How to Build a Project Management Team

Build a Project Management Team and Increase Successful Project Completion

 

According to Project Management Institute (PMI), $122 million is wasted for every $1 billion invested due to poor project management. Without project management, companies waste millions of dollars on perfecting their products and services because of lack of efficiency, strategy, and project completion. In fact, only 2.5 percent of companies completed projects successfully, leaving the rest to miss their goals, original budget, or deadlines. Employer Support Services provides guidelines on how to build a project management team so your company can become successful in its efforts.

 

project management team discussing current projectA Project Management Team is More Effective than an Individual

Building a project management team instead of trusting an individual for an important role is highly advised. A healthy project management team leads to more collaboration and better communication. According to a PMI survey, 30 percent of organizations blamed inadequate communication as the primary problem for project failures. An individual can be overwhelmed while attempting to manage every project, whereas a team will be able to manage the intricacies effectively. With a team of professional project managers, rather than individual, your company can overcome the communication problem many face in project completion and have a higher success rate in project completion.

 

Continually Build a Qualified Project Management Team

According to Wellingtone, poorly trained project managers are one of the top three challenges project management faces. They also discovered that only 48 percent of organizations invest in accredited project management training. Successful project management teams are not built overnight. The ability to manage projects is a highly sought-after skill in organizations, and the skill is not instinctive. Project management is a learned skill that companies should invest into for better project management within the company.

Investing in your employees, particularly your project management team, can return handsome dividends. PMI reports that investing time, money, and resources into building project management expertise results in lower costs, greater efficiencies, and improved customer and stakeholder satisfaction. It’s estimated that project management departments saves companies $175 thousand per project. Continually improve your project management team with training opportunities and certification programs for the best project management team possible.

 

A man training a project management team

Train and Trust Your Project Management Team Accordingly

Project managers need specialized training in order to succeed in their role. Whether you are going to train them in-house or enroll them in a certified training program, it is important to provide them with the resources and training they need to be successful in their roles. For new members of the team, hands-on training is advised using outlined, detailed steps. This will allow them to become accustomed to their duties and the expectations and standards you or the other members of the team will hold them to.

Once team members are trained and have a good understanding of their duties and the standards they must meet, a more hands-off approach is acceptable. Let them know you trust them as professionals in their field by building an ownership mentality for better performance. At the same time, be available to assist as 63 percent of companies still rely on executives to decide when to cancel a project.

 

Set Goals and Establish an Action Plan

As such a small percentage of companies actually complete projects successfully, it is important to put goals and action plans in place. These steps will give you a baseline to measure success in your project. Be sure your project management team also knows the company’s overall business strategy and how each project fits into it. This will help create an ownership mentality that drives teams to produce results that will benefit the entire company. Dictate the end goal and have an action plan ready for the project management team to execute or request them draft an action plan for approval.

Once the action plan is set, be sure to invoke a sense of urgency in your team. Deadlines are important to keep and will build trust in the clients to whom you are delivering the final product.

 

Communicate and Collaborate Effectively and Positively

Communication is key for an effective project management team. Make sure communication channels are open and collaboration is encouraged for success. It’s also encouraged that you show your appreciation for hard work and accomplishments. Successful project completion or overcoming a difficult task should be acknowledged and rewarded when possible. This encouragement will let people know they are valued members of the team and organization as a whole.

For more information on project management and building a successful project management team, contact Employer Support Services today at 225-364-3000.

 

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