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Find a story in your local newspaper or other media/web outlet about a project that is about to start. For that project, answer each of the following questions and justify your answers:1. Briefly provide an overview of the project (answer the basics who, what, where, when and why). Also, provide the source for the information discovered.2. Using the ideas in Exhibit 13.2, speculate on what activities, supplies, or services could be contracted out.3. Create a request for information (RFI) for one portion of the project work that could be contracted out.4. Using ideas from Exhibits 13.4 and 13.5, determine criteria you would use to select sellers for the portion of contract work under consideration. exibit_13.4.pdf exibit_13.5.pdf exibit_13.2.pdf Unformatted Attachment Preview Chapter 13 Leading and Managing Project Teams 353 start to know and trust each other. Once the initial forming is over, it is common for teams to “storm”—that is, to feel more stress as they begin to understand how big and difficult the project appears upon closer scrutiny. Some of the team members may want to perform the project, yet may resist committing fully. A project manager may work with the team to help ensure that everyone understands and accepts their respective roles. Further, when each team member understands the other members’ roles, they can see how the project will be accomplished. The project manager can continue to encourage all team members to actively participate and to refine the team operating methods into ground rules if necessary. Once a project team weathers the storming period, the members often are relieved because they start to believe they will be successful. Continued team building can help a team to refine its ability to perform. As team members are encouraged to collaborate and build capability, the team moves to a higher level, which is often called the performing stage. Not every team reaches this level. However, it is very satisfying for the teams that do and is a wonderful situation for capturing learnings to help improve other project teams. Finally, project teams disband when the project is over. If the project has been successful, team members often feel both excited about facing new challenges and sad about leaving a satisfying experience and good friends. Project managers should use celebration, rewards, and appropriate follow-on work to guide the team through this last stretch. 13-2b Characteristics of High-Performing Project Teams Once a project manager understands the typical stages of team development, it is time to understand the characteristics of high-performing project teams. These characteristics, which are an elaborate expansion of the performing column in Exhibit 13.3, reflect the ideals toward which a project manager tries to guide his or her team. This chain of highperforming project team characteristics is shown in Exhibit 13.4. Remember, this is the ideal. Many project teams perform well and exhibit some, but not all, of these characteristics. Nevertheless, a conscientious project manager keeps these characteristics in mind and strives to help his team develop each one. The characteristics of high-performing project teams start with the personal values of individual team members. While a project manager can and should strive to improve EXHIBIT 13.4 CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH-PERFORMING PROJECT TEAMS Behavior Methods Personal Values Communication Methods Project Methods Personal Rewards Feelings for Each Other Project Results 356 Part 3 Performing Projects EXHIBIT 13.5 PROJECT TEAM SUCCESS FACTORS PROJECT TEAM SUCCESS FACTORS CPM CHAPTER TOPIC 1 Team leadership in setting direction and project culture 3 Project management roles, organization, and project cultures 2 Mutual trust, respect, and credibility among team members and leaders 3 Project management roles 5 Build relationships 13 Develop project team 4 Project charter 5 Communications planning 4 Project charter 5 Stakeholder analysis 6 Scope and WBS 7 Activity schedule 11 Kick off project 5 Communications planning 13 Information distribution 14 Report progress 15 Secure customer acceptance 8 Resource projects 13 Acquire and develop project team 14 Manage overloads and resolve resource conflicts 4 Project charter 14 Direct and manage project execution 4 Team operating methods 5 Build relationships, meeting management 10 Risk planning 4 Applied learnings 14 Process improvement 15 Capture and share applied learnings 4 Acceptance criteria 15 Celebrate success 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cross-functional cooperation, communication, and support Clear project plans created by team and supported by organization Effective communications including feedback on performance Team skills and experience appropriate and adequate Clearly defined and pursued project and team objectives Use of task and relationship behaviors to resolve conflicts and problems Stimulating work environment with opportunities for improvement and learning Opportunity for team and personal recognition when project satisfies stakeholders Source: Adapted from Hans J. Thamhain, “Team Leadership Effectiveness in Technology-Based Project Environments,” Project Management Journal 35 (4) (December 2004): 38–39; and Roy C. Herrenkohl, Becoming a Team: Achieving a Goal (Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western, 2004): 9, 25. Chapter 13 Leading and Managing Project Teams 351 EXHIBIT 13.2 ACQUIRING AND ON-BOARDING RESOURCES AT ATOS-ORIGIN Resources are the most important assets of a consulting company. It becomes very important to nurture them, utilize them effectively, and at the same time make money for the company. At Atos-Origin (a leading IT consulting company), a structured process is followed to manage resources. Resource skills, credentials, and travel preferences; the business unit to which the resource belongs; a summary of projects worked on; and so forth are maintained in a searchable database. Utilization (amount of time a resource is used on projects) is tracked on at least a weekly basis. Resource availability (amount of time each resource is idle or is available for client projects) is also tracked and published to a large group of managers to keep in mind for upcoming assignments. A central resource manager is responsible for tracking and managing resource utilization. If any member of the management team has an open requirement, the resource manager is first notified of the requirement, so that work can begin on tracking the right person for the role. Resource managers from each business unit meet regularly to discuss staff availability and open positions. Weekly meetings are held with senior management teams to understand the open staffing requirements. As a first fit, internal available resources are aligned (based on the skills required, time frame of the project, and whether the role aligns with a person’s career preferences) with open positions. Since Atos-Origin is a global organization, this helps the company to increase utilization of the individual resource and of the group as a whole. If existing resources are not available or do not fit into the assignment, a requisition to hire new resources is completed, and the job is posted for recruitment. Atos-Origin considers three different type of external hires: full-time employees (the preferred option), hourly employees (work on an hourly basis; the option used when the project is for a short period of time or when the right resource does not want to accept a full-time offer), and subcontractors (contracting with other companies; the option used sometimes to mitigate resource risks). The new resource who is hired is on-boarded to the company in a structured fashion, and the same process for managing the person’s utilization and availability is followed. This structured process has helped reduce attrition, increased internal transfer of resources, helped individual resource growth, and increased the company’s profitability. Source: Rachana Thariani, PMP, Atos-Origin. 13-2a Stages of Project Team Development Project teams typically go through a predictable set of stages as they work together. By effectively using project tools and developing trust and understanding within their teams, project managers can greatly diminish some of the negative aspects of project team development stages. While almost all teams go through these stages, just as one child may spend more time in a particular stage of human development, some project teams spend more time in certain stages of team development. Some teams get “stalled” in an early stage and do not progress. Some get further along and then have a setback. Setbacks for project teams can come from losing or gaining core team members or SMEs, changes in project requirements, quality problems with project deliverables, or other reasons. The good news for a team that suffers a setback is that because they worked through the team development stages once, they can probably work through the stages more quickly the second time. The bad news is that they do need to work their way through. Each stage of team development has its own challenges. For a project manager to successfully help a team develop, he or she should be aware of how team members feel and what behaviors they frequently attempt at each stage. Armed with that understanding, he or she can develop strategies to promote the needs of the parent organization, the project, and the team members. Quite a few of these strategies can be implemented by ... Purchase answer to see full attachment