- Getting the right people on the team
A. Internally
1. Use Myers-Briggs Type Indicator results
- MBTI offers a comprehensive test to understand an individual’s strengths and weaknesses. Results also show which personality types work well together, and how each of the types works the best. For example, as an ESTP, I am good at starting or kicking off a project and motivating the team. I am not – however – particularly good at following through with each task I start. Knowing what your resources are good at will help you mold together a cohesive team. (Just for fun, see more about ESTP’s here: https://www.personalitypage.com/ESTP.html)
- You want to create a team (internally) that can successfully work together and manage your client’s project effectively and efficiently.
2. Outline the resources needed: Ask yourself the following questions….
- How many BAs do we have available?
- What is the project budget?
- Skill set of available resources
- What is needed on the project, and who has these strengths?
- Do you need someone with a technical background? With specific project experience? A strong facilitator? You get the idea. Utilize the MBTI results to help understand your available resources’ strengths.
B. Externally
- Create an org chart to help visualize and review
- Forming a project team out of internal and external resources can be difficult. Pulling together the internal members is one thing, but knowing who to engage from the client can be more time consuming. ArgonDigital utilizes an Org Chart model to map out team members, their roles, and discuss with the known stakeholders. The Org Chart makes is easy to point out a person, group, or segment that isn’t represented in the project team, but should be.
1. Define project roles
The Leadership Role
2. It is important to have a central person who is responsible for the project team in general. This individual should monitor tasks, keep track of goal statuses, serve as the key communicator between the team and negotiate when problems arise.
Project Objectives: Why am I here?
3. Starting the project out with a clear and well communicated vision sets the stage for success. Understanding why the project is being done, what value the project will deliver, and how the team hopes to achieve the desired result, must be laid out before any features or requirements are identified.
4. Setting expectations by setting Team Goals
Setting team goals is a subset of setting overall expectations for the project. I find it helpful to timebox smaller goals and work toward the overarching project goal by fulfilling these more frequent commitments. Tracking the status of each task and related goal will help keep the project running smoothly. A central SharePoint site helps team members keep track of their tasks, and the project lead is able to quickly prioritize remaining tasks.
