Page 126 - Global Project Management Handbook

DEVELOPING MULTINATIONAL PROJECT TEAMS 5-15

Build a High-Performance Image
Building a favorable image for an ongoing project in terms of high priority, interesting
work, importance to the organization, high visibility, and potential for professional
rewards is crucial for attracting and holding high-quality people. Senior management can
help to develop a priority image and communicate the key parameters and management
guidelines for specific projects. Such a priority image, combined with the visibility of the
work and management attention and support, fosters a climate of active participation at
all levels throughout the global team. It also helps to improve communications, increase
commitment, unify the team, and minimize dysfunctional conflict.

Define Effective Communication Channels

Poor communication is a major barrier to teamwork and effective project performance,
especially in global team environments with their different time zones, languages, cul-
tures, and work processes. Management can facilitate the free flow of information, both
horizontally and vertically, by workspace design and regular meetings, reviews, and
information sessions. In addition, collaborative, enabling technology, such as groupware,
voice mail, e-mail, electronic bulletin boards, and conferencing, can greatly enhance
communications, especially in geographically dispersed organizational settings.

Ensure Senior Management Support
It is critically important that senior management provides the proper environment for the
project team to function effectively. An understanding and agreement on the project
scope and resource and time requirements at all levels are crucial prerequisites for estab-
lishing and maintaining top-management support. Further, the project manager’s ability
to maintain upper-management support involvement is critically important to the local
leaders’ credibility and the priority image of the project.

Build Commitment

Managers should ensure commitment from team leaders and team members to project plans
and specific objectives and results. Anxieties and fear of the unknown are often major rea-
sons for low commitment. Managers should investigate the potential for insecurities, deter-
mine the cause, and then work with the team to reduce these negative perceptions.

Manage Conflict and Problems
Multinational projects are loaded with opportunities for conflict. Conflict is inevitable.
Project managers should focus their efforts on problem avoidance. That is, managers
should recognize potential problems and conflicts at their onset and deal with them
before they become big and their resolutions consume a large amount of time and effort.

Conduct Team-Building Sessions
A mixture of focus-team sessions, brainstorming, experience exchanges, and social
gatherings can be a powerful tool for developing the work group into an effective, fully