How do you ensure that projects in logistics are completed successfully? And how do you keep members in your project team motivated and satisfied? Jorg Megens, Business Innovator at Docdata, writes on the basis ofresearch on the four factors that can positively influence team performance.
In order to adapt better and faster to customer demand as a company, project teams are often used. Indeed, projects even play an increasingly central role in business processes due to increasing competition, demand for diverse skills, and need for expertise and adaptability.
But how do you assess the performance of those project teams? And what factors affect final performance?
Docdata had it researched during a graduation internship of a student at TU Eindhoven to maximise returns for projects that require smart solutions to complex challenges.
Assessing performance
It is old-fashioned to assess a project on only the quality of the solution, or to look at completion of the project within the set budget or timeframe. In fact, a project often has a wider impact. Factors such as personal job satisfaction, motivation, learning new knowledge or skills and influence on the general working atmosphere are just as important is shown by the following insight:
A project might have achieved its objectives on schedule and on budget, but if that project has caused team members to experience stress for an extended period of time, other parts of the company have had fewer resources at their disposal and an unmotivated group of employees remain, you may wonder whether you should consider the project successful.
Factors of success
1. The quality of the decision-making process has a great effect on team performance. Conditions for a good decision-making process are: quality of communication & information sharing, acceptance of dissent and participation of all members in the process. So it is the project manager's job to encourage transparent and proactive communication and create an open atmosphere.
2. In addition, the study found that project control also has a major impact on team performance. The project manager must set clear goals but also constantly monitor and evaluate the process of achieving those goals. So the quality of work, cost and schedule should be monitored throughout the process, not just around deadlines.
3. Furthermore, it is very important for the project team to enjoy the trust of the project sponsor. The sponsor can show this by giving the team authority over certain decisions. This will make the team feel more responsible for the choices to be made.
4. Finally, the study shows that striving for shared ambitious goals, individual attention from functional managers, emphasising the importance of the task, and expressing confidence in the personal qualities of each team member have a positive influence on final performance.
The above conclusions are the result of research conducted for a graduation internship for the Technical University in Eindhoven in the Dutch organisation of Docdata.
Jorg Megens - Business Innovator at Docdata
