Project Team Building, Conflict, and Negotiation

Building the Project Team Identify Necessary Skills Renegotiate with Top Management Identify People With Skills Build Fallback Positions Assemble the Team Success? Yes No Building the Project Team Talk to Potential Team Members Negotiate with Their Supervisor

Build Fallback Positions Try to negotiate for partial assistance Adjust project schedules and priorities accordingly Notify top management of the consequences

Effective Project Teams Clear Sense of Mission Productive Interdependency Cohesiveness Trust Enthusiasm: Challenging, supportive, personally rewarding Results Orientation

Reasons Why Teams Fail Poorly developed or unclear goals: Multiple interpretations, lack of willingness to work together, increased number of conflicts Poorly defined project team roles & interdependencies Lack of project team motivation: Unnecessary, low priority Poor communication Poor leadership Turnover among project team members Dysfunctional behavior

Stages in Group Development Forming – members become acquainted Storming – conflict begins Norming – members reach agreement Performing – members work together Adjourning – group disbands Punctuated Equilibrium is a different model

Team Development Stages 1. Forming 2. Storming 3. Norming 4. Performing Convene Adjourn Inclusion Control Cooperation Productivity Productive Organized Infighting Testing Quiet Polite Guarded Impersonal Business-like High Morale Establish procedures Develop team skills Confront issues Rebuild morale Conflict over control Confrontational Alienation Personal agendas Low morale Trust Flexible Supportive Confident Efficient High Morale

Achieving Cross-Functional Cooperation Task Outcomes Psycho-Social Outcomes Rules & Procedures Physical Proximity Accessibility Superordinate Goals

Building High-Performing Teams Make the project team tangible Publicity Terminology & language Reward good behavior Flexibility Creativity Pragmatism Develop a personal touch Lead by example Positive feedback for good performance Accessibility & consistency

Virtual Project Teams use electronic media to link members of a geographically dispersed project team How Can Virtual Teams Be Improved? Use face-to-face communication when possible Don’t let team members disappear Establish a code of conduct Keep everyone in the communication loop Create a process for addressing conflict

Conflict Management

Conflict Management Conflict is a process that begins when you perceive that someone has frustrated or is about to frustrate a major concern of yours. Conflicts evolve: One-time causes of a conflict can change over time (the original reason may not matter).

– GOOD or BAD conflicts – Categories Goal-oriented conflict: Results, project scope outcomes, criteria, priorities Administrative conflict: Reporting relationships, authority, control, decisions Interpersonal conflict: Personality, bahaviour, work ethics – GOOD or BAD conflicts –

Views Traditional: bad: supression, elimination Behavioral: acceptance: managing Interactionist: encouraging conflict to develop

Sources of Conflict Interpersonal Organizational Reward systems (function vs. project) Competition for resources Uncertainty (authority) Differentiation (subcutrures) Interpersonal Faulty attributions (reasons behind behaviour) Faulty communication Personal grudges & prejudices (bringing attitudes to work)

Conflict Resolution II Questions before intervening: Project manager’s siding: threat of alienation Professional or personal conflict Can the members solve the conflict themselves? Time and inclination of the project manager

Conflict Resolution II Mediate – defusion/confrontation Arbitrate – judgment Control – cool down period Accept – unmanageable Eliminate – transfer Conflict is often evidence of progress!

Negotiation a(n) (interpersonal) process that is predicated on a manager’s ability to use influence productively Who to negotiate with? Stakeholders Clients Functional managers Administration Team members

Questions to Ask Prior to Entering a Negotiation How much power do I have? What sort of time pressures are there? Do I trust my opponent?

Principled Negotiation Separate the people from the problem Put yourself in their shoes Do not deduce their intentions from your fear Do not blame the opponent for your problem Recognize and understand emotions Listen actively (motivation behind words) Build a working relationship (building trust) Focus on interests (fundamental motivations), not positions Possibility to find other alternatives Invent options for mutual gain Win-win situation, multiple solutions, brainstorming, broadening options, identify shared interests Insist on using objective criteria, understandable for both parties