Team Development Strategies Increase Performance and Project Success

PMBOK v8 Definition

Effective team development strategies and activities are expected to increase the team’s performance, which increases the likelihood of meeting project objectives. This concept is central to the Lead the Team process within the Project Performance Domain. The evaluation of a team’s effectiveness may include indicators such as improvements in skills that allow individuals to perform assignments more effectively, improvements in competencies that help team members perform better as a team, reduced staff turnover rate, and increased team cohesiveness where team members share information and experiences openly and help one another to improve the overall project performance.

Why It Matters for the Exam

This concept appears frequently in situational and scenario-based questions on the PMI exam. Questions test your ability to identify which team development strategies are appropriate, how to evaluate team effectiveness, and what outcomes result from successful team development. Expect questions that present a team performance problem and ask you to select the best development strategy or evaluation indicator.

Key Points to Remember (for the exam)

• Primary Outcome: Effective team development strategies increase team performance, which directly increases the likelihood of meeting project objectives.

• Four Evaluation Indicators (memorize these for exam questions):

  • Improvements in individual skills for more effective assignments
  • Improvements in team competencies for better collective performance
  • Reduced staff turnover rate
  • Increased team cohesiveness (open sharing, mutual help)

• Key Output: Team performance assessments are conducted as team development efforts (training, team building, colocation) are implemented.

• Common Aspects of Team Development: Vision and objectives are foundational to all team development approaches.

• Leadership vs. Management Activities: Leadership activities focus on people (influencing, motivating, listening, enabling). Management activities focus on processes (planning, coordinating, measuring, monitoring work).

• Team Charter Role: All team members share responsibility for ensuring documented rules are followed. The team charter can be reviewed and updated periodically.

• Project Manager Adaptability: A project manager should be sensitive to the willingness and ability of team members and adjust management and leadership styles accordingly.

Typical PMI Exam Example

A project manager notices that team members rarely share information, turnover is increasing, and deadlines are being missed. Which action should the project manager take FIRST?

Correct approach: Implement team development strategies such as team building activities and colocation, then conduct team performance assessments to evaluate improvements in team cohesiveness, individual skills, and turnover rate.

PMI Exam Traps

• Trap: Confusing team development with individual training only Reality: Team development includes both individual skill improvement AND team competency building, cohesiveness, and turnover reduction

• Trap: Thinking team performance assessment happens only at project end Reality: Assessments are conducted as development efforts are implemented (ongoing evaluation)

• Trap: Assuming management activities alone improve team performance Reality: Both management activities (processes) AND leadership activities (people focus) are required for effective team development

• Trap: Believing the project manager alone is responsible for team development Reality: All project team members share responsibility for following the team charter and contributing to team effectiveness

Important PMI Connections

Quick Review Questions

1. What four indicators are used to evaluate a team’s effectiveness according to PMBOK v8?

2. A project team has high turnover and low collaboration. Which team development strategy outcome should the project manager prioritize first?

3. What is the difference between management activities and leadership activities in the context of team development?

4. Who is responsible for ensuring the team charter rules are followed?

5. When should team performance assessments be conducted during a project?

PMBOK v8 Reference

Section 2.6.2.4 – Develop the Team and Lead the Team processes within the Project Performance Domain. Specifically, the content on team development strategies, effectiveness indicators, and common aspects of team development.