Project team building for any project is the most important step. Most Project team building likely, the project manager will require skills from different departments to achieve the goals of the project.
Start with a core project team or as it is called “steering project team”. This team should cover all the disciplines available and required for the project. For example, use staff from operations, billing, IT, finance, and contracts department.
These core team members reports to the project manager directly and they should become responsible for the responses of their departments. Make sure that they are senior enough to ensure the responsiveness of their department.
Use this core team to brainstorm the best way to achieve the goals of the project as set by the sponsors or management. Brain storming involves sharing ideas whether they are wise or stupid. Don’t criticize any idea at the begging during the brain storming session. This should give you a real view of the team members’ skills and capabilities.
Pulling the skilled core project team resources is a real challenge for the Project team building exercise. Without the support of the highest management in the corporate, you most likely will face reluctance from department heads with one common excuse: “My resources are busy”. If they volunteer resources, be careful. They might be the black sheep they are trying to get ride of!! This is what is called office politics.
If certain resources are imposed on you as a project manager, treat them as passengers and not drivers (make sure they don’t touch anything that might hinder the project).
Appointing the team members should balance between the skills required for a task and who can join the team. Don’t dream of white elephants. They are rare. However, never settle for someone who cannot do the task assigned to.
Remember to exercise the team building techniques as soon as possible with all team members. Informal chats help a lot.
The next step is to start planning the project financially.