Chapter 6

Project Team Building,

Conflict, and Negotiation

06-01
 Chapter 6 Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

See the advantages & challenges of project teams.

Understand the:
nature of conflict & evaluate response method.
Understand the importance of negotiation skills
in project management.

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 Effective Project Teams
Clear Sense of Mission common goal

Productive Interdependency mutual responsibility

Cohesiveness cross functional
Trust, common interest
Enthusiasm
Results Orientation, focus on solutions

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 Reasons Why Teams Fail
Poorly developed or unclear goals
Poorly defined project team roles &
 Negative Interdependencies
Lack of project team motivation
Poor communication
Poor leadership Role Model
Turnover among project team members
Dysfunctional behavior
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 Stages in Group Development
1. Forming – members become acquainted
2. Storming – conflict begins
3. Norming – members reach agreement
4. Performing – members work together
5. Adjourning – group disbands
Punctuated Equilibrium is a different model

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 The most common reasons teams fail
based on our experience and research:
Lack Of Clear Purpose & Goals - Without clear
purpose and goals, the team will falter. Not knowing
what to accomplish and why it is important is a major
reason for lack of performance.
Unsure Of What Requires A Team Effort - Not
every decision or action requires a team; some are best
accomplished by individuals. Team action is required
when the result calls for multiple skills and
perspectives and for a common goal.

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 Lack Of Accountability - The very definition of a
team is one where mutual accountability for outcomes
is a given. Effective teams hold themselves and each
other accountable for commitments made and results.
Lack Of Effective Or Shared Leadership - Applying
leader behaviors that do not meet the developmental
level of the team impacts both productivity and
morale. Every team needs a leader, but as the team
develops leadership needs to be shared. You will never
have a high performing team if the leader does not give
up control.

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 Lack Of Trust Among Team Members - Teams are
trust- based systems. The lack of trust leads to poor
communication and withholding of information,
which is a barrier to relationships and innovation.
Inability To Deal With Conflict - Not dealing with
conflict will cause productivity and morale to come to a
standstill or worse. Rather than being seen as
differences, it can become a struggle for control. If
dealt with correctly can be the source of innovation
and deepened relationships.

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 Ineffective Problem-Solving Skills - The strength of
the team lies in its ability to creatively and effectively
deal with challenges. Without this skill set (which
thrives on different perspectives), it will not reach high
performance.
Lack Of Focus On Creativity & Excellence -
Creativity and excellence cannot be taken for granted
but ideally written right into the values and norms of
the team. Continual improvement is applauded and
honored. Team members should be allowed to take
calculated risks. If mistakes occur, they are treated as
learning opportunities.

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