Develop Team

Develop Team

Introduction: Why This Matters

Acquiring resources brings people onto the project. Developing the team ensures they have the skills, motivation, and cohesion needed to deliver results. The Develop Team process focuses on improving competencies, fostering collaboration, and building trust so the project team can perform effectively.

On the PMP exam, this process is frequently tested through questions about team development strategies, leadership theories, motivation models, and conflict resolution approaches. In practice, a well-developed team is more productive, resilient, and committed to project objectives (Project Management Institute, 2021).

Purpose and Objectives

Primary Purpose: To improve the competencies, interaction, and overall environment of the team in order to enhance performance.

Key Objectives:

• Provide training and development opportunities.
• Build team cohesion and trust.
• Encourage collaboration and self-organization.
• Establish recognition and reward systems.
• Foster leadership, motivation, and accountability.
• Produce team performance assessments to guide improvement.

Overview

At a high level, Develop Team is about turning a group of individuals into a high-performing unit that can deliver project outcomes under pressure.

• Improve capability: Use training and coaching to build skills and confidence.
• Shape behavior: Reinforce collaboration, ownership, and accountability.
• Strengthen relationships: Build trust so conflict can be handled constructively.
• Measure performance: Use team performance assessments to refine your approach.

Inputs, Tools and Techniques, Outputs (ITTOs)

Inputs

• Resource management plan
• Team assignments
• Resource calendars
• Project schedule
• Lessons learned register
• Organizational process assets (training programs, HR policies, templates)

Tools and Techniques

• Interpersonal and team skills: Coaching, mentoring, conflict resolution, influencing, team-building.
• Training: On-the-job training, workshops, external courses.
• Colocation: Bringing team members physically together to improve communication.
• Virtual teams: Collaboration across locations using digital tools.
• Recognition and rewards: Incentives tied to team and project objectives.
• Individual and team assessments: Performance appraisals, personality assessments, 360-degree feedback.

Outputs

• Team performance assessments
• Enterprise environmental factors updates
• Organizational process assets updates
• Change requests (if new training or resources are needed)
• Updates to project management plan and project documents

Characteristics

• Continuous, not one-time: Team development happens throughout the project, not only at kickoff.
• People-focused: Success depends on soft skills like coaching, facilitation, and active listening.
• Grounded in psychology: Uses models such as Tuckman and well-known motivation theories.
• Outcome-oriented: The goal is measurable improvement in team performance, not activities for their own sake.

Stages of Team Development (Tuckman Model)

• Forming: Team members are introduced, roles are unclear.
• Storming: Conflicts emerge as people assert opinions.
• Norming: Collaboration improves, roles are clearer.
• Performing: Team works effectively with minimal supervision.
• Adjourning: Project ends, team disbands.

Exam lens note: Questions may ask where conflict is most likely (Storming) or where the team is most effective (Performing).

Motivation Theories Relevant to PMP

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: From physiological needs to self-actualization.
• Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory: Motivators (achievement, recognition) and hygiene factors (salary, work conditions).
• McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y: Assumptions about worker motivation and management style.
• Expectancy Theory: People are motivated when they believe effort leads to performance and rewards.

Practical Example: Global Software Project

Context: A global company is building a new software platform with teams in three countries.

Activities:

• Training: Developers receive training in the new programming framework.
• Team-building: Virtual team-building exercises scheduled monthly to strengthen collaboration.
• Colocation: Core design team colocated for the first three months to accelerate requirements.
• Recognition: Bonus program tied to achieving sprint goals.
• Assessment: 360-degree feedback used to evaluate collaboration effectiveness.

Outcome: The distributed team transitions from storming to performing, delivering features faster and with higher quality.

Common Pitfalls

Ignoring team dynamics

• Pitfall: Assuming skills alone ensure performance.
• Prevention: Monitor morale, trust, and collaboration actively.

Lack of recognition

• Pitfall: Failing to reward team achievements.
• Prevention: Use both formal and informal recognition.

One-size-fits-all motivation

• Pitfall: Applying the same incentive to all team members.
• Prevention: Tailor recognition to individual and cultural differences.

Underestimating virtual challenges

• Pitfall: Assuming virtual teams will function like colocated teams.
• Prevention: Invest in collaboration tools and deliberate communication practices.

Quick Recap Table

Key Takeaways

• Develop Team improves skills, trust, and collaboration to maximize performance.
• The main outputs are team performance assessments and updates to organizational process assets and enterprise environmental factors.
• Tuckman’s stages and motivation theories are critical exam content for this process.
• Recognition and tailored motivation are powerful tools for sustaining performance.
• In practice, effective team development accelerates project delivery and reduces conflict.

Next Step

With the team developed, the next Executing process is Manage Team, which focuses on monitoring performance, providing feedback, resolving conflicts, and ensuring the team stays aligned with project goals.

Bibliography

Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (7th ed.). Project Management Institute.