THE PROJECT TEAM

 In an attempt to extract key features of teams

and develop a working definition of teams
there are four common characteristics of a
“team.”
• Two or more individuals
• A shared or common goal(s)
• Task interdependency
• A desired productive outcome(s)
1.Improves performance outcomes.
2. Increases employee’s acceptance of
responsibility
3. Empowers teams
4. Frees Managers for other functions.
5. Creates higher employee satisfaction.
A team is always distinguished by the fact that
its members are “people with complementary
skills who are committed to a common
purpose, set of performance goals, and
approach for which they hold themselves
mutually accountable.”

Groups in general need not have such

unanimity of purpose. Group performance is
merely the summation of each group
member’s performance.
 The structure provides excellent flexibility and
full use of employees.
 Employees are given the opportunity to gain
new experience and to develop new skills.
 The overall team and cross-functional working
attitude of employees is improved.
 Individual experts can share their expertise
across a number of different projects.
 Experts working together can create new
synergies that cannot evolve in the rigid
functional structure.
 Employees working on projects are not
prevented from following their primary career
path within the function.
 Project membership offers new potential
career paths within the organisation.
 Making use of internal project team members
is often less costly than employing a series of
external consultants to provide the same
service
 The function continues to operate as normal
despite being depleted of resources (at least to
some extent) by the project.
 People who have worked for a long time in a
functional environment may have difficulty in
adapting to the demands of the project
environment.
 Several projects are likely to be running
simultaneously within organisations. A project
manager sometimes has difficulty in ensuring that
his project is given the priority and attention that it
requires
Sentience
Is the tendency for individuals
to identify with their own
professions and background
rather than with the projects or
organizations and their goals
 Interdependency

is the tendency for teams to depend on inputs

from more than one individual in order for the
whole system to develop.

For example, an architect can design a particular

detail, but it may not finally be accepted until it
has been costed by a surveyor. The input of both
individuals is required before the design can
progress to the next stage; hence the
interdependence.
Teams can feature

pooled interdependency,

where individual sections or divisions make

contributions to the whole. There may also be

sequential interdependency,

where an input is required from a number of

individuals or sections before the process or
system can move past a milestone or project
gateway and onto its next phase
 Generally, the greater the multidisciplinary
nature of the team, the greater is the tendency
towards sentience and interdependency