KEVOS® Project Delivery Handbook
Developing and Managing the Project Team
Why This Matters: Projects Don't Deliver Themselves — People Do A practical KEVOS handbook for project delivery teams.
In this handbook article
- Why This Matters: Projects Don't Deliver Themselves — People Do
- What Is Project Team Management?
- Process 1: Acquire Project Team
- Process 2: Develop Project Team
- Process 3: Manage Project Team
- How It Works: The Frameworks That Shape Great Teams
- Interpersonal Skills — The PM's Essential Toolkit
- Duck Alignment Theory
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey, 1989)
- 10 Key Aspects of Successful Leadership
- Types of Leaders
- Situational Leadership Model (Hersey & Blanchard, 1977)
- Directive vs. Supportive Leadership
- Delegation Techniques
- The "What Kind of Leader Are You?" Self-Assessment
- The Pitfalls: Where Team Management Goes Wrong
- Key Takeaways
Why This Matters: Projects Don't Deliver Themselves — People Do
You can have the most sophisticated Gantt chart, the most generous budget, and the most forgiving timeline. None of it matters if your team cannot work together effectively.
The execution phase is where the human dimension of project management either elevates your project or destroys it. A team with the right skills but no trust will produce mediocre work. A team with trust but no direction will produce nothing at all. The project manager's challenge is to acquire the right people, develop their capabilities, and manage their performance — simultaneously, continuously, and adaptively.
This is not soft, optional work. This is the work that determines whether your project delivers or fails.
What Is Project Team Management?
Project team management in the PMBOK framework consists of three distinct but interconnected processes, each with its own inputs, tools, and outputs:
Relationship details
| From | Relationship | To |
|---|---|---|
| Acquire — Project Team | leads to | Develop — Project Team |
| Develop — Project Team | leads to | Manage — Project Team |
| Manage — Project Team | Feedback Loop | Develop — Project Team |
Process 1: Acquire Project Team
The first task during implementation is to procure all human resources required to produce project deliverables. This must align with the Human Resource Management Plan so that selected staff and contractors meet the project's actual needs.
| Inputs | Tools & Techniques | Outputs |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resource Management Plan | Pre-assignment | Project staff assignments |
| Enterprise environmental factors | Negotiation | Resource calendars |
| Organisational process assets | Acquisition | Project Management Plan updates |
| Virtual teams | ||
| Multi-criteria decision analysis |
Key Insight: In matrix organisations (common in engineering and defence), the PM often does not have direct hiring authority. Team members are negotiated from functional managers. This makes the negotiation skill critical — you are competing with other projects for the same scarce talent.
Process 2: Develop Project Team
Once the team is assembled, strategies are needed to foster competencies and interactions that enhance performance. The goal is twofold: improve individual skills and cultivate collective trust and cohesiveness.
| Inputs | Tools & Techniques | Outputs |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resource Management Plan | Interpersonal skills | Team performance assessments |
| Project staff assignments | Training | Enterprise environmental factors updates |
| Resource calendars | Team building activities | |
| Ground rules | ||
| Co-location | ||
| Recognition and rewards | ||
| Personnel assessment tools |
Process 3: Manage Project Team
During execution, team performance must be tracked so issues can be identified and corrected. This requires the PM to observe behaviour, provide feedback, and resolve conflicts — applying general management skills continuously.
| Inputs | Tools & Techniques | Outputs |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resource Management Plan | Observation and conversation | Change requests |
| Project staff assignments | Project performance appraisals | Project Management Plan updates |
| Team performance assessments | Conflict management | Project documents updates |
| Issue log | Interpersonal skills | Enterprise environmental factors updates |
| Work performance reports | Organisational process assets updates | |
| Organisational process assets |
How It Works: The Frameworks That Shape Great Teams
Interpersonal Skills — The PM's Essential Toolkit
The PMBOK identifies interpersonal or "soft skills" as essential tools for team development. These are not nice-to-haves — they are the mechanisms through which the PM influences, aligns, and motivates the team:
| Skill | Application in Execution |
|---|---|
| Communication | Ensuring clarity, reducing ambiguity, maintaining trust |
| Emotional intelligence | Reading team dynamics, managing stress, adapting tone |
| Conflict resolution | Addressing disagreements before they become dysfunction |
| Negotiation | Securing resources, managing stakeholder expectations |
| Influence | Guiding decisions without formal authority |
| Team building | Creating shared identity, purpose, and accountability |
| Group facilitation | Running effective meetings, workshops, and retrospectives |
Duck Alignment Theory
This popular analogy (Lidow, 1999) illustrates that all critical elements must be in place and aligned before embarking on a project. If even one "duck" is out of line, the project will veer off course.
Relationship details
| From | Relationship | To |
|---|---|---|
| 🦆 Duck 1 — Comprehension | leads to | 🦆 Duck 2 — Motivation |
| 🦆 Duck 2 — Motivation | leads to | 🦆 Duck 3 — Skills |
| 🦆 Duck 3 — Skills | leads to | 🦆 Duck 4 — Resources |
| 🦆 Duck 4 — Resources | leads to | 🦆 Duck 5 — Communication |
| Duck | Alignment Requirement |
|---|---|
| 1. Comprehension | All team members must share an identical understanding of the project mission and objectives |
| 2. Motivation | Every member must feel motivated to achieve the team objective |
| 3. Skills | Team members must possess all necessary skills for their assigned tasks |
| 4. Resources | Necessary resources must be allocated to the team before the project begins |
| 5. Communication | All people affected by the project must understand its importance |
The Alignment Test: Before kicking off execution, ask yourself: Can every team member articulate the project objective in the same way? Are they motivated? Do they have the skills? The resources? Do all stakeholders understand why this project matters? If any answer is "no," your ducks are not aligned.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey, 1989)
Stephen Covey's framework provides a personal effectiveness model that translates directly into team performance. These habits apply to every team member, not just the PM:
| Habit | Description | PM Application |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Be proactive | Use resourcefulness and initiative to eliminate issues before they arise | Anticipate risks; don't wait for problems to escalate |
| 2. Begin with the end in mind | Develop a principle-centred personal mission statement before you begin | Align personal goals with project objectives |
| 3. Put first things first | Make time for what is important to your personal mission | Prioritise high-value work over urgent-but-trivial tasks |
| 4. Think win/win | Establish mutually beneficial agreements and relationships | Negotiate outcomes that serve both the project and the individual |
| 5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood | The most important principle of interpersonal relations | Listen actively before prescribing solutions |
| 6. Synergise | Leverage individual differences to create a more integrated team | Diverse perspectives produce better outcomes than groupthink |
| 7. Sharpen the saw | Take time to renew physical, mental, social/emotional, and spiritual dimensions | Prevent burnout; sustainable performance requires recovery |
10 Key Aspects of Successful Leadership
| # | Aspect | In Practice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leadership begins with the leader | How you behave speaks louder than what you say |
| 2 | Put people first | Inspire people to work — don't force them |
| 3 | Know and respect the individuals | Find hidden strengths through recognition, incentive, and appreciation |
| 4 | Be a team builder | Create team spirit; give credit where due; share the spotlight |
| 5 | Be a self-starter | Create plans and set them in motion; be a dreamer and a doer |
| 6 | Allow yourself to be led | Be more interested in finding the best way, even if it is not your way |
| 7 | Have a sense of humour | Laugh at your mistakes; have fun in your work |
| 8 | Look up from time to time | Don't be "head down" all the time; inspire the team to higher goals |
| 9 | Be a balanced person | Have a heart, not just a head — more applause, less criticism |
| 10 | Have vision | Don't let difficulties interfere with long-run aims; hold your course in stormy weather |
Types of Leaders
Leaders are broadly categorised into three archetypes. Each has strengths and weaknesses depending on the project context:
| Type | Characteristics | Best Suited For |
|---|---|---|
| Autocratic (Tight controls) | Assumes responsibility for all goals; demands concentrated effort; understands people and their motives | Crisis situations, safety-critical work, tight deadlines |
| Laissez-Faire (Nobody is in charge) | Exerts very little control; serves as a source of information and suggestion | Highly experienced, self-directed teams |
| Democratic (Participative) | Offers ideas and suggestions; discusses freely; consults with the team | Knowledge work, innovation, long-term projects |
Low Control" --> "High Control · Low Team Input" --> "High Team Input
Shared Leadership
- Classify relevant stakeholders here
Democratic / Participative
- Classify relevant stakeholders here
Laissez-Faire
- Classify relevant stakeholders here
Autocratic
- Classify relevant stakeholders here
Situational Leadership Model (Hersey & Blanchard, 1977)
Perhaps the most important leadership framework for project managers: there is no single correct leadership style. The right style depends on the maturity level of the team member you are leading.
Hersey and Blanchard define four maturity stages and four corresponding leadership styles:
| Maturity Stage | Team Member Profile | Recommended Style | Leader Behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Enthusiastic but little competence | Directing | Provide specific instructions; closely supervise performance |
| Stage 2 | Some competence, but confidence is dropping | Coaching | Explain decisions; provide opportunity for clarification |
| Stage 3 | Competent, but still needs occasional support | Supporting | Share ideas; involve in decision-making |
| Stage 4 | Highly skilled, able to work unsupervised | Delegating | Turn over responsibility for decisions and implementation |
Relationship details
| From | Relationship | To |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1: Enthusiastic — but Low Competence | leads to | DIRECTING — High Task / Low Relationship |
| Stage 2: Some Competence — Low Confidence | leads to | COACHING — High Task / High Relationship |
| Stage 3: Capable — Needs Occasional Support | leads to | SUPPORTING — Low Task / High Relationship |
| Stage 4: Expert — Self-Directed | leads to | DELEGATING — Low Task / Low Relationship |
Critical Application: A new graduate engineer on a defence project (Stage 1) needs directing — clear instructions, close supervision. The same person two years later (Stage 3 or 4) needs supporting or delegating. If you keep directing a Stage 4 team member, you will lose them. If you delegate to a Stage 1, you will set them up to fail.
Directive vs. Supportive Leadership
These two dimensions form the axes of the Situational Leadership Model:
| Directive Leadership (Structure, Control, Supervise) | Supportive Leadership (Praise, Listen, Facilitate) |
|---|---|
| Sets goals and objectives | Asks for suggestions and input |
| Clarifies roles for task accomplishment | Facilitates problem-solving |
| Plans work in advance | Listens to follower problems (job and non-job) |
| Organises resources | Encourages and reassures |
| Communicates priorities | Shares organisational information openly |
| Sets timelines | Discloses information about self |
| Determines evaluation methods | Praises task accomplishment |
| Shows or tells how to do a task | |
| Checks work is done properly and on time |
Delegation Techniques
Effective delegation is not abdication. It is a structured transfer of authority matched with appropriate oversight:
- Choose a capable person — Aim to get the best out of them while helping them develop as individuals
- Explain the objectives — Explain the job thoroughly and clearly, emphasise its importance, then back off
- Give means and authority — Let the person prove themselves and their ability to do the task
- Keep in contact — Supervise only as much as necessary
The Delegation Paradox: The more you delegate effectively, the more capacity you create. But delegation without preparation creates chaos. Match the delegation to the team member's maturity stage.
The "What Kind of Leader Are You?" Self-Assessment
The Week 9 materials include a 35-item self-assessment instrument (Sarros & Butchatsky, 1995) that measures two dimensions of leadership behaviour:
- Concern for Task — the extent to which you emphasise structure, deadlines, and productivity
- Concern for People — the extent to which you emphasise relationships, autonomy, and team wellbeing
The scoring produces a position on a three-way leadership compass:
Relationship details
| From | Relationship | To |
|---|---|---|
| High Concern — for Task | leads to | Autocratic Leadership — High Productivity |
| High Concern — for Task | leads to | Shared Leadership — High Morale AND Productivity |
| High Concern — for People | leads to | Laissez-Faire Leadership — High Morale |
| High Concern — for People | leads to | Shared Leadership — High Morale AND Productivity |
The Ideal: Shared Leadership, which balances both task and people orientation, produces the best outcomes — high morale and high productivity. Pure autocratic leadership drives output but burns teams out. Pure laissez-faire leadership keeps people happy but produces less.
Relationship details
| From | Relationship | To |
|---|---|---|
| Concern for Tasks — (5 → 20) | leads to | Autocratic — High Task — Low People |
| Autocratic — High Task — Low People | leads to | label |
| Concern for People — (5 → 20) | leads to | Laissez‑faire — High People — Low Task |
| Laissez‑faire — High People — Low Task | leads to | label |
| Shared Leadership — (Low → Medium → High) | leads to | Shared Leadership — High Task — High People |
| Shared Leadership — High Task — High People | leads to | label |
| Autocratic — High Task — Low People | leads to | Shared Leadership — High Task — High People |
| Laissez‑faire — High People — Low Task | leads to | Shared Leadership — High Task — High People |
The Pitfalls: Where Team Management Goes Wrong
1. One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Applying the same leadership style to every team member regardless of their maturity level. The Situational Leadership Model exists precisely because this does not work.
2. Neglecting Duck 2 (Motivation) Ensuring comprehension, skills, resources, and communication but forgetting to check whether the team actually wants to do the work. Motivation is not automatic — it must be cultivated.
3. Skipping the "Develop" Step Jumping from acquisition to management without investing in team development. You cannot manage performance you have not first enabled.
4. Confusing Delegation with Abdication Handing off work without explanation, authority, or follow-up. This is not delegation — it is abandonment.
5. Ignoring Conflict Hoping that interpersonal friction will resolve itself. It will not. Unresolved conflict compounds and eventually cripples team performance.
Key Takeaways
- Project team management is a three-phase process: Acquire → Develop → Manage, running concurrently with execution.
- The PM's interpersonal skills — communication, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, negotiation, influence, team building — are not soft extras. They are essential execution tools.
- Duck Alignment Theory requires five elements in place before execution: comprehension, motivation, skills, resources, and communication.
- Situational Leadership (Hersey & Blanchard) teaches that the correct leadership style depends on the team member's maturity — directing for beginners, delegating for experts.
- Three leadership archetypes (Autocratic, Democratic, Laissez-Faire) each have appropriate contexts — Shared Leadership balances task and people concerns for the best overall outcomes.
- Effective delegation follows a four-step method: choose capable people, explain objectives, give authority, and maintain contact.
References:
PMBOK Guide, 5th Edition, PMI, 2013 — Chapter 9: Project Human Resource Management
Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K.H. (1977). Management of Organizational Behavior
Covey, S.R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Lidow, G. (1999). Duck Alignment Theory. Project Management Journal, Vol. 30, No. 4, p.8
Sarros, J.C. & Butchatsky, O. (1995). Leadership