A systematic approach to the leader in working with the team. Do not repeat mistakes three times
First, we repeat the mistakes of others, then we make our own, then we repeat ours) So ...
The tasks of the project manager (leader) in working with the team are reduced to increasing efficiency and reducing development costs. The effectiveness of the team depends on its members. What prevents us from achieving a synergistic effect? We try to figure it out.
In the work of a project manager, one of the most valuable qualities is experience. It is experience that forms intuition, helps to make the right decisions and complete projects with success. Most often, our experience is based largely on standard errors in standard situations. At the same time, in the routine of problems, we invent a nonstandard way out of them (it's easier), and we forget to use the well-established experience of many predecessors, consolidated into the system. In vain. The system "in the mind" allows you to make confident decisions, think a few steps forward, and not spend time experimenting with people. The scheme described below will seem obvious to many of us, but often we do not take it into account and make mistakes that cost everyone money.
Consider the life cycle of a team according to the Takman model.
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The entire life cycle of a team is divided into five phases: formation, collision, normalization, execution and completion. They are necessary and inevitable as the maturity of the team grows.
Formation - the beginning of the transition of each member of the group from an individual model of behavior to a group, the formation of a team.
Collision - a clash of interests and ambitions, the struggle for informal leadership, the search for their place in the team.
Normalization - stabilization of relations, development of internal rules of behavior, the beginning of teamwork.
Performance is productive work.
Completion - the final stage of the project.
Look at the drawing. Each phase is characterized by a certain level of team productivity. Understanding the essence and specifics of these phases allows the Leader to play the role of a catalyst for the team building process, identify problems, find their solutions, plan works and ensure results.
The model is cyclical. Any noticeable change in the team (departure / arrival of an employee) may “drop” the team to an earlier phase (most likely “Formation” or “Collision”)
Let us examine each phase separately and consider the behavior of the group, which should be feared and avoided by the leader (risks), the primary tasks of the leader.
At this stage, the group members act quite independently, get to know each other and delve into the goals and scope of the project, while experiencing an acute need for information: about the project, about their role and tasks, about teamwork rules, about their leader.
They carefully examine the limits of acceptable interpersonal behavior, define and establish dependency relationships with the leader, other members of the group and standards that existed before. They begin to establish basic rules, trying to determine which behavior is acceptable both in relation to the project (what role they should play, what are the expectations regarding the quality of the project) and in interpersonal relations (who is really responsible).
Employees may experience a wide range of feelings: excitement and optimism (and, perhaps, a sense of elitism) due to the fact of inclusion in the project on the one hand, and anxiety, anxiety, suspicion, concerns about their abilities to cope with the tasks ahead. parties.
The team spirit at this phase, as a rule, is relatively high, but the participants are in for a speedy, inevitable fall. The productivity of the group at this phase is less than the sum of the individual productivity of the team members. This phase ends when people begin to feel part of a group.
Risks
- The leader does not survive the conflicts in the group and mobilizes its defense mechanisms;
- The leader "bends" the stick and begins to suppress the initiative of the team;
- The leader fails to prove his right to lead;
- The leader is unable to keep in sight all the tasks that need to be addressed in parallel.
Recommendations to the leader
- Prepare and conduct a kick-off meeting at which to formulate and explain goals and objectives, provide maximum information on the project, provide an opportunity and encourage team members to express their fears and expectations related to the work ahead, contribute to the rapid familiarity of team members, creating a friendly atmosphere;
- Demonstrate and prove their professional competence;
- To use a persuasive style that assumes that the tasks assigned are carried out and exactly as he considers correct. At the same time, the leader should try to avoid coercion, acting by convincing - “selling” his ideas.
Group members begin to "sober" under the stream of new information and requirements for current projects. Initial optimism after the launch meeting gives way to pessimism, if not frightened by the challenges ahead. The feeling of frustration or disagreement regarding the goals, responsibilities in the project, are expressed openly. Employees agree that they are part of the design team, but resist the restrictions that the project and the team impose on their individuality.
The members of the group demonstrate their own characters as they come into conflict with the ideas and views of other members (especially managers). The struggle begins for its informal place in the group, “imposing” its approaches and rules on others.
The team spirit and productivity of the group in this phase are usually very low (minimal). When contradictions are resolved, the leadership of the project manager becomes recognized, the group begins to learn teamwork, its productivity begins to grow slowly, and the group moves to the next stage.
Problems and Risks
- The goals of the group are criticized, distorted and replaced by personal ones;
- The leader fails to prove his right to lead;
- Formation of a “time bomb” (smoldering, unresolved conflicts)
- The formation of separate subgroups ("crystallization") and informal leaders;
Recommendations to the leader
- Use team leadership style for "hard-nosed" members of the group and persuasive style for the rest. Show maximum patience while defending your position.
- Continue to demonstrate and prove their professional competence.
- Resolve conflicts or facilitate this. You may have to part with someone from the team.
- Communicate with each member of the group - constantly and in a timely manner.
- Begin to determine the personal profiles of group members, their motivational factors, their informal roles.
- To carry out team activities. Contribute to maintaining (at least) an acceptable atmosphere.
Information has been found and revised, goals and objectives are clear and understandable, the fear has passed, the main conflicts are resolved, the roles are distributed, the “rules of the game” are defined. The development and improvement of methods and techniques of group work begins, the growth of group confidence in their ability to solve the assigned tasks begins.
At this stage interpersonal relations are developed, tools and methods of group interaction are developed and improved, common values ​​are finally determined, the group demonstrates cohesion.
The effectiveness of the group is steadily growing, a trusting atmosphere is created, team building begins. Group members independently adjust their behavior in the direction of increasing the efficiency of interaction.
This stage is completed when the informal structure of the group is settled, and the group has developed a common system of expectations and criteria regarding teamwork and the quality of the results.
Problems and Risks
- Shifting priorities. Project goals and objectives may give way to the priority tasks of creating / maintaining a comfortable social group.
- It is possible to assign negative reputation to individual members of the group and, as a result, non-optimal use of their capabilities.
- Excessive self-esteem of the group and, as a result, unproductive attitude to criticism and a tendency to self-isolation (against the organization, against the project, new employees). This may cause the need to disband the team and “drop” the previous phases because of the need to attract new people.
Recommendations to the leader
- Use persuasive and participating communication styles, begin to delegate decision making to group members.
- Improving teamwork processes, preparing the group for autonomous work.
- To promote the integration of new people into the team, if such an extension is necessary.
- Refine the personal profiles of group members and their motivational factors, actively use these observations.
- Refine and develop the formal rules of the game, roles and responsibilities.
- Continue to carry out team activities.
Team members have a clear idea of ​​what is required of them at the task level, they do the work efficiently and efficiently. Group members now have the competence, autonomy and ability to make decisions without control from above
The structure of the group is fully functional, the level of conflict and their consequences is minimal. Roles become flexible and functional, the activity of the group members takes place in conditions of trust and mutual assistance. Individual members of the group are not afraid of disclosing their weaknesses. The group has become a team and does not see such tasks that it could not solve. The team members feel a sense of elitism in comparison with other employees of the company and clearly divide everyone into “WE” and “THEY”.
Team spirit and productivity have reached their maximum.
Problems and Risks
- Shifting priorities. Project goals and objectives may give way to the priority tasks of creating / maintaining a comfortable social group.
- Team propensity to self-isolation.
- Relaxing leader, which leads to loss of control.
- “Drop” on the previous phases in consequence of the arrival of new people. At this stage, this is less likely than at the previous one, but quite possible, especially with a more or less significant expansion of the team.
Recommendations to the leader
- Use the delegating style of leadership, which implies minimal participation in the team’s activities, the formation of collective responsibility for the result, and control of only key indicators.
- Timely feedback.
- Actively promote the integration of new people into the team, if such expansion is necessary.
- Continue to carry out team activities.
- PR team within the company and beyond.
Work on a long-term project is entering the ending phase. There is an emotional downturn, anxiety about the further fate, which is reflected in the omission of meetings, the inadequate performance of their tasks.
Problems and risks:
- Motivation to work is reduced, but still need to work.
- Disruption of the project launch dates.
Recommendations to the leader
- In advance will take care of the fate of the team and notify everyone.
The model makes it possible to understand at what stage the team is and how it develops. The leader must understand the inevitable causes of inefficiency and inconsistency in teamwork, focus on helping the group get to the productive fourth phase as quickly as possible.
Actually, what everyone wants! )
The article was prepared on the basis of ICOM’s own experience, Luxoft trainings, project management literature.
The tasks of the project manager (leader) in working with the team are reduced to increasing efficiency and reducing development costs. The effectiveness of the team depends on its members. What prevents us from achieving a synergistic effect? We try to figure it out.
In the work of a project manager, one of the most valuable qualities is experience. It is experience that forms intuition, helps to make the right decisions and complete projects with success. Most often, our experience is based largely on standard errors in standard situations. At the same time, in the routine of problems, we invent a nonstandard way out of them (it's easier), and we forget to use the well-established experience of many predecessors, consolidated into the system. In vain. The system "in the mind" allows you to make confident decisions, think a few steps forward, and not spend time experimenting with people. The scheme described below will seem obvious to many of us, but often we do not take it into account and make mistakes that cost everyone money.
Consider the life cycle of a team according to the Takman model.
')
The entire life cycle of a team is divided into five phases: formation, collision, normalization, execution and completion. They are necessary and inevitable as the maturity of the team grows.
Formation - the beginning of the transition of each member of the group from an individual model of behavior to a group, the formation of a team.
Collision - a clash of interests and ambitions, the struggle for informal leadership, the search for their place in the team.
Normalization - stabilization of relations, development of internal rules of behavior, the beginning of teamwork.
Performance is productive work.
Completion - the final stage of the project.
Look at the drawing. Each phase is characterized by a certain level of team productivity. Understanding the essence and specifics of these phases allows the Leader to play the role of a catalyst for the team building process, identify problems, find their solutions, plan works and ensure results.
The model is cyclical. Any noticeable change in the team (departure / arrival of an employee) may “drop” the team to an earlier phase (most likely “Formation” or “Collision”)
Let us examine each phase separately and consider the behavior of the group, which should be feared and avoided by the leader (risks), the primary tasks of the leader.
Formation
At this stage, the group members act quite independently, get to know each other and delve into the goals and scope of the project, while experiencing an acute need for information: about the project, about their role and tasks, about teamwork rules, about their leader.
They carefully examine the limits of acceptable interpersonal behavior, define and establish dependency relationships with the leader, other members of the group and standards that existed before. They begin to establish basic rules, trying to determine which behavior is acceptable both in relation to the project (what role they should play, what are the expectations regarding the quality of the project) and in interpersonal relations (who is really responsible).
Employees may experience a wide range of feelings: excitement and optimism (and, perhaps, a sense of elitism) due to the fact of inclusion in the project on the one hand, and anxiety, anxiety, suspicion, concerns about their abilities to cope with the tasks ahead. parties.
The team spirit at this phase, as a rule, is relatively high, but the participants are in for a speedy, inevitable fall. The productivity of the group at this phase is less than the sum of the individual productivity of the team members. This phase ends when people begin to feel part of a group.
Risks
- The leader does not survive the conflicts in the group and mobilizes its defense mechanisms;
- The leader "bends" the stick and begins to suppress the initiative of the team;
- The leader fails to prove his right to lead;
- The leader is unable to keep in sight all the tasks that need to be addressed in parallel.
Recommendations to the leader
- Prepare and conduct a kick-off meeting at which to formulate and explain goals and objectives, provide maximum information on the project, provide an opportunity and encourage team members to express their fears and expectations related to the work ahead, contribute to the rapid familiarity of team members, creating a friendly atmosphere;
- Demonstrate and prove their professional competence;
- To use a persuasive style that assumes that the tasks assigned are carried out and exactly as he considers correct. At the same time, the leader should try to avoid coercion, acting by convincing - “selling” his ideas.
Clash
Group members begin to "sober" under the stream of new information and requirements for current projects. Initial optimism after the launch meeting gives way to pessimism, if not frightened by the challenges ahead. The feeling of frustration or disagreement regarding the goals, responsibilities in the project, are expressed openly. Employees agree that they are part of the design team, but resist the restrictions that the project and the team impose on their individuality.
The members of the group demonstrate their own characters as they come into conflict with the ideas and views of other members (especially managers). The struggle begins for its informal place in the group, “imposing” its approaches and rules on others.
The team spirit and productivity of the group in this phase are usually very low (minimal). When contradictions are resolved, the leadership of the project manager becomes recognized, the group begins to learn teamwork, its productivity begins to grow slowly, and the group moves to the next stage.
Problems and Risks
- The goals of the group are criticized, distorted and replaced by personal ones;
- The leader fails to prove his right to lead;
- Formation of a “time bomb” (smoldering, unresolved conflicts)
- The formation of separate subgroups ("crystallization") and informal leaders;
Recommendations to the leader
- Use team leadership style for "hard-nosed" members of the group and persuasive style for the rest. Show maximum patience while defending your position.
- Continue to demonstrate and prove their professional competence.
- Resolve conflicts or facilitate this. You may have to part with someone from the team.
- Communicate with each member of the group - constantly and in a timely manner.
- Begin to determine the personal profiles of group members, their motivational factors, their informal roles.
- To carry out team activities. Contribute to maintaining (at least) an acceptable atmosphere.
Normalization
Information has been found and revised, goals and objectives are clear and understandable, the fear has passed, the main conflicts are resolved, the roles are distributed, the “rules of the game” are defined. The development and improvement of methods and techniques of group work begins, the growth of group confidence in their ability to solve the assigned tasks begins.
At this stage interpersonal relations are developed, tools and methods of group interaction are developed and improved, common values ​​are finally determined, the group demonstrates cohesion.
The effectiveness of the group is steadily growing, a trusting atmosphere is created, team building begins. Group members independently adjust their behavior in the direction of increasing the efficiency of interaction.
This stage is completed when the informal structure of the group is settled, and the group has developed a common system of expectations and criteria regarding teamwork and the quality of the results.
Problems and Risks
- Shifting priorities. Project goals and objectives may give way to the priority tasks of creating / maintaining a comfortable social group.
- It is possible to assign negative reputation to individual members of the group and, as a result, non-optimal use of their capabilities.
- Excessive self-esteem of the group and, as a result, unproductive attitude to criticism and a tendency to self-isolation (against the organization, against the project, new employees). This may cause the need to disband the team and “drop” the previous phases because of the need to attract new people.
Recommendations to the leader
- Use persuasive and participating communication styles, begin to delegate decision making to group members.
- Improving teamwork processes, preparing the group for autonomous work.
- To promote the integration of new people into the team, if such an extension is necessary.
- Refine the personal profiles of group members and their motivational factors, actively use these observations.
- Refine and develop the formal rules of the game, roles and responsibilities.
- Continue to carry out team activities.
Execution
Team members have a clear idea of ​​what is required of them at the task level, they do the work efficiently and efficiently. Group members now have the competence, autonomy and ability to make decisions without control from above
The structure of the group is fully functional, the level of conflict and their consequences is minimal. Roles become flexible and functional, the activity of the group members takes place in conditions of trust and mutual assistance. Individual members of the group are not afraid of disclosing their weaknesses. The group has become a team and does not see such tasks that it could not solve. The team members feel a sense of elitism in comparison with other employees of the company and clearly divide everyone into “WE” and “THEY”.
Team spirit and productivity have reached their maximum.
Problems and Risks
- Shifting priorities. Project goals and objectives may give way to the priority tasks of creating / maintaining a comfortable social group.
- Team propensity to self-isolation.
- Relaxing leader, which leads to loss of control.
- “Drop” on the previous phases in consequence of the arrival of new people. At this stage, this is less likely than at the previous one, but quite possible, especially with a more or less significant expansion of the team.
Recommendations to the leader
- Use the delegating style of leadership, which implies minimal participation in the team’s activities, the formation of collective responsibility for the result, and control of only key indicators.
- Timely feedback.
- Actively promote the integration of new people into the team, if such expansion is necessary.
- Continue to carry out team activities.
- PR team within the company and beyond.
Completion
Work on a long-term project is entering the ending phase. There is an emotional downturn, anxiety about the further fate, which is reflected in the omission of meetings, the inadequate performance of their tasks.
Problems and risks:
- Motivation to work is reduced, but still need to work.
- Disruption of the project launch dates.
Recommendations to the leader
- In advance will take care of the fate of the team and notify everyone.
Total
The model makes it possible to understand at what stage the team is and how it develops. The leader must understand the inevitable causes of inefficiency and inconsistency in teamwork, focus on helping the group get to the productive fourth phase as quickly as possible.
Actually, what everyone wants! )
The article was prepared on the basis of ICOM’s own experience, Luxoft trainings, project management literature.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/60350/
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