The study also showed that balance was the key to a successful team. Belbin found that a team with no plant struggled to come up with the initial spark of an idea in order to push forward. A team with too many plants tended to conceal good ideas with bad ones. Belbin also found that a team with no shaper tended to amble along without drive or direction, missing deadlines.
Tuckman’s Theory of Team Development for Project Teams
Bruce Wayne Tuckman’s theory of team development was first published in his 1965 article “Developmental Sequence in Small Groups”. In his article he explains a five stage process of team development, with the five stages being forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. In Tuckman’s theory, forming is the first stage of team development and occurs during the project initiation phase. In this phase he states project team members, uncertain of the other team members and uninformed about the team objectives, rarely interact with one another and confine themselves to orientation. The success of the team depends on the ability of the project manager to both guide and direct the team members to bring them together and ensure that they trust one another to develop a working relationship.
Storming is a period of flux and uncertainty that follows the orientation. This period is described as a turbulent transition phase where the project manager needs to show tolerance for each team member and consider their inputs. The project manager needs to assert his authority during this phase to show assertive team members their place. This also allows meek team members to contribute their piece.
Norming is a crucial phase in the team development that starts when the differences among the team member’s resolves and the team members adjust and reconcile with one another to reach a consensus. During this time the team identity is emerging, and the project manager can loosen his grip and allow for more autonomy. During this phase the project manager can switch to a participative style of leadership. Individuals may be empowered during this phase to take small decisions. Success depends on a conscious effort form the team members.
Performing occurs when the team actually starts to work towards achieving the laid down objectives. The study found that teams that resolved the first two stages successfully, tended to function as a unit to get tasks done effectively, without conflict or external supervision. It also showed that success depended on the interpersonal structure that allows flexible roles for team members. In this stage the project manager acts as a facilitator delegating tasks and overseeing their implementation (tuckman).
In the adjourning stage of Tuckmans theory, project members celebrate the accomplishment of the project goals and the team disassembles. During this stage the project manager needs to improve project team motivation. This is usually due to the team members feelings of uncertainty about their future. At this stage the project manager can either introduce a new product with necessary team changes, or simply proceed to disband the team (tuckman).
Motivational Theory in Project Management
Josh Nankivel’s theory on motivation refers to the hygiene / motivator theory.
Satisfaction and dissatisfaction . According to Nankivel, job satisfaction does not result in motivation, and the two are not opposites of each other, but are separate issues which need to be investigated separately. Hygiene factors which include things like company policy and administration, referred to as policy constraints, supervision, interpersonal relationships, working conditions, salary, status and security. When one experiences psychological growth, which is intrinsic to the job then one has achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, and growth or advancement. These are all included in the motivator factors (nankivel). According to Nankivel, hygiene factors do not contribute to motivation, and one or more of the motivator factors needs to be present for everyone on a project team in order for those team members to truly be self-motivated. Unmotivated project team members will require extensive supervision and time from the project manager. These people may not be dissatisfied, just not satisfied, or unmotivated (nankivel).
Motivation: How to Increase Project Team Performance
According to Tonya Peterson, motivation can inspire, encourage, and stimulate individuals and project teams to achieve great accomplishments’ (Peterson). Motivation can also foster environments which foster team work and collective initiatives to reach common goals or objectives. McGregors Theory X and Theory Y motivational approach identifies polar differences in subordinates. Individuals who require constant attention, do not work, need punishment to achieve desired effort, and avoid added responsibilities are classified as Theory X, while individuals who want to work, find the job satisfying, are willing to participate, don’t require a controlling environment, and seek constant improvement or opportunity are classified as Theory Y. Essentially, project managers using a theory X approach to project management will create an authoritative and controlling work environment, and Theory Y managers will create a participative environment with strong manager – employee relations.
Managing Virtual Teams
The nature of teams has changed significantly due to changes in organizations and the nature of the work they do (Lisa Kimball, 1997). Because the nature of organizations has changed to be distributed across geography and across industries, the nature of teams had to change with it. There has been more emphaisis placed on knowledge management, harvesting this knowledge from the experience of members of the organization so that it is available to the whole organization. Teams have changed from fixed membership to shifting team membership, with some virtual team members being parts of multiple teams and distributed organizationally and geographically as opposed to the members being 100% dedicated to the team and being co-located organizationally and geographically. Virtual teams form and reform continuously while having multiple reporting relationships with different parts of the organization at different times. Teams are no longer managed by a single manager with fixed starting and ending points. There are several different types of teams, from executive teams made up of managers who are on the team because of their position within the organization, to project teams created for a specific task. Community of practice teams are another type of team. They support people who are working on common tasks or in the same professional field and who can benefit from sharing experience.
According to Kimball, management must have a new mind set in order to be effective in contemporary organizations. Managers must move from a face to face environment for interaction to different kinds of environment to support high quality interaction. Managers are shifting from collaboration when teams interact at a fixed time and place to ongoing and boundary-less collaboration (Kimball).
Conclusion
Managing project teams has plenty of theories, from motivational theories to types of teams to be managed. All have the same basic concepts which enable them to be successful. Most theories point to some type of motivation for teams to be successful. There are numerous theories on motivation, from Mcgregor’s theory X and theory Y to Herzbergs KITA motivation theory. Tuckmans theory outlines 5 different stages for the development of project teams. These theories are distinct and merge to some extent into virtual teams.
Meredith Belbin, How to Belbin Team RolesRetrieved from, 19 Jun 2011
N Nayab, Tuckman’s Theory of Team Development for Project Teams, Retrieved from; 19 Jun 2011
Tonya Peterson, Motivation: How to Increase Project Team Performance, Retrieved 19 Jun 2011 from;
Ron Holohan, Motivational Theory in Project Management, Retrieved 19 Jun 2011 from, http://pm411.org/2008/06/23/motivational-theory-in-project-management/
Lisa Kimball, Managing Virtual Teams, 1997 retrieved from; http://www.groupjazz.com/pdf/vteams-toronto.pdf
