Page 302 -

9 - PROJECT HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

9.3.2.3 team-Building Activities

Team-building activities can vary from a 5-minute agenda item in a status review meeting to an off-site,
professionally facilitated experience designed to improve interpersonal relationships. The objective of team-building
activities is to help individual team members work together effectively. Team-building strategies are particularly
valuable when team members operate from remote locations without the benefit of face-to-face contact. Informal
communication and activities can help in building trust and establishing good working relationships.

As an ongoing process, team building is crucial to project success. While team building is essential during the
initial stages of a project, it is a never-ending process. Changes in a project environment are inevitable, and to
manage them effectively, a continued or a renewed team-building effort should be applied. The project manager
should continually monitor team functionality and performance to determine if any actions are needed to prevent
or correct various team problems.

One of the models used to describe team development is the Tuckman ladder (Tuckman, 1965; Tuckman &
Jensen, 1977), which includes five stages of development that teams may go through. Although it’s common for
these stages to occur in order, it’s not uncommon for a team to get stuck in a particular stage or slip to an earlier
stage. Projects with team members who worked together in the past may skip a stage.
• Forming. This phase is where the team meets and learns about the project and their formal roles and
responsibilities. Team members tend to be independent and not as open in this phase.

• Storming. During this phase, the team begins to address the project work, technical decisions, and the
project management approach. If team members are not collaborative and open to differing ideas and
perspectives, the environment can become counterproductive.
• norming. In the norming phase, team members begin to work together and adjust their work habits and
behaviors to support the team. The team learns to trust each other.
• Performing. Teams that reach the performing stage function as a well-organized unit. They are
interdependent and work through issues smoothly and effectively.
• Adjourning. In the adjourning phase, the team completes the work and moves on from the project.
This typically occurs when staff is released from the project as deliverables are completed or as part of
carrying out the Close Project or Phase process (Section 4.6).

The duration of a particular stage depends upon team dynamics, team size, and team leadership. Project
managers should have a good understanding of team dynamics in order to move their team members through all
stages in an effective manner.

276 ©2013 Project Management Institute. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Fifth Edition
®

Licensed To: Jorge Diego Fuentes Sanchez PMI MemberID: 2399412
This copy is a PMI Member benefit, not for distribution, sale, or reproduction.