Richard Grimes, MPA, C.P.T.

Course Outline

The title of this course, How to Develop (or Save) a Project Team, may sound like it is trying to cover two completely different concepts at the same time.

"How can you discuss developing and saving a project team in the same course?" is a reasonable question.

If you consider there is a strong possibility that the reason a team needs saving is because it was not developed correctly in the first place, it makes sense to take this approach.
We will look at first how to develop a team from scratch for a new project. Then we will assume you have been called in to rescue an existing one that is sinking.

Once you understand the elements necessary to develop a productive project team, your first analysis of the problem can be looking for the extent to which these elements are present (or not!)

There is a high probability there are not many. If this is the case, introduction of these elements will begin to stabilize the team.

This course includes a multiple choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

• Identify reasons why their project team is functioning well allowing them to reinforce and continue them;
• Identify reasons why their project team may not be functioning well and address specific missing or improperly applied elements;
• Have a "blueprint" of the basic requirements for a high-performance project team and allows them to continually improve their teambuilding efforts by developing these elements as they move from project to project;
• Learn a novel, yet useful approach for selecting project team members;
• Understand why "Hire for Attitude, train for skill" would be a useful approach for a project;
• Learn the method to identify desirable traits in project team members;
• Learn the eight essentials for a high-performance project team;
• Learn how to develop and the value of a project Code of Conduct;
• Learn how to use the project Code of Conduct to influence performance of the team;
• Learn who actually controls where an employee will work within a possible range of motivation;
• Understand how the motivational classic, The Hawthorne Effect, can be applied to a project today; and
• Receive a diagnostic survey that can accurately give you a "snapshot" of the team's current job satisfaction.
  
  

Intended Audience

The intended audience is project engineers or members of a project management team who are currently members of project teams; those who will be starting project teams; or those called in to "save" a project that may be foundering.

Benefit to Attendee

The objectives of this course are to help the participant realize there are specific elements of organization, leadership, and human motivation that must be present to have a project workforce develop from a group of individuals assigned to a project to become a team working together for the common good.

The classic study in organizational behavior, The Hawthorne Effect, is provided to demonstrate how vital, yet simple, and easy it is, to create a team of motivated employees.

Participants will have checklists to use in assessing the nature of organizational, leadership, and employee development opportunities that can help a project workforce become a team.
Also, a diagnostic team survey is provided if someone is assigned to "saving" an existing team that will help him or her pinpoint specific organizational, leadership, and workforce issues for attention in the salvage effort.

Course Content

Table of Content

Introduction
Selecting Your Project Team Members
Eight Essentials for a High Performance Project Team
Sharing Behavioral Values

Developing a Project Code of Conduct
Testing the Value of Your Project's Code of Conduct

The Components of Motivation

What Would Motivate Your Employees?
A Motivation Classic

The Hawthorne Studies
The Hawthorne Effect
The Experiments
Variables Affecting Productivity
Relay Assembly
Feedback Mechanism
Mayo's Conclusions
Looking Back on the Experiments
Modern Management Lessons
Applying the Hawthorne Effect
Tracking Process Improvements - Gathering Performance Metrics
Someone Really Cares About Me?

Developing a High Performance Project Team

Basic Elements of a Productive Project Team

The Project Organizational Element
The Project Leadership Element

How To Save a Project team

A Diagnostic Project Team Survey

About Outsource Training.biz LLC

Bonus Materials

The author would like to offer his "The Volunteer Organization's Development Handbook" free of charge to users who take this course. Just download the handbook in PDF at the beginning of the quiz!

If you are part of a volunteer organization whether it is a professional engineering chapter, a youth sports league, or a booster group at your child's school, this handbook will be useful. Please feel free to share it as much as you want.

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.