team members in building great working connections .for example arranging luncheons and casual times where they can interact and get to know each other.
• Make the members realize the situation and provide them motivation .for example this could be done by describing them this team development process which may give them the idea that things would get better in future.
• Coaching and Mentoring on assertiveness can be a useful tool to bring everyone on one page .For example arrange Trainings on subjects like ‘how a team works’ or ‘ Motivation’, ‘Resolving conflicts’ etc.
• Being the PM you should be adept at facilitating the team. For example facilitating contributions from all team members and not allowing any one member to control all conversations.
• Remain positive; the PM should act as a role model for the rest. For example remain firm and calm by not showing the tensions and have patience in facing the challenges and teams goals which will motivate others too.
• Initiate Team building activities which can be a powerful tool to unite the team .for example problem solving exercises and productive games.
• Apply conflict Management techniques.