Hello. Welcome to this Parallel Project Training podcast on team management. We’re using the APM PMQ syllabus for exams starting in September 2024. My name is Ruth Phillips, and I’m joined today by Carmen Campos, one of Parallel’s senior trainers. Welcome to the podcast, Carmen.
Good morning.
In all of our podcasts, we’ve been reviewing the syllabus and examining what we need to know for the PMQ exam. Today, we’ll focus on team management. The podcast aims to ensure we understand that team management is the ability to work with team members and create and sustain effective teams. This is crucial because projects can’t succeed without people working collaboratively in teams to complete tasks and implement plans.
Now, we’ve got three learning outcomes, but I think, Carmen, we both feel it’s better to tackle them a bit out of order. Let’s start with the second learning outcome, which is about understanding the characteristics and benefits of effective teams and teamwork. So, Carmen, how do we distinguish between a true team and just a group of people?
I agree with starting here. To quote the APM, a team is a group of people working together in collaboration towards a common goal. A good example is team sports like football or basketball. You could have the best individual players, even a couple of stars, and still not have a strong team. A real team has clear roles, good communication, and is focused on the same goal. It’s not always easy, especially today when some teams are spread out geographically or working remotely. That’s why it’s important for a leader to be able to build and maintain an effective team.
Using that sports team analogy, many of us can relate, whether through leisure activities or work projects, to that feeling of being in a great team where everyone knows their role, communication is smooth, and you’re all working together towards a shared goal, whether it’s winning a match or delivering a project.
Exactly. So why is team management so important for project success?
It’s fundamental. A strong team is less likely to encounter conflict, and team members will perform better, be more proactive, and anticipate problems. When problems do arise, a strong team will be better at solving them because they respect each other and are comfortable sharing ideas. This also leads to greater innovation and creativity. Trust within a team encourages people to listen to other viewpoints, which leads to better, more creative solutions.
Absolutely. When you work with a strong team, things don’t always go to plan, but if the team trusts each other and communicates well, they’re more motivated to be proactive and deal with challenges. A high-performing team will be more productive, come up with innovative ideas, and deal with setbacks more effectively.
Yes, a strong team will always be better at overcoming challenges, even when things don’t go as planned. However, we often don’t have the luxury of choosing who we work with. Team members are often selected for their technical skills or availability, so as a leader, it’s important to know how to develop and lead these teams. That’s why the different theories we cover in this section are so useful for leading and developing successful teams.
That’s right. We often think about these theories as tools for selecting a high-performing team, but in reality, we’re often making the best of the people available. The team development models help us turn a group of individuals into a high-performing team, even if they weren’t our first choice.
Exactly. In sports, for example, you can have a team with incredibly talented players, but if they’re not working together as a team, they can fail to achieve their goals. It’s not always about technical ability; it’s about how well the team works together, how they use their strengths, and how they’re led.
That’s so true. And that brings us to the different theories and models that can help us lead teams effectively.
Yes, and that takes us to the next syllabus item. It talks about understanding the different stages of team creation, development, maintenance, and leadership, as well as the factors that influence these stages. We’re also asked to look at six models used to understand team development. Carmen, you’ve grouped these models into two clusters. Can you tell us about the first cluster?
Sure. The first group includes Belbin, Margerison-McCann, and Myers-Briggs, which all explore similar themes. Let’s start with Belbin. Have you ever done Belbin before, Ruth?
I have. It’s a simple questionnaire that I’ve used to understand the roles people prefer to play in a team, especially when a team is formed from individuals I didn’t select myself. It helps identify any gaps in the team and provides insight into how people work best together.
That’s a great example. Belbin’s roles fall into three categories: social roles (like resource investigator or team worker), thinking roles (like plant or monitor evaluator), and action roles (like shaper or implementer). Understanding these roles helps team members appreciate each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which fosters mutual respect and improves team performance.
I love how Belbin highlights both strengths and “allowable weaknesses.” This helps team members understand each other better and gives the project manager a way to allocate tasks according to individual strengths.
Exactly. My favourite Belbin quote is, “A good team leader treats team members like actors on a stage, where there are entrances and exits, and everyone plays a vital role.” It’s about understanding that not everyone needs to shine at the same time for the team to succeed.
That’s such a great analogy. Now, tell us about the next model, Margerison-McCann.
The Margerison-McCann model is another psychometric tool that identifies eight role preferences, which are plotted on a team management wheel. The questionnaire explores how individuals relate to others, gather information, make decisions, and organise their work. It’s useful for understanding team dynamics and ensuring that different working styles are balanced.
It’s all about balance, isn’t it? The right mix of detail-focused and action-oriented people creates a productive team. Let’s move on to the third model, Myers-Briggs.
Myers-Briggs is based on Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types. It identifies personality preferences across four pairs: extroversion vs. introversion, sensing vs. intuition, thinking vs. feeling, and judging vs. perceiving. Each person gets a four-letter type, like ENFJ or ISTJ, which can help leaders understand how individuals work best and how they interact with others.
This one’s more about individual personality preferences, but it’s just as useful for understanding team dynamics. Now, let’s move on to the second cluster of models.
Yes, the next three—Hackman, Tuckman, and Katzenbach and Smith—are more focused on team dynamics and how to move a team forward.
Let’s start with Hackman.
Hackman’s model looks at the conditions needed for team success, including having a clear direction, a supportive structure, and good coaching. It’s all about creating the right environment for the team to thrive.
That’s really interesting, as it links to other areas of the PMQ syllabus, like planning and setting clear objectives. Now, let’s move on to Tuckman, which I think many people are familiar with.
Yes, Tuckman’s model is well-known for its stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, and performing. It describes the phases a team goes through as it matures, from getting to know each other to becoming a high-performing team.
Understanding these stages can help a leader guide their team through the difficult phases and get to high performance faster. Finally, let’s talk about Katzenbach and Smith.
Katzenbach and Smith focus on the behaviours required for team success, such as complementary skills, mutual accountability, and a common purpose. Their model is often represented as a triangle, highlighting the importance of balancing skills, accountability, and commitment.
We’ve covered a lot today, from the characteristics of effective teams to six different models of team development. Each of these models provides valuable insights into how to build and maintain a successful team, especially in today’s environment where virtual and hybrid teams are becoming more common.
Absolutely. The key takeaway is that these models help us understand team dynamics, preferences, and how to lead teams to success.
Thank you for joining us today, Carmen, and thanks to everyone for listening. I hope you’ve enjoyed the podcast. Goodbye!
Thank you, Ruth. Goodbye!
