rooted in our differing per-
spectives. Drawing atten-
tion to these simple reali-
ties helps team members
understand that conflict is
inevitable and reduces the
anxiety that conflict can
create. It also helps you
channel conflict in a way
that produces stronger,
synergistic outcomes.
The Value and Purpose of
Team Meetings
The most common team meeting is the regularly scheduled sta-
tus review. This is where you’re likely to conduct most of your
formalproject business. However, regular team meetings have
other purposes beyond the obvious technical and logistical
ones. They serve to continually remind your team members
that they’re not working alone and they must rely on one anoth-
er. Team meetings also serve as the primary forum for what I
call “the growth of the collective team intelligence.” At each
team meeting, everyone on your team learns a little bit more
about the project and each other’s contribution to the project.
This is one of the more underrated benefits of team meet-
ings and it’s worth specific mention. Sooner or later, some
members of your team will ask to be excused from team meet-
ings. The typical reason will be that they “don’t have much
going on right now.” In deciding whether to release them or not,
you’ll have to weigh the value of their presence (in terms of the
growth of the collective intelligence) against their perception
that you’re wasting their time. It might be more appropriate to
consider the extent to which their absence may affect team
cohesion and synergy.
Managing Team Interaction
Fledgling project managers often make the mistake of assum-
90 Project Management
Include Conflict
Resolution Training
Because we all look at things
differently, conflict among team mem-
bers and between your team and you
is inevitable. Conflict can lead to per-
sonality clashes and other unproduc-
tive outcomes. Be sure to include con-
flict resolution training as a part of
your overall training and development
plan. Urge others on your team to do
the same.