Building a Project Team: Proven Tips for Leaders

There are many elements you should pay attention to as a project manager. Key factors include effective communication, scheduling, budget control and risk management. Nevertheless, all activities should be preceded by building a project team. Check out how to improve teamwork efficiency!

Building a project team: a guide for a leader

Before you start building your project team, ask yourself three questions.

• What can you do yourself in 24 hours?
• What can your team accomplish in the next 7 days?
• What kind of support do you need in the next month?

Building a project team requires combining psychological knowledge with the qualities of a good leader. You need to know the strengths and weaknesses of each employee well in order to fill them in the right positions. Consider not only their knowledge and skills, but also their personality traits. You don't necessarily need a person with the highest professional qualifications, but one that fits your project perfectly. 

Create a team where each member has a different set of skills and abilities. Do not match people with identical skills to it, otherwise you may have problems with assigning employees to specific tasks. Diversification of the team is gaining in importance, especially when the project is large and complex. Also ask yourself some questions:

• Have you gathered enough people to build an effective project team?
• Will the group work independently, or will some activities overlap with tasks performed by other employees?
• How much time do you have to complete each stage of the project?
• Will some members only carry out specific tasks, or will the whole team lead the project from start to finish?

Sometimes building a project team involves finding specialists from outside the company, it all depends on the complexity and nature of the project. If you feel you need extra support, don't be afraid to look for new talent. 

What to pay attention to when building a project team?

The project kick-off meeting is extremely important, so be sure to arrive on time and make sure no one is late. Remember to indicate who will act as a leader. Also, tell us what exactly you expect from your team. This is the perfect time to establish the hierarchy of the group and present the way of reporting the progress of the project.

Are you wondering how to create a harmonious team? Use our tips! First of all, make sure that there is a friendly atmosphere, full of understanding, security and trust. Regularly conduct brainstorming sessions where each participant will be free to express themselves. Remind at the beginning of the meeting that there are no good or bad ideas.

A few ideas for employee integration

You are looking for original ways to improve it ability to work in a group? You can regularly organize company events that will allow employees to forget about everyday duties. Consider sports games, karaoke night, cooking workshops, a detective game, a trip to the mountains, or a Goldberg machine. 

If people of different ages work in your company, they may encounter communication barriers at some point. Building a team of employees needs to adapt the language to everyone. Youth and speed often clash with prudence and experience. You wonder how integrate the teamto improve efficiency? Ask co-workers what they would like to do and look for something they have in common. You can also propose a script for an integration event. Many companies organize cooking workshops, regional crafts, brewing, survival, pottery or meditation. 

Building a project team and effective communication

It is impossible to overestimate the importance of efficient communication, especially when building a project team. Make sure all colleagues know what their responsibilities are. Remind your team of goals and try to nip any conflicts in the bud. Check whether all people who may be affected by it in any way know about problems and delays in one area. Make sure you and your team develop effective ways to troubleshoot and disseminate information, rather than waiting for a problem to arise.

Encourage team members to collaborate, not compete. Make sure no one keeps important information to themselves. Make your co-workers aware that everyone is “playing for the same goal”. Rules alone are not enough to build a project team, but following them will help you create one. On the other hand, if you don't introduce certain rules, you will lose your chance of success. 

How to create a cohesive team?

Teamwork naturally encourages risk-taking. We don't want to take risks when we have all the responsibility for the decisions we make. However, if we can count on support, we come up with interesting ideas faster and we are more willing to implement them. Unexpected, complex problems can arise at any stage of the project. However, if you build an effective team, you will succeed, despite the difficulties you will encounter on your way.

One of the hardest things you should master as a team leader is knowing when to step in and when to stay on the sidelines and keep a close eye on what your colleagues are doing. Are you wondering how to keep their motivation at a high level? Inspire team members to stubbornly pursue their goals. Make sure they work at their optimum level and get along well with each other. Appreciate both team contributions and individual contributions. Remember this, especially when the project is slowly coming to an end and employees are already feeling tired.

How to monitor the progress of work in the project?

Remember that it is not enough to choose co-workers with the highest qualifications to achieve success. Monitor their activities on an ongoing basis to ensure that the project is completed in the allotted time. Regularly organize meetings where you will inform about task statuses, successes and difficulties. It may turn out that you should assign some tasks to other employees than you initially planned. 

On the other hand, don't be too hasty about it. Building a project team requires prudence. Allow team members to face some challenges, and if you see that someone is not coping, you can always modify the action plan. In addition, solving a problem together will wonderfully unite the team. If collaborators achieve their goal, they will become more creative and confident, which will translate into later implementation of the project. Nevertheless, you should observe whether you made the right decision when filling positions. If you feel someone doesn't fit the team, you may need to look for a replacement, otherwise you risk demotivating the rest of the staff. Look for people who contribute their knowledge and skills while learning from others. 

When building a project team, do not be guided only by qualifications. Consider whether you trust each employee. Imagine the catastrophe it would be if a key member quits once you've assembled the entire team. Not only would all your efforts be in vain, but the implementation of the project could be significantly delayed. Mutual trust allows you to create a friendly environment in which everyone is happy to perform the tasks entrusted to them.