What Is a Project Team? Role, Members, Build & Manage

In any project, having the right team in place is crucial to success. Building and managing a project team can be a challenging task, but with the right approach, it can also be extremely rewarding.

A well-managed project team can ensure that the project is completed on time, within budget, and to the desired quality standards.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at project teams, including their role in project management, the different roles and responsibilities of team members, and the process of building and managing a successful team. 

What Is a Project Team?

A project team is a set of people that an organization assembles to carry out particular project duties and accomplish the objectives of the organization to create favorable outcomes. 

The organization helps individuals to effectively execute the project on schedule by putting together a project team. 

Even if every colleague might answer to the same supervisor, it’s typical to see cross-functional projects when team members from several departments collaborate.

For a project to be successful, each team member must have the appropriate set of abilities. This team may change if certain project stages or deadlines call for the use of particular skill sets.

A project manager generally works on a project for the duration of its existence. Major projects may employ specialized project managers to oversee certain phases, such as the procurement or feasibility stage.

Project Managers usually take charge of: 

• Planning

• Scheduling

• Budgeting

• Tracking

How To Build a Project Team?

When putting together a project team, choosing team members is equally as important as developing the organizational framework for the project. Irrespective of the organizational structure you select, this involves:

• creating communication

• outlining expectations

• putting up rules and processes. 

These issues will invariably arise if they are not explicitly stated prior to the project’s start.

1. Choose Cross-functional Group Members

To complete several projects and provide deliverables, various departments must collaborate. 

A manager specializing in overseeing a group of people must lead every division within the project team. Determine which departments to include and who will head them before going into the details of putting the team together.

2. Assign Roles and Responsibilities

Project managers must have the ability to accurately figure out their team members’ roles and duties. 

A team charter is usually helpful in documenting such information although other project planning tools can be used. 

Such softwares allows you to increase the productivity of your project team. It establishes who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed for each project work.

3. Set Expectations

The simplest method to build communication and sustain the project on track is to define expectations explicitly. 

Project managers who establish basic standards and outline expectations from the start lead the most profitable endeavors. These rules may contain defined limits, procedures to follow if anything goes wrong, and other items. 

We suggest jotting these things down and storing the document wherever the entire team can access it.

4. Communication

Since the project team structure comprises so many levels of people, it’s critical to keep communication flowing. Developing a project communication strategy helps. 

If not, the team will grow to seem like a collection of separate divisions working towards separate project objectives. The best ways to avoid this include:

• Creating a routine for project meetings

• Demanding status updates

• Arranging interdepartmental collaboration time

• Any number of other project reporting ideas

Effective communication is critical for the success of any project team, and using employee communication software can help facilitate clear and timely communication between team members regardless of their physical location

What Are the Members of a Project Team?

1. Project Manager

Usually projects require the services of a project manager, who is responsible for keeping the project on track and within budget. 

Project managers operate as a link between project team members and project stakeholders. They engage with both groups to guarantee everyone is on the same page and understands how the project is progressing.

2. Project Team Member

A project team member is someone who contributes to the project, whether full-time or part-time. This might comprise both internal personnel and external advisors, specialists, or contractors. 

The project manager assigns duties to project team members depending on their expertise, talents, and the department in which they work. Team leaders may supervise team members on bigger assignments.

3. Project Sponsor

The project sponsor is often an upper management supervisor who gives high-level resources and assistance to ensure the victory of a project. 

They are regarded as the project’s internal advocate, facilitating communication between the project manager and the company’s leadership team.

4. Project Stakeholders

Anyone who contributes to, funds, or influences the project’s outcome is a project stakeholder or collaborator. The contentment of these relevant groups is critical to the success of any endeavor.

Internal collaborators are employees who participate directly with the project. Members include:

• project tea

• project manage

• project sponsor

• other internal teams.

Even if they are not directly participating in the project, external contributors are influenced by its conclusion. They include: 

• external clients

• the end-user

• Consumers

• Subcontractors

• the government

• suppliers

5. Business Analyst

A business analyst is in charge of enhancing an organization and is frequently a key member of a project team. 

They can collaborate with company stakeholders to set targets that address problems the organization is facing or strategies to enhance the efficiency of an area in particular. 

Roles and Responsibilities of a Project Team

1. Project Manager

• Developing a timetable and objectives according to project requirements and stakeholder demands

• Finding and employing people to work on the project

• Presenting corporate and project partners with frequent updates

• Examining the budget to verify that the project does not consume more resources than are assigned

• Delegating duties to individuals depending on their function in the organization and their special qualities.

• Obtaining resources to assist project team members with their duties

2. Project Team Member

• Participating to the broader project goals

• finishing their assignment on schedule and within the allocated expenditure

• Collaborating with users to determine business requirements

• Offering knowledge and documentation of the process

3. Project Sponsor

• Addressing critical project business choice

• Authorizing expenditure hikes and deadline changes

• Communicating with the project manager and team members on a regular basis to reaffirm goals

• Assisting the project manager in locating education and other resources that team members may require for their job.

• Stepping in if the project manager is unable to resolve issues among team members,

4. Project Stakeholder

• Recognising project restrictions

• Identifying project hazards

• Providing expertise

• Providing feedback

5. Business Analyst

• Developing the Idea

• Defining the project’s objectives

• Keeping track of technical criteria for a successful project team

• Making certain that the deliverables developed by the team complement the overall goal of the project and business.

How To Manage a Project Team?

1. Balance

Have you ever wondered why companies spend so much effort optimizing their hiring processes? Choosing the ideal employees for the task accounts for about half of the effort you’ll need to undertake. 

When assembling a team for a certain project, you must ensure that their technical abilities and personalities are suitable with the project’s needs.

Colleagues that are overly competent yet unable to function as team members will most certainly slow you down. 

In the same way, someone with only communication abilities cannot contribute to the team. Searching for the correct project management abilities is essential when developing a team, and striking the ideal balance is crucial.

2. Visibility and Transparency

Project managers are frequently unaware of the company’s data-sharing policy. But you must maintain project openness and effective visibility of the relevant details to all team members inside the team.

The inclination of unsuccessful leaders to withhold information on a need-to-know basis is a fatal giveaway. It’s a negative supervision attribute that it’s given its own name: mushroom management. 

Transparency in your projects allows you to

• Get the most out of each team member’s skill set 
• Promote internal accountability 
• Track progress.

3. Communication

A project team never finishes a job by themselves. They depend on a variety of internal and external elements that can have an impact on their performance.

As a project manager, you must interact with them on a frequent basis and involve them during the project’s duration. This can only take place through excellent project management communication.

Communication is essential for good management in any business situation. To persuade project teams to invest, you must clearly define the project goals and connect everyone’s interests.

Another advantage of open communication is that it allows you to identify dangers before they pose a threat to your endeavor. When your team members communicate their project management issues and problems, you can use that knowledge to tackle project risks effectively.

4. Conflicts

Conflict is unavoidable when various personalities collaborate, especially in fresh teams. You have two options: resolve it effectively or stoke the sparks even more. The first guideline is not to pick sides and jeopardize your neutrality. Second, tailor your reaction to the nature of the event.

If the disagreement is about the strategy you should take or any other practical concern, motivate every one of the underlying goals and keep the situation under control. But if the disagreement is of a personal character, attempt to give team members some space. You must urge them to resolve their differences as peacefully as possible.

Whatever type of dispute you experience, your leadership abilities will undoubtedly be under pressure.

5. Feedback

In order to better the way you lead, you should collect input from your project team just like you do from your clients. Although it may seem like a natural talent, you must further develop your leadership qualities and tailor it to the characteristics of your team.

While certain members of your project team might do better with a little supervision, others could perform better when they are allowed to contribute their own unique flair.

Investing time with your employees can help you learn more about their preferences. To find out more about their teams and adjust their leadership style as necessary, some leaders retain a suggestion box or rely on recurring forms.

Conclusion

In conclusion, building and managing a project team is a critical aspect of project management. 

By understanding the roles and responsibilities of team members, and following best practices for managing project teams effectively, you can ensure successful project completion. Remember to communicate clearly, set realistic goals and timelines, and provide your team with the resources they need to succeed.

If you’re looking for a tool to help you manage your project team more efficiently, be sure to check out Chisel’s free forever. 

With Chisel, you can

• collaborate with your team in real-time
• track tasks and deadlines
• stay on top of your project’s progress.

Sign up today and see how Chisel can help you take your project management to the next level.