Effect of Human Behaviour on Successful

Project Management
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 06/06/19  Examples  Reference this

Tags: EmploymentProject Management

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Figures

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Literature Review

3.0 Personal Reflection and Links to Project Management

4.0 Conclusion

5.0 Recommendations

REFERENCES

List of Figures
Figure 1: People’s placement in Project Management
1.0  Introduction
Over the decades, organisations have constantly strived to improve the effectiveness of
project teams. Projects are considered to be a failure if they are not delivered within the
scope and budget and if they are not delivered on time. As a result, poor project
management is a major concern for organisations, particularly when there is a need for
huge investments of resources.

With the advent of information technology, communication and the availability of vast
amounts of information on how to execute projects in various domains, project teams
still find it extremely difficult to complete the project within the specifications. Hence, it
is imperative that organisations and project teams adopt new ideas and methodologies
while managing projects.

Several experts around the world have conducted research on how to improve the
processes involved with project management. However, a critical aspect being missed is
the people involved. This essay believes that people behaviour is a key driving force to
ensure successful project management.

Traditional project management deals with developing project charters, stakeholder

registers and project management plans highlighting the scope, cost, schedule and the
risks. However, the people involved are constantly missed out. However, Figure 1
indicates not only the need for good project management methodologies but also
acknowledges the need for strong and cohesive project teams.

Figure 1: People’s placement in Project Management

(Murthy & Sreenivas, 2014)

This essay highlights the need for close – knit project teams by analysing the impact of
team dynamics team performances. Furthermore, by reviewing the literature, the report
draws suitable conclusions by comparing the theory with the relevant examples during
the field trip to Mount Cotton. The report also makes necessary links to project
management.

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2.0 Literature Review

A group is commonly referred to as several individuals coming together to accomplish a
specific goal or task (Oluikpe, 2015). And when we talk about group dynamics, it refers
to the behavioural characteristics of the group. Group dynamics primarily deals with
how groups are formed. Furthermore, group dynamics also deals with how the team
functions as a single entity by taking a closer look into the structure and the processes
adopted by the team. In the current process driven world, the dynamics which impact
project teams are often overlooked.

What is Team Dynamics?

Team dynamics deals with the unconscious psychological forces which influences the
team behaviour and performance (Georgiadis, 2015). Team dynamics is a result of the
following:

 Nature of the team’s work

 Team members’ personalities
 Relationships between team members
 Environment in which the team operates

The unconscious psychological forces can either positively or negatively impact the
team performance. Hence, to get a better understanding what team dynamics are, the
report shifts its focus to the impacts of these dynamics on team performance. They
include:

 Team cohesiveness:
Team cohesion is the degree to which each member wants to contribute to enhance
team effectiveness to work as single functioning unit (Ivaskovic, 2014). To run operations
effectively, organisations are divided into departments and their further sub divided into
teams to perform specific tasks. However, with an increase in the rate of globalisations,
team based work groups have increased dramatically in organisations. Thus, for
organisations to grow, these teams must successfully execute their projects. Hence, it is
quintessential that team performances are high to ensure organisations reach their
specific goals and objectives.

Team cohesion establishes a strong environment where team members are committed
to achieve their goals by communicating with one another constantly to track and
monitor the progress of the project. As a result, team performance increases
significantly.

Hence, it is evident that team performance and team cohesion have a positive
correlation. Furthermore, they can be enhanced by positive motivation by providing
group based rewards (Fruhen & Keith, 2014). For example, the portfolio manager and
the project managers can reward project teams for displaying excellent team chemistry.
Therefore, team cohesiveness becomes a dynamic process which reflects the tendency
of the team to work together in order to achieve their respective targets.

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 Team Member Engagement:

An engaged team member is one who is enthusiastic and committed to their work and
constantly look for methods to enhance the team’s effectiveness. The level employee
engagement clearly depicts the relation between team leaders and their respective
members (Nolan, 2011). To put this in simple terms, the characteristics of the team
leader is a significant factor when it comes to employee engagement. According to a
research study conducted by Robert Walters, where he surveyed 250 managers and
approximately 700 employees across Australia and New Zealand, indicated 61% of the
employees are engaged in their work because team leaders provide challenging and
interesting work (Walters, 2014).

Acknowledging the chain of command of an organisation, the only source to provide

clear information on the corporate goals and objectives to the team members is the
team manager (Macey & Schneider, 2008). Consequently, the team leaders must play an
active role in conveying the corporate goals to their respective team members.
Therefore, the team members feel closely involved with the organisation. As a result,
employees are motivated to work.

Other steps that can be adopted to enhance employee engagement are to provide
rewards and recognition. Furthermore, team members should be provided with
opportunities for career progression. The flowchart below indicates the positive impacts
of higher employee engagement.

 Team member interactions:

Similar to the aforementioned impacts, team member interactions are also impacted by
group dynamics. Communication is a vital tool for high performing teams. A Strong
communication channel helps to build a positive relationship between team members
(Pinto & Pinto, 1990). With frequent interactions creates an environment where team
members share ideas and knowledge.

Dynamics is referred to an interactive system or process which involves conflicting or

competing forces (Georgiadis, 2015). However, team dynamics primarily focuses on the
interaction between team members and relates it to team performance. Further, team
dynamics also relates to how team members relate to their individual tasks. From this,
we can infer that team dynamics can impact communication.

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Poor communication in any team will obstruct the efficiency. Regardless of the size of
the project team, good communication is quintessential for productivity (Pinto & Pinto,
1990). When team members receive poorly communicated information, employees
often do not understand the task clearly. Consequently, team members feel undervalued
and they are no longer committed to their work.

It is also important to note that communication is a two way street. The information
flows from one team member to another and then back. Hence, the team leader must
create an environment where team members are comfortable sharing their knowledge
and ideas. Thus, the effectiveness of the team will improve when team members are
constantly interacting with one another.
  Decision making process:

The ability of an individual to make decisions varies from person to person. Rational
judgement is often impacted by human emotions. However, the biggest factor affecting
decision making is when a group is involved. Team dynamics can help individual team
members to make decisions as a team. However, team dynamics can also have negative
impacts on the decision making process (Georgiadis, 2015). Every team will rely on
group decision making at some point during their tasks. Hence, team leaders must be
aware of any group biases and its impacts.

Some common illustrations are:

1. Conformity: Several team members often just go along with the group decision,
even though they know that certain decisions may not be the right one (Rozin,
2001).
2. Group Polarizations: One would think that decisions made by a group are often
moderate. However, the phenomenon called group polarization intensifies
people’s attitude (Van Swol, 2009). As a result, extreme decisions are made.
3. Obedience to Authority: Team leaders must never be under the impressions
that since team members are following instructions the team performance will be
high. On the contrary, team performance is negatively impacted when team
members never challenge the team leader’s decisions.

The team dynamics that have been discussed so far will be further elaborated in the
following section by relating to specific instances during the field trip to Mount Cotton.

3.0 Personal Reflection and Links to Project

Management
Background of the field trip to Mount Cotton:

The field trip to Mount Cotton highlighted the fact “project management processes is
not the only entity which ensures project success”. Rather, the flied trip emphasized that
the people involved are the key drivers. There were four project teams, where each team
had to execute certain tasks. Each team had a team leader who reported to the program
manager. The program manager ensured that all projects were being executed
successfully keeping the interests of the project owners in mind. The project teams had
to work together as a close – knit team by establishing strong communication channels
between each other. Furthermore, team members had to work coherently to avoid fines
(both in terms cost and time). The flow chart below indicates the chain of command
which was followed during the field trip.

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Task 1: The Chasm

The first task required all project teams to work together. The goal was to get all project
team members to cross the chasm without losing any equipment. Thus, project teams
had come up with a constructive idea to cross the chasm by using a few ropes, one
plank, one harness and one karabiner.

The program manager had to create an environment, via team leaders, where individual
team members are actively involved to come up with the best solution to cross the
chasm.  The program manager did a commendable job by constantly interacting with
the key stakeholders. Hence, project teams always knew what they were doing since the
instructions were clear. Specifically, the project team leader adopted a democratic
approach. As a result, the team leader was successful in creating a very friendly work
environment. The team members felt comfortable sharing ideas and knowledge.

Relating back to the literature, it was discovered that when the project team leader
promotes an environment which supports interactions, it increases the rate of employee
engagement. Consequently, we, as project team members, were enthusiastic about our
roles and constantly came up with new ideas to execute the task.

The crucial aspect was that all project teams had to execute this specific task. Hence, to
further benefit project teams, the program manager provided every project team leader
a chance to pitch in their respective ideas. Inevitably, the program manager created an
environment where every project team’s input was valued.

Again, going back to the literature, it was indicated that team dynamics primarily deals
with the unconscious psychological forces which influences the team behaviour. Hence,
it is evident that the program manager as well as the project team leaders did an
excellent job creating a positive work environment and improving the relationships
between team members. They realised the importance for a close knit project team,
right from the beginning. These illustrations from the program manager and the project
team leaders enabled the team members to develop a positive attitude towards their
respective tasks. However, it is crucial to maintain this work environment during the
course of the entire project.

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Task 2: Object Retrieval

The second task was specifically for project team 4. The goal was to retrieve the object
which was located in the middle of the circle. However, there was one key specification
from the project owners: no team member or equipment must touch the ground. The
project team was provided with the two poles, few ropes of varying lengths, harness and
three karabiners.

The project team leader continued to adopt a democratic style of leadership on the
basis of the team’s performance in the previous task. The task required team members
to think outside the box and come up with innovative ideas to retrieve the object. With
ideas constantly jumping around the team, it was finally decided that our project team
will require additional manpower. The task required the team members to hold the
poles in an upright position on opposite sides on the circumference of the circle. With
the aid of the ropes, the required tension will be provided for one person use harness
and retrieve the object. In order to hold the poles in an upright position the project
team required more manpower.

Mistake 1:

The program manager was extremely busy running around ensuring all projects were
progressing smoothly, keeping the stakeholder’s expectations in mind. Consequently,
the information of our project team requiring additional manpower took a lot of time to
reach the program manager. Moreover, with other project teams busy with their
respective tasks, the program manager found it difficult to provide the required
manpower. The fact that the information took a while to reach the program manager
resulted in project team 4 to sit idle.

It is evident from this illustration that as the project progresses, the responsibilities
carried out by the program manger and the project managers increases constantly. With
so many things happening simultaneously, it is a natural human tendency for a few
things slip out of one’s mind. This example exemplifies the need for constant
interactions between team members, project team leaders and the program manager to
track the progress of a project.

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Mistake 2:

Meanwhile, as our project team waited for the additional manpower to arrive, we
continued to come up with alternatives. Credit has to be given to the project team
leader for continuing to promote employee engagement. However, as fatigue creped in,
team members were exhausted. This led to the birth of subgroups within our project
team. Consequently, team member interactions reduced during the course of the
project. Reduced interactions led to poor communication channels which negatively
impacted team cohesion as well as the rate of employee engagement. As a result, the
overall effectiveness of the team reduced.

4.0 Conclusion
The present day scenario dictates organisations to constantly to improve the efficiency
of the processes involved in project management. However, based on the literature
review and relating it to the field trip, this essay highlights the need to adopt a people
oriented project management approach. After all, it is the people who drive the projects.

Furthermore, the literature indicates that team dynamics are unconscious psychological
forces which impacts team behaviour and performance. However, these unconscious
psychological forces can be controlled by the project manager. To further elaborate, the
project manager must constantly analyse how his/her actions impact the effectiveness
of the project team. Hence, the project manager must be adaptable.

Going back to Figure 1, project managers must promote a project management

environment which is people oriented. Project managers can significantly improve the
efficiency of project execution by learning how team members perform individually as
well as in a team.  It is important to note that people oriented project management
approach does not reject the principles of traditional project management. Rather, the
emphasis is on using these principles based on the situations to enhance team
behaviour. As a result, there should an emphasis on human psychology, experiences of
team members and team dynamics.

5.0 Recommendations
Now that we know team dynamics can be influenced by the project manager (or team
leader), this essay recommends the following actions to ensure that team dynamics
positively impacts team behaviour and performance.

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 Define the culture: Team culture is interpreted in different ways by people.

However, from a project management perspective, culture refers to how things
are done to complete the given task. Hence, the project manager’s role is to
clearly define the team culture. This enables them to effectively handle the team.

 Challenge project team members: From the literature, we know that employees
are engaged in their work when they are constantly challenged. In order to satisfy
all stakeholders, the project manager must compromise certain aspects of the
 project. Hence, the project manager must challenge the project team to think
outside the box to come with the best alternative to execute the project.

 Adopt a systems thinking approach: Acknowledging the fact that we live in a

world where every action has a corresponding impact; the project manager must
create an environment which supports systems or holistic thinking. Consequently,
team members are aware of their actions. As a result, systems thinking will not
only boost the impact of the project but also enhances team performance.

REFERENCES
Fruhen, L. S., & Keith, N. (2014). Team cohesion and error culture in risky work
environments. Safety Science, 65, 20-27. doi: 10.1016/j.ssci.2013.12.011

Georgiadis, G. (2015). Projects and Team Dynamics. Review of Economic Studies, 82(1),

187-218. doi: 10.1093/restud/rdu031

Ivaskovic, I. (2014). The Effect of HRM Quality on Trust and Team Cohesion. Economic
and Business Review for Central and South – Eastern Europe, 16(3), 337.

Macey, W. H., & Schneider, B. (2008). The Meaning of Employee Engagement. Industrial

and Organizational Psychology, 1(1), 3-30. doi: 10.1111/j.1754-9434.2007.0002.x

Murthy, A. S., & Sreenivas, S. (Producer). (2014). Does People Behaviour Impact
Projects? PM Times. Retrieved from http://www.projecttimes.com/articles/does-people-
behavior-impact-projects-how-and-what-do-we-do-about-it.html

Nolan, S. (2011). Employee engagement. Strategic HR Review, 10(3), 3. doi:

10.1108/shr.2011.37210caa.001

Oluikpe, P. I. (2015). Knowledge creation and utilization in project teams. Journal of

Knowledge Management, 19(2), 351-371. doi: 10.1108/JKM-06-2014-0214

Pinto, M. B., & Pinto, J. K. (1990). Project team communication and cross‐functional
cooperation in new program development. Journal of Product Innovation Management,
7(3), 200-212.

Rozin, P. (2001). Social Psychology and Science: Some Lessons From Solomon
Asch. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 5(1), 2-14. doi:
10.1207/S15327957PSPR0501_1
Van Swol, L. (2009). Extreme members and group polarization. Social Influence, 4(3), 185-
199. doi: 10.1080/15534510802584368

Walters, R. (2014). Developing High Performance Teams to Drive Business Performance

and Engagement.   http://www.robertwalters.com.au/wwwmedialibrary/WWW2/
country/australia/content/whitepapers/developing-high-performing-teams-
whitepaper.pdf