Project managers require the skills to identify, build, maintain, motivate, lead, and inspire

project teams to achieve high team performance and to meet the project's objectives.

Teamwork is a critical factor for project success, and developing effective project teams is

one of the primary responsibilities of the project manager. Project managers should create

an environment that facilitates teamwork and continually motivates the team by providing

challenges and opportunities, providing timely feedback and support as needed, and

recognizing and rewarding good performance.

High team performance can be achieved by employing these behaviors:  

  • * Using open and effective communication,  

  • * Creating team-building opportunities,  

  • * Developing trust among team members,  

  • * Managing conflicts in a constructive manner,  

  • * Encouraging collaborative problem solving, and  

  • * Encouraging collaborative decision making.  

Project managers operate in a global environment and work on projects characterized by

cultural diversity. Team members often have diverse industry experience, communicate in

multiple languages, and sometimes work with a “team language” or cultural norm that may

be different from their native one. The project management team should capitalize on

cultural differences, focus on developing and sustaining the project team throughout the

project life cycle, and promote working together interdependently in a climate of mutual

trust. Developing the project team improves the people skills, technical competencies, and

overall team environment and project performance. It requires clear, timely, effective, and

efficient communication between team members throughout the life of the project.

Objectives of developing a project team include but are not limited to:  

  • * Improving the knowledge and skills of team members to increase their ability to

  • complete project deliverables, while lowering costs, reducing schedules, and improving quality;  

  • * Improving feelings of trust and agreement among team members to raise morale,

  • lower conflict, and increase teamwork;  

  • * Creating a dynamic, cohesive, and collaborative team culture to:

  • (1) improve individual

  • and team productivity, team spirit, and cooperation; and

  • (2) allow cross-training and

  • mentoring between team members to share knowledge and expertise; and  

  • * Empowering the team to participate in decision making and take ownership of the

  • provided solutions to improve team productivity for more effective and efficient results.