Team building and development - Building a team

Learning Outcomes

After reading this article, you will know key methods for building and developing a project team as outlined by the PMP exam. You will be able to explain the stages of team development, describe the importance of clear roles and ground rules, and recognize the characteristics of a high-performing team. You will also be able to apply PMP-relevant concepts about team composition, motivation, and resolving team challenges.

PMP Syllabus

For PMP, you are required to understand how teams are formed, built, and developed. This includes knowledge of team roles, interactions, and the core steps in developing a high-performing group. During revision, focus on:

• Explaining team formation stages (Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning).
• Understanding how to select and compose a project team.
• Defining the roles and responsibilities of team members, including the project manager.
• Setting and enforcing team ground rules and agreements.
• Describing methods to build team solidarity and morale.
• Recognizing the features and behaviours of high-performing teams.
• Managing team diversity, inclusion, and communication.
• Applying motivational theories relevant to team performance.
• Addressing and resolving common issues in team development.

Test Your Knowledge

Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, remember to look more closely at that area during your revision.

1. Which document, created collaboratively, establishes expected behaviors and agreed ways of working in a project team?
2. In the Tuckman model, which stage is typically marked by disagreements and competition among team members?
3. What does it mean if a team is described as "self-organising" on a project?
4. When team members have both deep proficiency in one area and broad skills to support others as needed, what is this skill set called?

Introduction

Building a strong project team is a base for project success. The PMP exam requires you to understand how teams are formed, how you develop them for high performance, and how to maintain collaboration and morale. As a project manager, you must select and develop the composition of your team, establish ground rules, define roles, and address common development challenges.

Stages of Team Formation

Teams do not become effective by chance. The Tuckman model describes five stages that teams typically pass through:

1. Forming: Individuals join and get to know each other. Roles and goals are unclear, and members are polite but reserved.
2. Storming: Differences emerge. Members may compete for roles or resist constraints. Disagreements may arise, and productivity can dip.
3. Norming: Members begin to resolve conflicts, agree on roles, and build trust. Collaboration increases and norms develop.
4. Performing: The team operates efficiently and meets objectives. Members are motivated, self-reliant, and focused on the project's success.
5. Adjourning: The project ends, and the team disbands. Members reflect and may feel a sense of loss or achievement.

Key Term: Tuckman Model A framework describing the stages teams go through as they develop: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning.

Composing the Team

Selecting the right team composition is essential for performance. Consider the skills needed, availability, and the required mix of experience. A project team typically contains core members, subject matter experts (as needed), and supporting roles.

Diversity and inclusion bring advantages, supporting creativity, adaptability, and broader viewpoints. Teams benefit from a mix of backgrounds, ages, cultures, and skill sets.

Key Term: Self-Organising Team A team that determines internally who does what work, how tasks are assigned, and how responsibilities rotate, without relying on external management.

Key Term: T-Shaped Skills Team member skills that include deep proficiency in one area (the vertical bar of the "T") and broad ability to contribute in other areas (the horizontal bar).

Defining Roles and Responsibilities

A key step in building a team is clarifying what each member is expected to do. This is typically documented using a RACI or similar responsibility assignment matrix.

• Responsible – does the work task.
• Accountable – ultimately answerable for results.
• Consulted – provides input or advice.
• Informed – kept up to date on results.

Clear roles prevent confusion, reduce duplicate effort, and help team members support one another.

Establishing Team Agreements and Ground Rules

At the start of a project, agree on ground rules and ways of working with your team. This agreement may cover:

• Communication methods and response times.
• Decision-making processes.
• Expected meeting behaviours.
• How conflicts are raised and resolved.
• Work quality and deadlines.
• Respect for diversity and inclusion.

Involving the team in setting these rules increases buy-in and accountability.

Key Term: Ground Rules Agreed expectations for team members' behaviour and interaction, set at project start to guide collaboration, communication, and conflict resolution.

Building Team Bonding and Trust

Team bonding is developed through regular interaction, transparent communication, and recognition of achievements. Team-building activities, informal gatherings, or shared problem-solving exercises help build trust and mutual respect. Effective teams celebrate small wins and learn from mistakes together.

Team recognition and reward should take individual preferences into account and align with organisational practices.

High-Performing Teams

High-performing project teams are defined by:

• Shared vision and commitment to goals.
• Open and honest communication.
• Collaborative decision-making and support.
• Respect for agreed ground rules and each other's roles.
• Diversity and inclusion.
• Willingness to constructively challenge and resolve conflict.
• Ability to self-correct and improve processes.

In such teams, the project manager spends less time directing and more time guiding and supporting.

Motivating the Team

Applying motivation theories helps you understand what drives different members. For example:

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Ensure basic needs (security, belonging) are met before expecting high motivation.
• Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory: Remove dissatisfaction first; then focus on motivating factors.
• McClelland’s Theory of Needs: Different people are driven by achievement, power, or affiliation. Modify your approach to suit.
• Daniel Pink’s Internal Motivation: Autonomy, competence, and purpose drive performance; build work assignments and recognition accordingly.

Typical Team Development Challenges

Common challenges include:

• “Storming” conflicts if roles/expectations are not clear.
• Low morale if contributions are not recognised.
• “Groupthink” if dissent is discouraged.
• Silos and lack of inclusion.
• Multitasking and overloading team members.
• Communication breakdowns in virtual or hybrid teams.

A project manager should monitor such issues, facilitate discussions, and adjust processes swiftly.

Worked Example 1.1

A new team is formed to run a 6-month digital infrastructure project. The first month is marked by politeness, uncertainty over roles, and low productivity. The project manager notices a dispute between two engineers about task assignments. What should the project manager do to support progress?

Answer: This team is in the Forming-Storming stages. The project manager should clarify roles and responsibilities in discussion with the team, revisit and agree on ground rules, and encourage open, respectful conversation to surface and address concerns. This supports progression to the Norming and Performing stages.

Worked Example 1.2

A cross-functional project team has several specialists, each with deep proficiency, but tasks are not always shared, resulting in delays when one specialist is unavailable. What skill set should be encouraged, and what team practice can address this?

Answer: The project manager should encourage development of T-shaped skills and self-organisation, cross-training team members to build broad capabilities. This makes the team more resilient, ensures workload balance, and reduces bottlenecks.

Exam Warning

Be alert for PMP exam questions that blur differences between team building (creating and supporting the team as a tight-knit unit) and team management (controlling or directing individual tasks). Team building requires a collaborative, supportive approach, not simply prescriptive task assignments.

Revision Tip

Know the difference between ground rules and formal procedures: ground rules are agreed behavioural guidelines set by the team, often at project start.

Summary

Building a team for a project involves careful selection, clear documentation of roles and responsibilities, establishment of ground rules and agreements, and continuous support to encourage inclusion, trust, and shared ownership. High-performing teams deliver predictable results and adjust well to challenges with minimal intervention.

Key Point Checklist

This article has covered the following key knowledge points:

• Teams move through stages: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning (Tuckman model).
• Team composition should reflect project needs, skills, diversity, and inclusion.
• Roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined and communicated.
• Team ground rules are critical – these are collaboratively agreed at project start and support respect and accountability.
• High-performing teams show shared goals, self-organisation, communication, trust, and continuous process improvement.
• Effective project managers use motivation theories and modify their approach to suit individual and team needs.
• Common team challenges include unresolved conflict, silos, unclear roles, lack of inclusion, and poor communication.
• Addressing team building early yields greater performance and project results.

Key Terms and Concepts

• Tuckman Model
• Self-Organising Team
• T-Shaped Skills
• Ground Rules