The Importance of Team Working

in Success of IT Projects
Mohsen Mojabi - 125422
Master of IT (M. Tech) 2013-2014
Eastern Mediterranean University
North Cyprus
Everybody considers Team Working a
good manner; but, what is exactly
considered Team Working?!
Do you think so?!
Definition:
Teamwork is "work done by several associates
with each doing a part but all subordinating
personal prominence to the efficiency of the
whole

Reference: Merriam-Webster Dictionary online.

Essentially:

A team - is a group of people that:
have complementary skills and knowledge
work together toward common goals
hold each other mutually accountable.

Working alone
vs.
Team Working
Advantages of Working Alone:
free to make all the decisions
can be creative
can work to your own timescale
can take all the credit
can use your own methods
no disagreements
Advantages of Team Working:
can spread the workload
share ideas and talents/learning opportunities
share responsibility/lessening risks
able to do something bigger and better
a more sociable way to work
building mutual associations
increased work pace
Can team-working go
wrong?
Issues which may arise with Team Working
Teamwork may have an "unintended effect of
fermenting hostility toward the managerial
goal of making the teams fully self-managing.

In one case study of a clothing manufacturer, a switch from production
line work (with bonuses given for individual performance) to teamwork (in
which an individual's earnings depended on team performance) caused
workers to resent having to monitor each other.
Issues which may arise with Team Working
There is a potential of "social loafing" (i.e., an
individual's doing less work in a team than
what he/she would normally do working
individually).

In order to minimize social loafing, management can make individual
performance more visible while in a team setting. This can be done by
forming smaller teams, specializing specific tasks to certain individuals,
and measuring individual performance.

Social loafing can also be reduced by increasing employee motivation, by
selecting employees who have previously shown themselves to be
motivated, and increasing job enrichment. In experiments conducted in
the 1990s, an increase in group cohesiveness appeared to decrease social
loafing.
So, how teamwork would
contribute to success or
failure of IT Project?
Key factors contributing to projects
failure:
According to a research done by FDIC (Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation) the most common
causes for a project failure are:

1. Poor planning,
2. Lack of leadership
3. Inadequate knowledge
4. People problems
5. Lifecycle problems

www.fdic.gov
Key factors contributing to projects
failure:

People problems can include:

Lacking contact with senior management.
Lacking leadership.
Lacking effective project team integration.
Being unable to resolve conflicts.
Not having adequate resources due to
under/over estimation of work.


www.fdic.gov


According to PMBOK:

Teamwork is a critical factor for project success, and developing effective
project teams is one the primary responsibilities of the project manager.

Project managers should create an environment that facilitates teamwork.

Project managers should continually motivate their team by providing
challenges and opportunities, by providing timely feedback and support as
needed, and by recognizing and rewarding good performance.

High team performance can be achieved by using open and effective
communication, developing trust among team members, managing
conflicts in a constructive manner, and encouraging collaborative problem-
solving and decision-making.

(A Guide to PMBOK, 4
th
Ed., Section 9.3, p. 229)
How to encourage teamwork:
Split the work evenly and clearly and minimize overlap
Meet consistently at the same place at the same time
Make everyone feel important
Never blatantly oppose someones ideas
Learn names
Praise like a teacher would (whenever you can)
Ensure free flow of communication
Avoid Intragroup competition
Key attributes for successful teamwork:
Commitment to team success and shared goals
Interdependence
Interpersonal Skills
Open communication and positive Feedback
Appropriate team Composition
Commitment to team processes, leadership &
accountability

Successful teamwork: A case study (2002)
Pina Tarricone - Joe Luca
Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia
Opinions:
Teamwork is the ability to work together
towards a common vision. The ability to direct
individual accomplishments toward
organizational objectives. It is the fuel that
allows common people to attain uncommon
results.

Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919)
Scottish-American industrialist, who led the enormous expansion of
the American steel industry in the late 19th century.

Opinions:
Coming together is a beginning;
Keeping together is progress;
Working together is success.


Henry Ford (1863-1947)
American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company
Opinions:
"Everyone has to work together; if we can't
get everybody working toward common goals,
nothing is going to happen.


Harold K. Sperlich
Former President, Chrysler Corporation
How do you think team-
working would be in real life?
Thank You!