When you’re figuring out how to build a project team, it comes down to finding the right people with the right skills for the task at hand. Simple as that.
Project success relies on a good project team (made up of strong leaders and team members) who follow a clear project plan to deliver the right outcomes for key stakeholders.
We all know teamwork and collaboration are crucial components of project success, but how do you actually go about building a project management team? We have the answers.
In this article 📖
How to build and manage a winning project team in 5 steps
A great project manager knows it’s all about assembling the right team. While seamless teamwork doesn’t happen magically overnight, here are the best practices you can follow to build your very own project dream team:
1. Establish a project scope
If you don’t have a clear project scope, your project team won’t succeed—no matter how talented they are. Well, let’s face it, you can’t actually assemble the right team if you don’t have a project scope to go on. So first things first, establish your project scope.
Read: Define your project scope in 7 steps (with examples)
2. Have a clear project plan
Once you have your project scope set, it’s time to define your project plan. This is where you outline and prioritize tasks based on the timeline and budget. Now that you have clear visibility of the tasks and the timeline, you can start looking at who and what you need to deliver.
Download: Free project plan template for Excel
3. Identify the project team member roles you need
Time to call on your resource manager (if you have one)! Resource allocation is a serious sport, and it’s not easy to identify who’s a good fit for your project (especially if you don’t have the right tools at hand).
So, lean on your resource manager or resource management tool to help you identify the project roles needed, and the best people available to carry out each role.
Read: The complete guide to resource allocation
4. Create project team values that resonate
Every team (and every project) needs a set of values. Those values exist to help everybody work together. Based on those guidelines you’ll want to set clear guidelines for what working together looks like. Both your project and your project team members will be better for it.
Read: Team management 101: How to create and support all-star teams
5. Foster a collaborative project team culture
It’s not just about assembling your team, it’s what happens when it’s been assembled. It’s the project manager’s role to enable, motivate, and support every single project team role in their work to ensure they arrive at the intended project outcomes.
Read: Project collaboration: the key to successful project management
Building a project team looks different for different projects
Building an award-winning project team requires a combination of careful planning, clear communication, and selecting the right people for the job.
Of course, project teams (and the skills needed) are going to vary depending on the type of project. So you’ll be looking at different roles in a project team depending on the type, size, and overall scope.
You not only need the right people with the right experience, but you also need to make sure they can collaborate, communicate, and crush it—together.
