Notes

Team Building and Development in a Matrix Environment
What can be a team?
There a wide range of kinds of teams. A functional team is often a permanent team established to conduct operational activities to get a particular section of the organization, such as finance, sales, marketing, etc. There is no specified time frame on functional teams as is also necessary to keep the business running. A project team is brought together to get a discrete stretch of time to attain a definite goal. At the end from the project the c's is disbanded. Project teams tend to be matrix in nature, staffed by members extracted from diverse functional teams in order to attain the project goal. When the Project Manager carries a high level of authority this is called a solid matrix; when Functional Managers have stronger authority this is called a weak matrix.
In all organizational structures, there are numerous 'teams within teams'. For example, if I am the Manager, I might have several teams in doing my overall team:
- Me and also the whole team - Me each individual during my management team - Me as well as my management team - Me and my peers in other departments - Each management team individual along with their direct reports
This is complicated enough in the event the structure is really a well-defined functional hierarchy. However, a matrix environment for completing projects adds in another layer of complexity. The functional 'teams within teams' still exist and every person includes a functional 'home' team, the good news is additionally, they belong to a 'project' team which carries a finite life.
All of such teams need nurturing if a project will be successful. In a matrix environment, allegiance towards the project isn't created by the structure itself, but as a result of the relationships which can be developed inside project team. Relationships in all of the teams are crucial for achievement, but on matrix teams, particularly weak matrix teams, the location where the project manager could have little authority, they may be especially important. On such teams, relationships will be more tough to establish, are more fragile, which enable it to be more easily destroyed. Keeping an easy population group together in a very matrix team depends upon building loyalty and trust.
Phases of Team Development
In 1965 Bruce Tuckerman developed the thought which a team underwent certain phases of group development: forming, storming, norming and performing. The phases could be summarized as follows:
- Forming - the c's all fits in place, begins to understand the goals and boundaries, initiates the tasks, but everyone remains working somewhat independently. Managers must be directive at this stage as a way to steer the c's toward desire to. - Storming - ideas and approaches start to be exchanged about how precisely the job might be accomplished, and this may result in conflict. This phase is critical for that increase of the c's, to result in individuals learning ways to interact. Managers still should be directive during this period, and in addition accessible to be sure that conflict is resolved and the c's is beginning to advance forward toward the thing. - Norming - they actually starts to feel a sense achievement, rules of operation (either formal or informal) are working, and trust starts to form. Managers begin to be participative, and have to be available to deliver guidance as the team continues to grow together. - Performing - they is currently maturing and sometimes high performing. Work is accomplished, affiliates understand how to work together, and even though conflict happens it can be managed and navigated with skill and may enhance productivity. The team requires hardly any supervision at this time which enable it to largely make a unique decisions.
Tuckerman later added your final phase 'adjourning' to acknowledge that teams, specifically project teams, typically separation as soon as the objectives from the project are complete.
Team Building Techniques
Team building activities are conducted in order to develop loyalty and trust which can be a critical foundation so you can get the most effective results from a matrix project team. Team building isn't just about producing 'fun' events, although that's part of it. It is also not just about understanding downline through personality assessments, although again, that is part of it. The most effective team building events involves combining various tools and techniques.
- Kick off meetings - a brand new project should be initiated which has a start up meeting so the purpose from the project, roles and responsibilities and the way the project matches the organization's overall goals may be understood. This technique may be used in all forms of teams, but in the matrix project team that has come together with staff from multiple different sources it really is particularly important as they doesn't have established context for your project.
- Team agreements - Teams that discover how to interact tend to be more likely to work and efficient. Establishing agreements can assist on this process. Collaboratively establishing guidelines depending on how a team will operate can provide the team with clarity and can ease communication over issues including boundaries, responsibilities, and team member behavior. Functional teams currently have this established by making use of departmental policies and procedures. However for recently formed matrix project teams that don't have rules of operation established as part of their formal organization structure, team agreements is a necessary facet of building an effective team.
- Delivery process definition - Understanding how the task is to be accomplished makes it easier for any team to communicate. Functional teams routinely have the process for delivering the job established as section of the departmental rules. Given that the type of each project could possibly be different, matrix project teams typically do not have initial stated rules for delivering the project. For example, if the software development team is unsure which development lifecycle (waterfall, agile, etc) has followed to attain the project goal, confusion and a not enough productivity by the c's may result. Clearly defining and establishing a process that is understood by every one of the players within the recently formed matrix team is very important for that success of the project.
- try this - A skillful Manager will recognize that conflict happens on any team and may take the initiative to establish a specific process for managing it. This provides clarity to the team within the event that conflict does occur. A newly created matrix project team will find this especially helpful as the team is not accustomed to family interaction and can need to navigate this as the main procedure for maturing as a team. This will also help the c's move quicker over the 'storming' phase of group development.
- Personality assessments - An effective way to see the other folks a new matrix project team is via team development sessions using personality assessments. These might be simple and quick assessments, for example the Personality Profile: The Shapes Test, or maybe more complex assessments including Strengthsfinder, Myers Briggs Type Indicator, FIRO-B, Kiersey Temperament Sorter, etc. Regardless with the specific assessment conducted, the outcomes brings a team significant value in determining how affiliates could be best utilized, what sort of project manager can best talk to specific team members for top level outcomes, and just how people like to be were able to get them to efficient and productive. For matrix project teams, personality assessments may help shorten the method in which the team matures and learns to interact to get the final results needed with the project.
- Team building events - Group events encourage positive team dynamics to formulate and mature. In matrix environments, the roll-out of loyalty and trust is very important towards the stability and effectiveness from the matrix structure. Engaging people in activities beyond your project lets them become familiar with the other person inside a more relaxed setting which is very efficient in building team esprit de corps. In addition, this gives visitors to find methods to communicate in a very non-stressful environment that can then be carried back on the workplace. Some choices: - Social events - participating in the social activity can produce a team spirit that encourages website visitors to support the other person when they are at work - Team building 'games' - building or creating something outside of the project may engender a camaraderie that could then be carried back towards the working day - End of project celebration - to acknowledge the success from the project meeting desire to
- Executive Coaching - Individual and group coaching might be an effective tool in every varieties of organizational structures. Executive Coaches can facilitate team development, along with individual leadership development, by centering on areas for example collaboration skills, negotiation skills, addressing personal or group blind spots, and improving communication. For matrix project teams, Executive Coaches can assist in team building events, along with facilitate personality assessments, and profit the group understand its own dynamics and assist they in succeeding as more effective. Executive Coaches can also help teams and individuals navigate conflict within an emotionally healthy method that allows the c's to maneuver quickly through the 'storming' phase of a project and on the next phases, thus increasingly productive more rapidly.
- Regular status updates - There are a variety of ways that status might be gathered and communicated. This is a natural activity in a functional team, as members are usually employed to a recognised status reporting routine and may be sure their role in this structure. For new matrix project teams it is important that associates feel that they fit in with the c's, which enable it to see how their progress affects the overall progress toward desire to. Examples: - Weekly status meetings - One using one sessions - Project dashboards - Project status reports
- Clear Task Assignment - Assigning work that is certainly relevant, achievable and appropriately challenging for that individual is important in all of the forms of teams. In newly formed matrix project teams it is especially important to make this clear, as clarity isn't necessarily provided by the structure itself, as it's in functional teams. Defining tasks clearly and explaining how affiliates' roles in completing project tasks contributes on the success from the project, especially in the early stages of team development, is crucial on the effectiveness and productivity of the team.
- Recognition and rewards - its is definitely imperative that you recognize people who either go above and beyond, plus matrix project teams this could feel especially rewarding for the c's members, whether or not this has gotten the two individuals and they itself some considerable work to get on the point of operating smoothly together to achieve project goals. This might be in the form of an simple thank you, certificates, bonuses, gift cards, etc.
The techniques described can be used in any sort of organizational structure, but are particularly important for building loyalty and productivity in matrix teams. In a functional environment a level of allegiance is created by virtue with the structure itself, as there is merely one focus for a team member's loyalty. In a matrix environment a team member has multiple loyalties and may even be more loyal to their home team compared to the project team. In addition, projects will have aggressive deadlines and so it is crucial that project teams become efficient, effective, and productive as quickly as possible.
The techniques described above might be mapped to Tuckerman's phases, as described below.
Forming: - Kick off meetings - Establish team agreement - Personality assessments - Goal Definition - Clear task assignment Storming: - Delivery process definition - Develop Conflict Management approach - Executive Coaching - Goal Reinforcement - Clear task assignment - Regular Status Updates Norming - Goal Reinforcement - Executive Coaching - Team building events - Clear task assignment - Regular Status Updates Performing - Regular Status Updates - Recognition and Rewards Adjourning - Plan project celebration/social event - Conduct lessons learned/post project review
Summary
In summary, team structures, even in well ordered functionally structured organizations, are inherently complex. Today's matrixed organizations make that complexity even more. Matrix project downline have multiple loyalties and when the c's just isn't cohesive, these divided loyalties can be harmful for the success from the project. There is really a variety of team development techniques that could be undertaken to make teams in matrixed environments more cohesive and successful. Seasoned and successful managers and leaders will continually analyze the team, select which of Tuckerman's phases the team is, as well since the needs of people, in order that effective team building events techniques may be employed appropriately.
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