Creating Successful Project Teams

The word "teamwork" always surfaces during project post mortems.

When we dig deeper, people share frustrations and concerns about areas such as goals, roles, trust, communication, problem solving, accountability, and conflict. They are all big topics that create fertile ground for good dialogue and continuous improvement.

When you separate the wheat from the chaff, three themes rise to the surface regarding the creation of effective and efficient project teams:

1. Significance and Direction. Engaged and successful project teams report a meaningful and common outcome that they are striving to achieve. Increased clarity and meaning provide the fuel to make it through the inevitable bumps in the road.
   
   
2. Fit. Successful project teams also report that they have the diverse and complementary skills, capabilities, and knowledge required to tackle not only the initial task, but the changes and challenges along the way.
   
   
3. Accountability. Winning project teams mutually set and hit project deadlines and goals. They also appropriately and collectively revise plans to meet changing circumstances.