ISO 25102:2020 Clause 7.5.5 Managing the team

Managing the team should aim at motivating the team and maintaining a positive working environment, where team members feel involved, perform at their best and focus on their assigned work and the project’s objectives. The project manager should seek to optimize team performance by providing feedback, resolving personal disputes and encouraging collaborative working.
When conflicts occur, they should be managed appropriately, according to the situation. Appropriate leadership and management styles should be adopted using negotiation, assertiveness, empathy and evidence-based decisions, as appropriate. Resource requirements should be updated or revised, as necessary, with any issues raised and resolved or, if outside the project manager’s authority, escalated.
Information should be collected, as input for personnel performance appraisals and lessons learned. Team and personnel appraisals and performance monitoring should be undertaken in consultation, as applicable, with the work package leader, project manager, project sponsor and the individual’s line manager.

Managing a project team effectively requires a combination of leadership, communication, organization, and interpersonal skills. Here are some key strategies for managing a project team:

1. Clear Communication: Establish open lines of communication with team members. Ensure that everyone understands their roles, responsibilities, and the project objectives. Regularly communicate updates, progress, and any changes to the project plan.
2. Set Clear Goals and Expectations: Define clear, achievable goals for the project and communicate them to the team. Ensure that team members understand what is expected of them and how their work contributes to the overall project success.
3. Delegate Tasks Wisely: Assign tasks and responsibilities to team members based on their skills, expertise, and availability. Delegate tasks effectively to ensure that work is distributed evenly and that everyone has a clear understanding of their responsibilities.
4. Provide Support and Resources: Support your team by providing the resources they need to succeed, whether it’s access to tools and technology, training, or additional manpower. Be available to answer questions, provide guidance, and offer assistance when needed.
5. Encourage Collaboration: Foster a collaborative environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, brainstorming solutions, and working together to overcome challenges. Encourage teamwork and celebrate successes as a team.
6. Monitor Progress and Performance: Keep track of project progress and monitor team performance to ensure that deadlines are met and quality standards are maintained. Address any issues or obstacles that arise promptly and work with the team to find solutions.
7. Provide Feedback and Recognition: Offer constructive feedback to team members on their performance and provide recognition for their achievements. Acknowledge their hard work and contributions to the project’s success.
8. Manage Conflicts Effectively: Address conflicts and disagreements within the team promptly and professionally. Listen to all parties involved, identify the root cause of the conflict, and work together to find a resolution that satisfies everyone.
9. Adaptability and Flexibility: Be flexible and adaptable in your approach to managing the team and the project. Be open to new ideas and willing to adjust plans as needed to accommodate changes in circumstances or priorities.
10. Lead by Example: Demonstrate leadership qualities such as integrity, accountability, and resilience. Lead by example and inspire your team to do their best work.

By implementing these strategies, project managers can effectively manage their teams and increase the likelihood of project success.

Managing the team should aim at motivating the team and maintaining a positive working environment, where team members feel involved, perform at their best and focus on their assigned work and the project’s objectives.

Creating a positive and motivating work environment is crucial for the success of any project. Here are some additional strategies specifically aimed at motivating the team and maintaining a positive working atmosphere:

1. Recognize and Reward Achievements: Regularly acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and milestones reached by the team. Recognizing their hard work and contributions boosts morale and encourages continued high performance.
2. Provide Opportunities for Growth and Development: Support the professional growth and development of team members by providing opportunities for training, learning new skills, and taking on new challenges. Show that you value their personal and professional development.
3. Encourage Autonomy and Ownership: Empower team members by giving them a sense of ownership over their work. Allow them to make decisions and take ownership of their tasks, which can increase motivation and accountability.
4. Promote Work-Life Balance: Encourage a healthy work-life balance by respecting boundaries and supporting flexible working arrangements when possible. Recognize that maintaining a balance between work and personal life contributes to overall well-being and productivity.
5. Promote Open Communication and Feedback: Foster an environment where team members feel comfortable expressing their ideas, concerns, and feedback openly. Encourage two-way communication and actively listen to the needs and perspectives of team members.
6. Create a Positive Team Culture: Lead by example by exhibiting a positive attitude and fostering a culture of collaboration, respect, and trust within the team. Encourage teamwork and camaraderie through team-building activities and social events.
7. Provide Support and Encouragement: Offer support and encouragement to team members during challenging times or when facing obstacles. Show empathy and understanding, and offer assistance or resources to help them overcome difficulties.
8. Set Clear and Challenging Goals: Establish clear, achievable goals that challenge the team and align with the project’s objectives. Setting goals that are both realistic and ambitious can motivate team members to strive for excellence.
9. Celebrate Progress and Small Wins: Recognize and celebrate small wins and incremental progress towards larger goals. Celebrating successes, no matter how small, reinforces a positive mindset and motivates the team to continue moving forward.
10. Lead with Positivity and Enthusiasm: As a leader, demonstrate positivity, enthusiasm, and optimism about the project and the team’s ability to succeed. Your attitude sets the tone for the team and can inspire them to perform at their best.

By implementing these strategies, project managers can create a motivating and positive work environment where team members feel engaged, valued, and inspired to perform their best.

The project manager should seek to optimize team performance by providing feedback, resolving personal disputes and encouraging collaborative working.

Optimizing team performance is a critical responsibility of the project manager, and it involves various aspects such as providing feedback, resolving conflicts, and fostering collaboration. Here’s how project managers can achieve this:

1. Provide Constructive Feedback: Regularly provide constructive feedback to team members on their performance, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement. Feedback should be specific, timely, and focused on behaviors or actions rather than personal traits. Encourage a culture of continuous improvement by offering support and guidance for development.
2. Resolve Personal Disputes: Address personal disputes or conflicts within the team promptly and impartially. Act as a mediator to facilitate constructive dialogue between conflicting parties, helping them to understand each other’s perspectives and find mutually acceptable solutions. Emphasize the importance of professionalism and mutual respect in resolving conflicts.
3. Encourage Collaborative Working: Foster a collaborative working environment where team members feel encouraged to share ideas, collaborate on tasks, and support each other’s efforts. Encourage teamwork through effective communication, shared goals, and a sense of collective ownership over the project’s success. Promote cross-functional collaboration by breaking down silos and encouraging interaction between different teams or departments.
4. Set Clear Expectations and Goals: Ensure that team members have a clear understanding of their roles, responsibilities, and the project’s objectives. Set clear expectations for performance standards, deadlines, and deliverables, and communicate them effectively to the team. Align individual goals with the overall project goals to promote a sense of purpose and direction.
5. Provide Resources and Support: Support the team by providing the necessary resources, tools, and training needed to perform their roles effectively. Remove obstacles or barriers that may hinder productivity and offer guidance or assistance when needed. Demonstrate your commitment to the team’s success by actively supporting their efforts and removing roadblocks.
6. Promote Accountability: Hold team members accountable for their actions and commitments by setting clear expectations and establishing consequences for failure to meet them. Encourage self-accountability by empowering team members to take ownership of their work and outcomes. Celebrate successes and recognize achievements to reinforce a culture of accountability and high performance.
7. Lead by Example: Demonstrate the behaviors and values you expect from your team members by leading by example. Show integrity, professionalism, and a commitment to excellence in your own work and interactions. Inspire trust and confidence in your leadership by consistently modeling the behaviors you wish to see in others.

By focusing on these strategies, project managers can optimize team performance, foster a positive work environment, and maximize the chances of project success.

When conflicts occur, they should be managed appropriately, according to the situation.

Conflict management is a crucial skill for project managers, and it involves handling conflicts appropriately based on the specific situation and context. Here are some general principles for managing conflicts effectively:

1. Address Conflicts Promptly: Don’t ignore conflicts or hope they will resolve themselves. Address them promptly before they escalate and potentially disrupt the project or team dynamics.
2. Understand the Root Cause: Take the time to understand the underlying reasons behind the conflict. Listen to all parties involved to gain insight into their perspectives, motivations, and concerns.
3. Choose the Right Approach: Adapt your approach to conflict resolution based on the nature and severity of the conflict. Different situations may require different strategies, such as compromise, collaboration, negotiation, or assertiveness.
4. Remain Neutral and Impartial: Maintain neutrality and impartiality when dealing with conflicts. Avoid taking sides or showing favoritism, and focus on finding a fair and equitable solution that benefits all parties involved.
5. Promote Open Communication: Encourage open and honest communication between conflicting parties. Create a safe and respectful environment where individuals feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, feelings, and concerns.
6. Seek Common Ground: Look for areas of agreement or common ground that can serve as a basis for resolution. Focus on shared goals and interests to facilitate compromise and collaboration.
7. Explore Creative Solutions: Think outside the box and explore creative solutions to resolve conflicts. Brainstorm alternative options and consider compromises that address the needs and interests of all parties involved.
8. Use Active Listening: Practice active listening techniques to ensure that all parties feel heard and understood. Listen attentively, ask clarifying questions, and summarize key points to demonstrate empathy and understanding.
9. Keep Emotions in Check: Manage your own emotions and encourage others to do the same. Avoid reacting impulsively or emotionally to conflict situations, and instead, remain calm, composed, and professional.
10. Follow Up: Once a resolution has been reached, follow up with all parties involved to ensure that the conflict has been effectively resolved. Monitor the situation closely to prevent any recurrence of the conflict.

By applying these principles and approaches, project managers can effectively manage conflicts in a way that promotes understanding, collaboration, and positive outcomes for the project and the team.

Appropriate leadership and management styles should be adopted using negotiation, assertiveness, empathy and evidence-based decisions, as appropriate.

The effective management of a project team requires adopting appropriate leadership and management styles tailored to the situation and the needs of the team. Here’s how negotiation, assertiveness, empathy, and evidence-based decisions can be applied:

1. Negotiation: When conflicts arise or when making important decisions, negotiation skills are invaluable. Project managers can negotiate with stakeholders, team members, or other project leaders to reach mutually beneficial agreements. This involves understanding the needs and concerns of all parties involved, exploring options for compromise, and finding solutions that satisfy everyone to the extent possible.
2. Assertiveness: Assertiveness is essential for project managers to communicate effectively, set expectations, and ensure that tasks are completed on time and according to quality standards. Being assertive involves expressing opinions, needs, and expectations clearly and confidently, while also respecting the perspectives and boundaries of others. It helps project managers to establish authority and maintain control over project activities without being overly aggressive or passive.
3. Empathy: Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings and perspectives of others. Project managers who demonstrate empathy can build trust and rapport with team members, foster open communication, and create a supportive work environment. By understanding the unique challenges and motivations of team members, project managers can tailor their approach to leadership and management to meet individual needs and preferences.
4. Evidence-based Decisions: Making decisions based on evidence and data rather than intuition or personal biases can lead to more informed and effective outcomes. Project managers should gather relevant information, analyze data, and consider the potential impacts of different options before making decisions. This approach reduces the risk of making impulsive or uninformed decisions and increases the likelihood of achieving project objectives.

By incorporating negotiation, assertiveness, empathy, and evidence-based decisions into their leadership and management approach, project managers can effectively navigate challenges, inspire their teams, and drive project success. It’s important for project managers to be flexible and adaptable, selecting the most appropriate style for each situation and continuously refining their leadership skills to meet the evolving needs of the project and team.

Resource requirements should be updated or revised, as necessary, with any issues raised and resolved or, if outside the project manager’s authority, escalated.

Updating and revising resource requirements is a critical aspect of project management to ensure that the project has the necessary resources to meet its objectives. Here’s how project managers can handle this process effectively, especially when issues arise:

1. Regular Review of Resource Requirements: Project managers should regularly review resource requirements to ensure they align with the project’s current needs and objectives. This review should consider factors such as changes in project scope, timelines, deliverables, and any emerging risks or issues.
2. Identify Resource Gaps or Issues: During the review process, project managers should identify any resource gaps or issues that may impact the project’s success. This could include shortages in personnel, equipment, materials, or funding, as well as concerns about resource allocation or utilization.
3. Address Resource Issues: If resource issues can be resolved within the project manager’s authority, they should take appropriate action to address them. This could involve reallocating resources, adjusting schedules, seeking additional funding or approvals, or outsourcing certain tasks or activities.
4. Escalate Resource Issues: If resource issues cannot be resolved within the project manager’s authority, they should be escalated to higher levels of management or relevant stakeholders. This could include escalating to a higher-level manager, the project sponsor, or the project steering committee, depending on the organization’s structure and processes.
5. Provide Recommendations for Resolution: When escalating resource issues, project managers should provide clear and concise recommendations for resolution based on their assessment of the situation. This may include proposed solutions, alternative approaches, or requests for additional support or resources.
6. Monitor Resolution Progress: Once resource issues have been escalated, project managers should monitor the progress of resolution efforts closely. This may involve regular follow-up meetings, status updates, or communication with relevant stakeholders to ensure that actions are being taken to address the issues effectively.
7. Update Resource Requirements Accordingly: As resource issues are resolved or addressed, project managers should update resource requirements accordingly. This may involve revising resource plans, budgets, schedules, or other project documentation to reflect any changes in resource allocation or availability.

By following these steps, project managers can ensure that resource requirements are updated or revised as necessary, with any issues raised and resolved or escalated appropriately. This helps to mitigate risks, maintain project momentum, and ultimately contribute to the successful delivery of the project.

Information should be collected, as input for personnel performance appraisals and lessons learned.

Collecting information for personnel performance appraisals and lessons learned is essential for continuous improvement and effective project management. Here’s how project managers can gather this information:

1. Performance Data Collection: Throughout the project lifecycle, project managers should collect data on individual team members’ performance. This data may include metrics such as task completion rates, quality of work, adherence to deadlines, teamwork and collaboration, and adherence to project processes and procedures.
2. Feedback and Observations: Project managers should gather feedback and observations from supervisors, peers, and stakeholders regarding individual team members’ performance. This feedback can provide valuable insights into strengths, areas for improvement, and contributions to the project’s success.
3. Self-Assessments: Encourage team members to conduct self-assessments of their performance. This can help individuals reflect on their achievements, identify areas for growth, and take ownership of their professional development.
4. Incident Reports and Documentation: Document any notable incidents, challenges, or successes related to individual team members’ performance throughout the project. This information can provide context for performance appraisals and contribute to lessons learned.
5. Regular Check-Ins and Performance Reviews: Schedule regular check-ins and performance reviews with individual team members to discuss their performance, progress, and goals. Use these meetings as opportunities to provide feedback, address concerns, and set expectations for future performance.
6. Documentation of Lessons Learned: Throughout the project, project managers should document lessons learned related to personnel performance. This may include insights into effective leadership strategies, successful collaboration techniques, challenges encountered, and strategies for overcoming obstacles.
7. Post-Project Evaluation: After the project is completed, conduct a comprehensive evaluation of personnel performance as part of the project closeout process. Review performance data, feedback, incident reports, and lessons learned to identify successes, areas for improvement, and opportunities for future development.
8. Anonymity and Confidentiality: Ensure that information collected for personnel performance appraisals is treated with confidentiality and respect. Maintain anonymity where appropriate to encourage honesty and transparency in feedback.
9. Use of Appropriate Tools and Templates: Utilize appropriate tools and templates for collecting, documenting, and analyzing performance data. This may include performance evaluation forms, project management software, surveys, and other data collection tools.

By systematically collecting information for personnel performance appraisals and lessons learned, project managers can gain valuable insights into individual and team performance, identify areas for improvement, and facilitate continuous learning and growth. This information also serves as a valuable resource for future projects and organizational development efforts.

Team and personnel appraisals and performance monitoring should be undertaken in consultation, as applicable, with the work package leader, project manager, project sponsor and the individual’s line manager.

Involving key stakeholders in team and personnel appraisals, as well as performance monitoring, is crucial for ensuring fairness, transparency, and alignment with project goals. Here’s how each of these stakeholders can be involved:

1. Work Package Leader: The work package leader is responsible for overseeing specific segments or deliverables within the project. They can provide valuable insights into the performance of individual team members within their assigned work packages. Work package leaders can offer feedback on tasks completed, quality of work, adherence to deadlines, and collaboration within the team.
2. Project Manager: The project manager plays a central role in overseeing the entire project and managing its execution. They should be actively involved in personnel appraisals and performance monitoring to ensure that individual performance aligns with project objectives. Project managers can provide feedback on overall team performance, identify areas for improvement, and address any issues or concerns that may arise.
3. Project Sponsor: The project sponsor is typically a senior-level executive who provides strategic guidance and support for the project. While they may not be directly involved in day-to-day project activities, project sponsors should be informed about personnel appraisals and performance monitoring. They can provide input on the strategic significance of individual contributions to the project and offer support for addressing any performance-related issues.
4. Individual’s Line Manager: The line manager is responsible for overseeing the individual team member’s day-to-day work within their respective department or functional area. Line managers can provide valuable insights into the individual’s performance, career development goals, and any specific challenges or opportunities for improvement. They may also offer guidance on professional development opportunities and support for addressing performance issues.

Consultation with these key stakeholders ensures that personnel appraisals and performance monitoring are comprehensive, well-informed, and aligned with the project’s objectives and organizational goals. It also promotes accountability, transparency, and collaboration among all parties involved in managing and evaluating team performance. Additionally, involving multiple perspectives helps to ensure a fair and balanced assessment of individual and team contributions to the project’s success.