Building on the work done by Robert Simons in Designing High-Performance Jobs, TEAM is a coaching tool that can be used when working with a client who wishes to assess and potentially redesign his or her project team.
Strategies for Project Team Planning
Four aligned environmental elements are needed for a Project Team to be successful. Two of these elements (Authority and Triangulation) relate to the supplies (resources) needed for members of the Project Team to be able to effectively initiate the project. The other two elements (Expectations and Motivation) relate to the demands being made on the Project Team from outside the team. Members of the Project Team have substantial control (internal locus of control) with regard to two of the four environmental elements (Authority and Motivation), but have very little direct control (external locus of control) with regard to the other two environmental elements (Expectations and Triangulation).
Authority [Internal Locus of Control] [Supply Element]
A project is more likely to be successful if it gains access to substantial resources in the organization (though increased expectations often come with more substantial resources).
Control (Formal Authority): The resources which Project Team “owns” or has
been officially assigned to and provided for this project.
Patronage (Informal Authority): The resources to which Project Team has
access that are officially “owned” by or assigned to others in the organization that has been loaned to this project team (yet can be withdrawn).
Defines the range of resources—not only people but also assets and infrastructure—for which a team is given decision rights. The team is held accountable for performance resulting from deployment of these resources.
To Decrease the Authority: Reduce resources allocated to specific positions or units
To Increase the Authority: Allocate more people, assets, and infrastructure
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