Create a Collaborative Project Team Environment

Creating a collaborative project team environment involves multiple contributing factors, such as team agreements, structures, and processes. These factors support a culture that enables individuals to work together and provide synergistic effects from interactions.

• Team agreements. Team agreements represent a set of behavioral parameters and working norms established by the project team and upheld through individual and project team commitment. The team agreement should be created at the beginning of a project and will evolve over time as the project team continues to work together and identify norms and behaviors that are necessary in order to continue to work together successfully.
• Organizational structures. Project teams use, tailor, and implement structures that help coordinate the individual effort associated with project work. Organizational structures are any arrangement of or relation between the elements of project work and organizational processes.These structures can be based on roles, functions, or authority. They can be defined as being external to the project, tailored to fit the project context, or newly designed to meet a unique project need. An authority figure may formally impose a structure, or project team members may contribute to its design in alignment with organizational structures.Examples of organizational structures that can improve collaboration include, but are not limited to:Definitions of roles and responsibilities,Allocation of employees and vendors into project teams,Formal committees tasked with a specific objective, andStanding meetings that regularly review a given topic.
• Processes. Project teams define processes that enable completion of tasks and work assignments. For example, project teams may agree to a decomposition process using a work breakdown structure (WBS), backlog, or task board.

Project teams are influenced by the culture of the organizations involved in the project, the nature of the project, and the environment in which they operate. Within these influences, project teams establish their own team cultures. Project teams can tailor their structure to best accomplish the project objective.

By fostering inclusive and collaborative environments, knowledge and expertise are more freely exchanged, which in turn enable better project outcomes.

Clarity on roles and responsibilities can improve team cultures. Within project teams, specific tasks may be delegated to individuals or selected by project team members themselves. This includes the authority, accountability, and responsibility related to tasks:

• Authority. The condition of having the right, within a given context, to make relevant decisions, establish or improve procedures, apply project resources, expend funds, or give approvals. Authority is conferred from one entity to another, whether done explicitly or implicitly.
• Accountability. The condition of being answerable for an outcome. Accountability is not shared.
• Responsibility. The condition of being obligated to do or fulfill something. Responsibility can be shared.

Regardless of who is accountable or responsible for specific project work, a collaborative project team takes collective ownership of the project outcomes.

A diverse project team can enrich the project environment by bringing together different perspectives. The project team can be comprised of internal organizational staff, contracted contributors, volunteers, or external third parties. Additionally, some project team members join the project on a short-term basis to work on a specific deliverable while other members are assigned to the project on a longer-term basis. Integrating these individuals with a project team can challenge everyone involved. A team culture of respect allows for differences and finds ways to leverage them productively, encouraging effective conflict management.

Another aspect of a collaborative project team environment is the incorporation of practice standards, ethical codes, and other guidelines that are part of the professional work within the project team and the organization. Project teams consider how these guides can support their efforts to avoid possible conflict among the disciplines and the established guidelines they use.

A collaborative project team environment fosters the free exchange of information and individual knowledge. This, in turn, increases shared learning and individual development while delivering outcomes. A collaborative project team environment enables everyone to contribute their best efforts to deliver the desired outcomes for an organization. The organization, in turn, will benefit from deliverables and outcomes that respect and enhance its fundamental values, principles, and culture.