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Setting up the team
Up to this point, many of the initial tasks of
justifying, planning and defining the scope of the project may have been
conducted by one or two individuals, one of whom may be earmarked as the
future team leader. However, as momentum builds behind the project, a full
team will need to be established to take on the growing work load.
Recruiting the team
The task of recruiting a team
may not be as simple as it sounds. Careful attention should be given to
the necessary size, composition and skills of the team across the
lifecycle of the project, as well as to selecting an appropriate team
leader. Consideration should also be given to the benefits of including in
the team representatives of key stakeholders and any delivery agencies who
will also be involved in implementation of the strategy following the end
of the project. This can be crucial to creating buy-in to the project as
well as to knowledge transfer and continuity.
Building the team
It is important that the team leader takes an active
approach to building a team. Different
team members will have different styles of working, strengths and
weaknesses. The aim of team building is to create an environment that
brings out the best in individuals and a cohesive team that works well
together. There are various tools and exercises which can assist in
building a successful team.
Working as a team
A well-defined and understood approach to working
as a team is essential, particularly if working in
multi-disciplinary teams is a new experience for team members. Holding
both a project kick-off meeting and an away-day at the start of the
project is a useful way of developing the team's working approach. This
should be supplemented by regular, well structured team meetings
throughout the course of the project. Weekly team meetings should be
supplemented by additional ad hoc meetings on key issues as they arise.
Team communication, document management and other procedures should also
be agreed during this phase. It may be beneficial to assign responsibility
for specific project management activities and areas such as knowledge
management or encouraging creativity to particular individuals within the
team.
Useful links:
> recruiting a team
> building a team
> working as a team
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