TEAM DEVELOPMENT

AND MANAGEMENT
BQS 5202
Team
Team is a word and concept well-known to everyone.
Each person has his/her own definition of what a team
means.
Hackman (1987, 1990) defined team as two or more
people with different tasks, who work adaptively
together to achieve specified shared goals.
As for Baker and Salas (1997), team can be considered
as two or more individuals who have specified role
assignments, perform specified tasks, and must interact
and coordinate to achieve a common goal.
According to Katzenbach and Smith (2003), a
team can be defined as:
“A small number of people with complementary
skills, who are committed to a common purpose,
performance goals, and approach for which they
hold themselves mutually accountable.”
This definition highlights some important
elements that comprise a real team which are
 complementary skills
 Commitment
 common purpose and goals
 common approach or strategy,
 and mutual accountability

Without these elements it is simply a group of

people who happen to work together in the same
environment – work group
Working Group
Groups are a normal part of life.
They are defined as two or more freely interacting
individuals who share collective norms and goals and have
a common identity.
Why people form groups
Security
Status
Self –respect
Association
Power
Goal achievement
Every group is different:
-Different purposes
-Different people
-Different relationships
 GROUPS VS. TEAMS
Groups Teams

Goals Goals may be discussed Clear, elevating goals

in general terms. drive all aspects of team
accomplishment.
Roles and Roles and responsibilities Roles and responsibilities
Responsibilities may be discussed but are are clearly developed
not always explicitly and discussed.
defined or developed .
Rules Rules are not formally Rules and operating
developed and evolve procedures are clearly
according the group’s discussed and developed
needs to help team work
together.
Methods Group members interact, Team members
and work is usually collaborate and
divided. coordinate efforts. Team
members work together
interdependently.
 PURPOSE OF TEAMS
Teams generate synergy by gathering together
complementary talents, knowledge and experience
that far surpass those of any team member
They allow accomplishment of larger, more
complex goals than what will be possible for an
individual working alone or even the simple sum
of several individuals working independently.
Teams enables multiple skills to be tapped or
where buy in is required from several individuals
They can but not always provide improved
performance, get results, and achieve victory in
work place
Characteristics of an ideal team
 The team has a clear mission, values and
objectives which are understood and shared by all
members
 Members are aware of each other’s differences,
respect them and realise the synergistic effect of
individual contributions
 The actual mix of personality and skills is adequate
Team members share responsibility, authority and
resources to achieve a mission.
Team members feel empowered to do whatever is
necessary within their defined boundaries.
Team members interact face-to-face, to be
productive
Observe strong positive interdependence
Teams are best formed from participants who are
willing to:
 Commit themselves to a shared goal and hold
themselves responsible for its achievement
 Listen and respond to others in an objective and
productive way
 Take on different roles in the team in order to
accomplish shared ends
 Open up and honest with ideas, concerns, and
values
 Avoid bringing hidden agendas into team meetings
Construction Project Teams
Teams are the primary unit of working in the
construction industry
Construction project team has unique
characteristics compared to other ordinary teams in
various industries.
The industry is a project-based industry.
Each project need different people in accordance
with their professionalism, knowledge, and
experience, and requires them to work and
coordinate with others from different companies
Construction team are comprised of a relatively small
number of key people, made up of a diverse range of
professionals, each with expertise in their respective
disciplines, each member in the team possesses
complementary skills
As a result of the multiple organizational setting in
construction, as opposed to a single organization setting,
construction teams can be described as inter-organizational
teams and also as cross-functional team with multiple
reporting relationships
The objective of the team is to deliver a project that
completes on time, which is on or under budget, is profitable
to all team members, void of claims, and results in a satisfied
owner
 TYPES OF TEAMS
There are many different types of teams, and a
given team may be described according to
multiple types.
Common types of teams found in organizations
include Self-Directed teams, Cross-functional
teams, Working Teams, Project teams
and Virtual teams
Teams may be permanent or long term, but
more typically, a team exists for a limited time
Self-Directed
Self-Directed Teams do not have a clear leader.
They have shared leadership and share
responsibility of their work.
self-directed teams are not seen in companies and
big organizations; they usually exist in small
music groups like bands.
Pros:
Members are motivated volunteers.
Shared goals, objectives and responsibilities.
Good environment for open feedback.
Cons:
May not have clear vision.
Without a leader, conflicts may lead to
separation.
 Leader is usually determined by popularity
more than ability
Cross-functional teams 
combine people from different areas, such as
marketing and engineering, to solve a problem
or achieve a goal.
It is common for an organization to have many
teams, including teams of several types
Choosing the type of team best suited to the
works that need to be accomplished is important
for effective teamwork
Working teams
These are teams that are basic to any
organization: Marketing teams, Human Resource
teams, Finance Teams.
They are divided according to their function and
they perform ongoing tasks for any organization.
Virtual Teams
Virtual teams are teams in which members are
not located in the same physical place.
They may be in different cities, states, or even
different countries.
Some virtual teams are formed by necessity,
such as to take advantage of lower labour costs
in different countries
Often, virtual teams are formed to take
advantage of distributed expertise or time—the
needed experts may be living in different cities
Despite potential benefits, virtual teams present
special management challenges, particularly to
the controlling function.
Managers often think that they have to see
team members working to believe that work is
being done
Another special challenge of virtual teams is
building trust
Finally, communication is especially important in
virtual teams, through e-mail, phone calls,
conference calls, or project management tools
that help organize work.
If individuals in a virtual team are not fully
engaged and tend to avoid conflict, team
performance can suffer
Project teams 
These are teams created for a defined period of
time to achieve a specific goal.
Members of a project team often belong to
different functional groups and are chosen to
participate in the team based on specific skills
they can contribute to the project
 FORMATION OF CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT TEAMS
A typical construction project is a collaborative
venture that involves a number of different
organizations brought together to form ‘‘the
construction project team.’’
This team is responsible for the design and
construction of the project.
The construction project team comprises of a team of
diverse people and cultural backgrounds
A typical construction project team is a team that
includes a project manager as an owner’s
representative, architect, or engineer for the design
team and the contractor.
Additionally, there may be people under each of
these categories, i.e., construction workers,
superintendent, etc.
Construction stakeholders are regularly viewed
as closely associated with the construction
project’s team, in which their responsibility and
authority range from occasional contributions in
surveys and focus groups to full project
sponsorship, such as providing financial and
political support.
The participants of a typical construction project team
are as the following:
Client
Project Manager
Financier
Legal Consultant
Design Leader (Architect or Structural Engineer)
Main Contractor
Subcontractors
Cost consultants etc
However, the list is subjected to the size and types of
project, as well the project delivery method chosen.
Different types of delivery methods require a
different project team composition.
Common project team members include owner,
project manager, architect, and engineers, as well as
contractors and subcontractors.
Additionally, other participants, such as city planners,
zoning authorities, union officials, safety specialists,
health specialists, and many others, also influence a
construction project team.
The basic functional of a construction’s project
phases is significant for forming a construction
team, and defining its roles and responsibilities,
not essentially according to contractual roles.
A unique feature of construction teams is their
composition which varies from stage-to-stage of
a project’s lifecycle.
As the construction project team moves
collectively over the life of the project with the
function of the same team member changing as
each phase comes into being
In addition, the membership of the construction
project team may vary according to size, type, and
complexity of the project.
The owner and project manager are always
involved from the beginning to the end of the
project
Other important team members, join the
construction team when their expertise is required.
They leave the project site upon completion of
their specific task(s).
Team members in construction project have
different roles and responsibilities to fulfil on a
project.
Selecting team members of a project
Activity 1(Assignment 1)
Select team members for your project
Come up with a mission statement, values and
objectives for your team
Come up with clear roles and responsibilities of
the teams members clearly explain how these roles
and responsibilities have been allocated
According to Margerison-McCann (1989) a team with
highly talented people can often fail to fulfil its goals; this
can happen when
 the team members are assigned the responsibilities which do not use their
strength
 the composition of the team lacks different abilities it need

In the construction industry teams can be formed based

on the experience and knowledge of the individuals in the
required areas.
But it is unlikely that they are good at other important
aspects such as problem-solving, planning, decision
making, etc.
A team with all these skills it is more likely to be effective.
Researchers suggest that the success of the project
depends on the type of person involved rather than
qualifications.
Meredith Belbin researched and indicated that the chances
of the team succeeding in a project largely depend on the
team formation.
He developed a personality assessment tool which broadly
classifies the people into nine different roles.
It need not necessarily mean that the project must involve
nine people with various roles, according to his theory
each has more than one role, and thus a team with varying
roles of a group can enhance the success of the team
Team roles and their functions (Belbin)
 If a team have these roles as explained by
Belbin it will be effective
Effective team is one which works well together
Effective teams help to improve quality, facilitate the
completion of projects and increase productivity and
efficiency.
 STEPS IN BUILDING
TEAMS
Define team goals
 The first step in teambuilding is to assemble the
team and define mutual project goals
 Collectively the team should define and agree
upon common team and project goals that provide
purpose, focus, and direction.
Goals should be specific, measurable, attainable,
relevant, and time-bound.
Establishing Respect and Trust
Teamwork is not possible where there is
suspicion about the motives of others.
 How is trust build
Understanding each other and development of personal
relationships and learning about each other’s strength
Duties, Rights and Responsibilities
An important function of every team member is
to understand their individual or organizations
duties, rights and responsibilities
Team members must understand their legal
responsibilities not only for their protection but to
avoid unnecessary miscommunications and
expenditures.
Risk Allocation
In a team environment risks must be identified
early in the project process and assigned to
those best able to control it.
The team should meet to specifically discuss
and plan for project risks.
Risk management should be used as a
teambuilding exercise
The team must discuss methods to mitigate
these risk and alternatives selected by those best
able to control the risk.
The purpose of team building is to improve group
problem solving and group work efforts
 CHARACTERISTICS OF AN
EFFECTIVE TEAM
Kenneth Blanchard describes the characteristics of
effective team using the memory aid PERFORM:
PURPOSE
Members can describe and are committed to a
common purpose
Goals are clear, challenging and relevant to purpose
Strategies for achieving goals are clear
Individual roles are clear
EMPOWERMENT
Members feel a personal and collective
sense of power
Members have access to necessary
skills and resources
Policies and practices support team
objectives
Mutual respect and willingness to help
each other is evident
RELATIONSHIPS AND
COMMUNICATION
Members express themselves openly and
honestly
Warmth, understanding and
acceptance is expressed
Members listen actively to each other
Differences of opinion and perspective
are valued
FLEXIBILITY
Members perform different roles and
functions as needed
Members have responsibility for team
leadership and team development
Members are adaptable to changing
demands
Various ideas and approaches are
explored
OPTIMAL PRODUCTIVITY 
Output is high
Quality is excellent
Decision-making is effective
Clear problem-solving process is
apparent
RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION
Individual contributions are recognized
and appreciated by leader and other
members
Team accomplishments are
recognized by members
Group members feel respected
Team contributions are valued and
recognized by the organization
MORALE
Individuals feel good about their
membership on the team
Individuals are confident and
motivated
Members have a sense of pride and
satisfaction about their work
There is a strong sense of cohesion
and team spirit
 TEAMWORK
Teamwork is the backbone of any team
It is defined as cooperative efforts by the members of a
team to achieve a common goal.
Teamwork is dominant in construction projects and
crucial to project management, it can contribute towards:
 Improved productivity
 Quality improvement
 Innovation and Creativity
 Capitalization of technological advances
 Improved employee motivation and commitment

Teams must be built in such a way that members can and

will work together cooperatively to accomplish the
project.
Effective teamwork occurs when members of a
team work together to utilise skills needed to
accomplish certain core goals
The common underlying features for successful
implementation of teamwork are:
Clear Objectives
High performing/effective teams have a clear
understanding of goals to be achieved.
Cohesiveness
A cohesive team is “one that provides satisfaction for its
members or one that has a high probability of doing so
There is a bond that forms between members in a
closely knit team
Interdependence
It is where members of a team share common goals and
know that working together and collectively is beneficial.
Success depends on the participation of all the members.
Trust
Trust means different things to different people.
For a project team, trust can be best understood as
the team comfort level with each individual member
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is the key to creating the energy and
spirit that drive effective implementation of efforts.
The point is that the implementation team leader
needs to keep addressing the belief among team
members that they can achieve the goals set for
them.
Limitations of teamwork
Despite the emphasis on teamwork teams are not
always as effective as expected.
Team members may fail to work together because
of:
personality clashes
over emphasis on performance
avoiding disagreement
too much friction sometimes caused by misinformation
- make sure that everyone is kept up to date and is
working from the same information
when the organisation rewards individual effort rather
than team success - people will tend to ignore the team
and focus on what will bring them most benefit.
Lack of influence if the team has no power to influence
decisions, they will lose interest
Lack of agreement at senior management level - teams
can't sort out problems between people at senior levels
 TEAM DEVELOPMENT
PHASES
According to Tuckman 1965, teams go through 5
stages of development forming, storming,
norming, performing and adjourning.
The stages start from the time the team meets
until the projects ends.
The forming stage
It is the first stage where the team and team
members are discovering and defining their roles
This stage is important because the team
members get to know each other, share some
personal information and create new friendships.
Successful team development requires this phase
because the team members are people who need to
cooperate.
In this stage the team meets and starts to work together
for the first time - the immature group is characterized
by:
 Confusion
 Uncertainty
 Assessing situation
 Testing ground rules
 Feeling out others
 Defining goals
 Getting to know each other
 Establishing rules
Storming stage.
Individual ideas compete for consideration as
members have their own concepts of what the team
is supposed to do.
Team leadership, individual commitment, and
differences in personalities are some of the issues on
the floor for discussion, sometimes heated.
Members confront the perspectives and values of
others.
It's a natural stage when people are gathered to get
a task done.
During these series of generally minor conflicts some
team members become frustrated with the team and
the team's task.
Tolerance of every team member and their ideas
must be stressed by the team leader
Every idea presented has some importance to the
team.
The storming phase is a necessity to the
development of the team
Letting the team become more free allows members
to share opinions without feeling judged
Norming stage.
At this point team members conform their behaviour
to each other.
Team members modify the way they work to make
teamwork a more natural way of working.
Team roles become comfortable as members learn
more about each other, thus how to work with each
other.
Teams in the norming stage generally create team
policies, share procedures, team values, and perhaps
taboos.
Performing Stage.
The fourth stage is the mature, effective,
performing team.
Not every team will reach this stage but may get
stuck in the norming stage where although there is
a feeling of agreement, there is not yet the drive
towards effective problem solving that
characterises an effective team.
Some teams also experience oscillation into the
earlier stages - for example when a new member
joins the team.
It's crucial to make new members aware of the team
goals, roles and rules before they join, together with
the way that the team gives and receives feedback.
Failure to do so can cause the team to destabilise
and fall back into the storming stage.
Performing is characterised by: 
 Successful performance
 flexible team members, clear task roles
 Openness
 Helpfulness
 Interdependence
 collaboration
The team has an effective structure and is getting
on with the job and achieving its objectives.
It is a mature team where members display
interdependency.
Members are capable of working individually, in
smaller sub-groups or within the larger team.
The team is highly committed to clearly defined
tasks and is engaged in effective problem solving.
At this stage leadership style should be more
supportive/delegating, as the team may well be
capable of working with minimal supervision
Adjourning stage
This is the final stage
This stage comes about either because the task
is complete or because members have left the
team.
When this happens there may be reflection on
their time together.
It is often a time of reflection, 'mourning' what
has passed but should also be a time for
celebration.
The team has reached the most mature stage
within the project life cycle.
It is within this performing stage that the team is
faced with the need for continuous improvement,
innovation, speed, and capitalizing on core
competencies.
The project manager must pay special attention
to team members’ new ideas, orchestrating their
implementation and fostering extraordinary
performances.