The membership of project teams should include representatives from all of the interdependent functions which impact the project, including key internal customers and suppliers. The structure of each team should be decided in light of desired business outcomes. Team members may receive some portion of their team skills training and work redesign with their project team and some with their home team. One advantage of this technique is that it allows for a great degree of flexibility and organizational creativity. The team leader is a vital instrument in the development and ongoing success of a team.
Research indicates that after training, coaching activities are critical to team success.
The leader can do many coaching activities to assist and support the fledgling team, such as holding regular team meetings at which goals are discussed and progress is measured. In addition, the leader can make sure that the team and team members are recognized for the successes they have achieved. The complexity of functional interdependencies and work processes for knowledge workers demands that they have certain self-management skills in order to achieve their project goals. Participative team goal setting and goal measurement improves project quality, cost, and scheduling. Project teams that do not have clear team goals and goal measures, clear product development processes, or a well-specified structure are not effective.