Getting the Team Started 2 Role of the Project Team Member Project / Team Leader Learning :: www.MikeCardus.com 1

The Role of the Project Team Member The team members are responsible for making sure the work gets done. Those responsibilities start before the team comes together and continue after the team has disbanded. Before Members come to the meeting prepared. During The team members participate in meetings, contribute knowledge/expertise, carry out assignments, and help gain organizational commitment to the project. After Members may continue to work on the process in its improved form and may be asked to help the team leader debrief the project sponsor/champion. Project / Team Leader Learning :: www.MikeCardus.com 2

What to do before the first Project team meeting Project / Team Leader Learning :: www.MikeCardus.com 3 If you hear about a project in your area and want to get involved, don’t wait to be asked. Volunteer! If you have been selected to participate in a project team, and you do not know why, don’t wait until the first meeting to find out. Ask! If you have not seen a draft agenda or team charter, ask the team leader if they have one. If you have ideas for the agenda or comments on a draft, send them to the team leader before the first meeting. Discuss with your boss the project time commitments and potential conflict with your other job responsibilities. Before the first meeting, make notes on what you might be able to contribute to the team, the role you might play, your goals and expectations about this project, and any concerns you may have. Be ready to share this information with the team. Come with an open mind and a positive attitude. This will help the team get off to a good start and make it a better experience for you and everyone else.

Application Example Over lunch one day, a client was complaining that he had been asked to be part of a project team, and that he had to reschedule work to attend the project kickoff meeting the following week. The discussion was lighthearted, but it became apparent that he resented being asked to take on additional work when he already has more than enough to do. Project / Team Leader Learning :: www.MikeCardus.com 4

Application Example When I asked for details about the project, and why the Project Manager might want him to join, I learned he did not have any of this information. Nor did he know what kind of time commitment was involved…though he felt sure that it would be a considerable inconvenience. I suggested, “Why don’t you speak to the Project Manager and get more information?”- it honestly hadn’t occurred to him. Project / Team Leader Learning :: www.MikeCardus.com 5

Application Example The next day he was able to track down the Project Manager and discuss the project. He learned from the draft team charter that the team would be working on problems with the customer invoicing process. As it turned out, he had an interest in ensuring that this process worked well. He supervised a group that dealt directly with customer complaints, …many of which involve invoice problems. Further, he had previously worked in accounts receivable in a company with a nearly flawless invoicing process. Project / Team Leader Learning :: www.MikeCardus.com 6

Application Example As he talked with the Project Manager, it became apparent that he could play a dual role on the team: as a representative of the Voice of the Customer and as a source of ideas on invoicing best practices. He and the Project Manager also negotiated the amount of time he would need to commit to the team. He went to his boss with a good case for off-loading some of his work. He joined the team and could make a significant contribution to the project’s success. Project / Team Leader Learning :: www.MikeCardus.com 7

Application Example If he had used the Team Member Checklist: What to do before the first Project Team Meeting, he would not have waited passively for his involvement to be made clear. He would have approached the team leader to find out what was expected of him, so he could carve out a role that made sense. Project / Team Leader Learning :: www.MikeCardus.com 8

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